FFA is the vocational student organization and is an integral part of the program of instruction in agricultural education. The many activities of the FFA parallel the methodology of the instructional program and are directly related to occupational goals and objectives. As an integral part of the instructional program, district and state level FFA activities provide students opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they have acquired in the agricultural science and agricultural business education program of instruction. Students shall be rewarded/recognized for their competence. Agricultural education students demonstrating a high degree of competence in state level FFA activities are highly encouraged to represent their local communities, districts and state by participating in national FFA activities. Instructional activities of the FFA require participation of Agricultural Science and Agricultural Business Education students as an integral part of an Agricultural Education course of instruction and therefore, may be considered an appropriate use of the allotted instructional time; however, vocational student organization activities may not disrupt the instructional time of other academic courses.