THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND IMAGE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN RURAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS THROUGH THE USE OF INNOVATIVE CURRICULUMS. A 3-DAY PRESCHOOL WORKSHOP AND SEVERAL CONFERENCES FOR VOCATIONAL TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS FROM THREE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS WERE HELD TO STUDY PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTING COURSES HAVING CONTENT COMMON TO SEVERAL OCCUPATIONS AND IN RESTRUCTURING THE CURRICULUM. SCHOOLS WERE GIVEN FREEDOM IN ADJUSTING SCHEDULES AND COURSES TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INSTRUCTION. ALL NINTH GRADE STUDENTS WERE ENCOURAGED TO ENROLL IN AN OCCUPATIONAL SURVEY COURSE TO ASSIST THEM IN CAREER AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING BY INTERPRETING THEIR INTERESTS, APTITUDES, AND VOCATIONAL ABILITIES AND BY INTRODUCING THEM TO CAREERS IN MAJOR OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS. COMMON COMPETENCIES OF SEVERAL OCCUPATIONS WERE TAUGHT, AND SIMULATED WORK EXPERIENCE WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR SUPERVISED JOB EXPERIENCE WHERE WORK STATIONS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. DATA CONSISTING CHIEFLY OF INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS, GRADE ACHIEVEMENTS, AND INTERESTS AND APTITUDES MEASURED BY STANDARDIZED TESTS HAD NOT BEEN ANALYZED AT THIS REPORTING TIME. TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS INDICATED ONLY TENDENCIES. FOR INSTANCE, IT APPEARED THAT MANY STUDENTS HAD BEEN EMPLOYED FOR PAY IN DOING VERY SIMPLE JOBS, AND VOCATIONAL CHOICES OR INTERESTS HAD NOT CONCENTRATED IN CLOSELY RELATED FIELDS. DURING THE SECOND YEAR, CLINICAL SCHOOLS WERE TO BE ENCOURAGED TO OFFER VOCATIONAL COURSES AND IN THE THIRD YEAR, THEY WERE TO TRY OUT A VARIETY OF WAYS TO SIMULATE OCCUPATIONAL WORK. (EM)