In accordance with provisions of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976, a study was conducted to analyze and make recommendations for improving the fiscal, equity, incentive, and sanction provisions of the federal vocational education legal framework and the applicable civil rights laws that interact with vocational education. Two interrelated types of research were used to accomplish the project's research objectives: deductive analysis and field study, with the deductive analysis of the Vocational Education Act (VEA) and related statutes, rules, and regulations used to identify the issues to be addressed during the field study. It was found that the VEA legal framework consisted of the following--a goal "to assist states in ensuring that all persons in all communities have ready access to vocational training or retraining which is of high quality, which is realistic in light of actual or anticipated opportunities for gainful employment, and which is suited to their needs, interests, and ability to benefit from such training" and five major objectives; three parts, encompassing state vocational education programs (general provisions, basic grants, program improvement and supportive services, programs for the disadvantaged, and consumer and homemaking education programs); national programs, including bilingual programs and emergency assistance for remodeling vocational facilities; definitions; state administration and planning; funds distributions; and civil rights obligations. The study concluded that there are six principles which relate to the achievement of compliance with and enforcement of the provisions of the VEA, and other laws, and that these principles are being met with varying degrees of success. (KC)