The National Commission on Secondary Vocational Education was formed in January 1984 to examine the role and function of secondary vocational education. During its deliberations, the commission addressed the following areas of concern: perceptions of vocational education, access, equity, curriculum, vocational education teacher recruitment and preparation, standards and accountability, articulation, leadership in vocational education, partnerships among vocational education, business, labor, and the community, and field-based learning. After more than seven months of site visits and hearings across the country, the commission concluded that all secondary students need a balance of both academic and vocational experiences to prepare themselves for life in a changing world. It was further recommended that all students--including special population youth and potential dropouts--should be able to choose from a comprehensive set of course offerings across academic and vocational areas and that States should not mandate curricular requirements that restrict students' opportunities to participate in vocational education experiences. A five-part plan for teacher recruitment, preservice education, certification, and inservice education was proposed. It was suggested that the effectiveness of vocational education be judged primarily by before-and-after changes in student knowledge and that policymakers provide for vertical articulation across schools and grade levels and also for lateral articulation among school and nonschool providers of employment-related education and training. (MN)