Developing a National Framework for a Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum

In 1985 over 22 percent of all secondary agricultural education instructors taught one or more junior high/middle school courses in agriculture (Phipps & Osborne, 1988). This effort has occurred and will continue in middle grade agricultural education programs in an effort to provide early exposure to the world of agriculture and to increase self understanding in the preparation for careers. It is predicted that students enrolled in middle grade education in the United States will grow from 17.3 million in 1990 to 20 million by the year 2000 (Exter. 1992). Middle grade schools will increase to 20,000 by the year 2000 (George, 1988). Concurrent growth in middle school agricultural education can be expected.