Designed for use by vocational educators in planning, developing, and implementing a competency-based curriculum that is individualized, this guide begins with definitions of "competency-based curriculum" and "personalized instruction" and rationale for their use. A section on planning suggests resources to check before planning a new curriculum and outlines the first three of seven suggested steps for developing a competency-based personalized instructional system: develop a philosophy, define terms, and develop a plan. This is followed by a section on curriculum development which covers the next two steps: determine competencies and tasks and organize instructional resources (learning packets; objectives; mode, method, and media; learning activities or strategies; and evaluation of learning). The sixth step, manage the learning environment, is discussed in a section covering the role of the instructor, testing and grading, monitoring the student's progress, monitoring the student's attendance, and using learning contracts. Evaluation and revision of the system, the final step, is outlined under two topics: areas needing evaluation and revision. A final section on assessment contains rating scales for use in assessing the extent to which an existing program is personalized and in assessing progress toward personalization once a revised program is in operation. A bibliography of suggested resources is appended. (JT)