Intended for reference use by vocational education decision makers, including chief school officers, administrative and supervisory personnel, and advisory councils, this publication contains information on topics to be considered before, during, and after establishing a program for distributive education. A section is devoted to each of the following subjects: (1) the employment field of marketing and distribution, focusing on job opportunities and the future occupational outlook; (2) guidance/career development, explaining career exploration and planning; (3) distributive education, covering its definition and relationship with other educational programs; (4) employment structure of the field of distribution, discussing the four job levels: entry, career sustaining, specialized, and entrepreneurial; (5) a list describing the twenty-three U.S. Office of Education Codes for distributive and marketing education which are intended to provide a framework for instruction and program planning; (6) instructional objectives for distributive education, identifying competency areas in marketing skills, product or service technology skills, social skills, basic education skills, and economic concepts of private enterprise; (7) the three primary methods of instruction: classroom, cooperative programs, and student projects; (8) Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA); (9) organization of instruction for secondary, postsecondary, and adult levels; (10) relationships with the community, which aid the students in achieving their occupational objectives; (11) duties of distributive education teachers, including administrative and counseling functions; (12) the qualifications, education, and sources of teachers; and (13) federal legislation which affects vocational education and requires evaluation programs. (ELG)