The early 1980's was a tumultuous time for education, and specifically agricultural education. President Regan's A Nation at Risk report (United States National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) raised concerns about educational preparation of American students. Declining profitability and international competition were affecting the agriculture economy and there was a laundry list of competing forces that were impacting the enrollment in secondary agricultural programs. These production agriculture and agricultural education challenges caused the U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Education to charge the National Research Council to study and make recommendations. As a result, in 1985, a committee on agricultural education in secondary schools was established to assess and make recommendations to maintain and improve agricultural productivity and competitiveness.