FIVE 8-WEEK SUMMER INSTITUTES IN BUSINESS DATA PROCESSING WERE CONDUCTED FROM 1963 TO 1965 TO ASSIST 353 PARTICIPANTS IN DEVELOPING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ESSENTIAL FOR TEACHING SPECIALIZED COURSES IN A 2-YEAR VOCATIONAL PREPARATORY CURRICULUM IN BUSINESS DATA PROCESSING. THIS STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE (1) THE INSTITUTES' SUCCESS IN ALLEVIATING THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, (2) THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE INSTITUTES AS THE PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THEM, (3) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSTITUTES IN PREPARING TEACHERS, (4) FACTORS RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANT'S PERSISTENCE AS A DATA PROCESSING TEACHER, AND (5) THE SHORTAGE OR POTENTIAL SHORTAGE OF DATA PROCESSING TEACHERS. THE CURRICULUM PROVIDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS OF LECTURES AND AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF LABORATORY PRACTICE ON DATA PROCESSING MACHINES, COMPUTER PROGRAMING, AND PROGRAMING AND BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS. FINDINGS FROM 254 PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED--(1) APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT HAD TAUGHT ONE OR MORE SPECIALIZED COURSES SINCE ATTENDING AN INSTITUTE, AND (2) THE PRINCIPAL STRENGTHS OF THE INSTITUTES WERE THE FACILITIES, THE COURSE OFFERINGS, AND THE PARTICIPANTS' INTEREST IN AND ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND MATERIALS USEFUL IN TEACHING, (3) THE PRINCIPAL WEAKNESS WAS THE INADEQUATE TIME IN RELATION TO THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL PRESENTED AND PRACTICE ON THE COMPUTERS DURING LABORATORY PERIODS, AND (4) FACTORS SUCH AS AGE, PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, SEX, DEGREES, AND SUBSISTENCE RECEIVED WERE FOUND NOT TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTICIPANTS PERSISTED AS DATA PROCESSING TEACHERS. DATA FROM EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND STATE DIRECTORS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INDICATED THAT FROM 475 TO 525 TEACHERS WERE NEEDED FOR 1967, 600 FOR 1968, AND 750 FOR 1969 IN 2-YEAR PREPARATORY PROGRAMS. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNED DEVELOPING FURTHER INSTITUTES, REVISING THE ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING-I CURRICULUM GUIDE, AND STUDYING THE NEED FOR BUSINESS DATA PROCESSING PREPARATORY PROGRAMS. (PS)