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CHAPTER 04: PRIORITY OUTCOMES, INDICATORS AND MEASURES61Early Learning Framework. For example, early child educationenvironments can incorporate food-related activities thatsupport a child developing health knowledge, knowledgeof family and community, and the growth cycle of plants asan entry point for learning the scientific method. They canlearn patterns and relationships as plants grow in a garden— examples that fit within four example domains of the EarlyLearning Framework. The linkages between farm to schoolactivities focused on education and gardening and studentskill development and academic success need to be exploredfurther.Food, nutrition and agriculture related educational activitiesand school gardening provide opportunities for childrento learn about food and agriculture to prepare them tomake responsible choices that benefit their bodies andtheir community. A school’s primary mission is to educatechildren and encourage academic achievement; metricsfor success emphasize test scores, school attendance,classroom management and graduation rates. As a result, tobe incorporated and institutionalized within the educationalsystem, farm to school activities need to align with theseschool priorities.Farm to school outcomes in the educational sector fall in thefollowing key themes:• Enhance schools’ curricular, physical and social learningenvironments 15–17 .• Increase students’ knowledge of specific content areasand promote academic and cognitive skills such as inquiry,critical thinking, ordering and communication 2 .• Support student social and emotional development such asmotivation and improve students’ attitudes toward schooland learning 15,16,18,19 . Increase student engagement andreduce absenteeism 16,20 .• Potentially increase test scores and generalachievement 1,6,18,21,9,22–25 .• Increase achievement in science, math, botany, ecology,nutrition or food systems content areas 6,17,9,22,26–31 .• Improved student and teacher knowledge and attitudesabout foods 18,31–40 Garden learning environments andoutdoor greenspaces could provide temporary reduction inbehavioral disorder symptoms 41–43 .LearningMerriam-Webster’s definition of learningis “the acquisition of knowledge or skillsthrough experience, study or by beingtaught.” Education in relation to farmto school means the opportunity tointerweave concepts about science, math,health, language arts, history and nutritioninto a framework that has the potential toengage and motivate students.Common Core State StandardsA state-led initiative to develop a set ofstate education standards that measureproficiency by grade level in mathematicsand English language arts.Food LiteracyA collection of inter-related knowledge,skills and behaviors required to plan,manage, select, prepare and eat foodsto meet needs and determine foodintake. Food literacy is the scaffoldingthat empowers individuals, households,communities or nations to protect dietquality through change and support dietaryresilience over time 8 .Head Start Child Development and EarlyLearning FrameworkThe Office of Head Start updated thisframework, which was first publishedin 2000. The second edition, released in2011, guides curriculum and assessmentdecisions and assessment data and programdesign for programs for 3–5-year-olds. Itincludes eleven domains for childhooddevelopment and early learning essentialfor success in school and the long-term. Thedomains include: physical development andhealth, social and emotional development,approaches to learning, literacy knowledgeand skills, mathematics knowledge andskills, science knowledge and skills, creativearts expression, logic and reasoning, socialstudies knowledge and skills, and Englishlanguage development.NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK