Drawing upon a database of state-administered vocational education program improvement projects, a study examined state-administered programs to improve vocational education that were implemented from fiscal 1978 through fiscal 1982. After analyzing abstracts of 3,994 research, exemplary and innovative, and curriculum development activities, researchers drew the following conclusions: (1) states seem to place a lower priority on research, exemplary and innovative, and curriculum development activities than on vocational guidance and counseling, personnel training, and sex equity; (2) public educational agencies and institutions play a dominant role in program improvement activities; (3) states show a heavy concern for assisting practicing teachers and a relatively small concern for teacher education programs; (4) state funding for distributing materials have increased annually; and (5) the greatest program improvement effort has focused on improvement of instruction in local vocational education programs. Based on these findings, recommendations called for development of more descriptive abstracts for the database from which these findings were drawn, for more research concerning vocational education personnel training, for closer coordination of curriculum development activities across states, and for further research on the allocation of program improvement funds between preservice and inservice educational programs. (MN)