This manual presents a system of precedures constructed to improve occupational student follow-up in California community colleges. First, introductory material describes the development of the Student Accountability Model (SAM) project; presents two levels of guidelines for the system--essential and highly desirable; and enumerates assumptions about effective follow-up procedures and information needs. The next chapters describe the two components of the model: (1) the Student Accounting Component, which includes procedures for classifying courses, identifying student majors, and obtaining academic year unduplicated enrollment counts; and (2) the Student Follow-Up Component, which recommends procedures for obtaining information about students who have left college. Chapter IV covers follow-up procedures and techniques and the use of SAM information in program planning and evaluation. This two-part chapter covers both student and employer follow-up. Chapter V discusses the use of SAM for meeting Vocational Education Data System (VEDS) requirements. The manual is appended by a discussion of sampling in follow-up studies; examples of survey instruments; and a listing of the members of the SAM consortium of 12 community colleges. (AYC)