The educational applications of computers for instruction, administration, and vocational guidance are herein reviewed. Reports on recent trends in computer-assisted instruction and computer-managed instruction toward forming behavioral objectives and reducing learning time and implementation costs provide an introduction for a description of the Office of Education's proposed program, a Computer Utility for Educational Systems (CUES). The CUES program; designed to provide demonstration centers of feasible and economic computer applications (including administrative data processing, a course in computer technology, integrated problem solving, and vocational training) is defined at some length, and the problems and costs of implementing computer systems are discussed. Next, the value of computers in career decision processes and in individualizing instruction (including the development of sequenced behavioral objectives) is illustrated through references to projects. Finally, barriers to change are examined and a case is presented for the utilization of a systems approach to effect educational improvement. A bibliography is included. (SP)