QUESTIONNAIRES RETURNED BY 101 OF 105 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CONTACTED IN 45 STATES, PUERTO RICO, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROVIDED INFORMATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION IN DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION. THE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF INQUIRY CONCERNED (1) THE FORMAT OF THE OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, (2) THE COORDINATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, (3) THE SUPERVISOR'S OPINIONS ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE REGULATIONS IN HIS STATE, AND (4) THE AVAILABILITY OF DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION AND RETAILING-RELATED TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS. FIFTY-FIVE INSTITUTIONS HAD NO OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAM AND HAD NO PLANS FOR ESTABLISHING ONE, 30 HAD A PROGRAM, 10 WERE CONTEMPLATING PUTTING ONE INTO OPERATION, AND FIVE REPORTED THAT THEY HAD DROPPED THE PROGRAM BECAUSE OF POOR PAST EXPERIENCE OR LACK OF DEMAND. IN THE 30 INSTITUTIONS WITH PROGRAMS--(1) ALL HAD DIRECTED WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS, (2) 29 HAD PROGRAMS SUPERVISED BY A REGULAR MEMBER OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY, AND 21 HAD PROGRAMS PROVIDING FULL-TIME WORK EXPERIENCE, (3) COLLEGE CREDIT WAS GIVEN FOR THE WORK PERIOD BY 27, AND ON THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL BY 22, (4) REPORTS OR PROJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAMS IN 27, (5) THE COORDINATOR'S TRAVEL EXPENSES WERE REIMBURSED IN 21 AND COMPENSATION WAS MADE IN THE TEACHING LOAD OF THE SUPERVISOR IN 24. OF 25 SUPERVISORS RESPONDING, 24 FELT THAT OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY FOR DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION COORDINATORS. TWENTY-FOUR RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 180 QUALIFIED DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION COORDINATORS WERE BEING TRAINED EACH YEAR AND THAT A TOTAL OF 235 TO 245 STUDENTS, NOT VOCATIONALLY CERTIFIED TEACHER COORDINATORS, WERE PREPARED TO TEACH RETAILING-RELATED SUBJECTS. FIFTEEN INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTING THOSE INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE DIRECTORY OF TEACHER EDUCATORS FOR DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION, WERE ANALYZED IN SIMILAR MANNER TO THE ORIGINAL 30 IN WHICH THEY WERE INCLUDED TO DISCOVER SIMILARITIES OR DIFFERENCES IN THE 15 DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS INCLUDED. (MM)