A three-year project was undertaken by the National Center for research in Vocational Education (Ohio State University, OH) to investigate time on task in vocational and technical classes. During the first year of the project, researchers used the direct observation method to collect time-on-task data pertaining to 10 teachers and 186 students in 10 secondary classes in comprehensive and area vocational schools located in four geographic sites. In the second year of the study, the researchers observed the activities of 152 secondary and 328 postsecondary students enrolled in 9 secondary and 16 postsecondary vocational classes. Based on these observations, a series of recommendations aimed at secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers was formulated to help these teachers improve their approach to increasing student time-on-task. Included among these recommendations were calls for teachers to ensure that other students are on task when using one-to-one instruction, to decrease time for breaks and interruptions of individual students, to encourage student independence, and to serve as a role model. The focus of the third year of the time-on-task study is on the development of guidelines for incorporating time-on-task criteria in vocational programs and teacher evaluations. (Appended to this report are a comparison of 20 time-on-task studies and two observation guides.) (MN)