The Missouri Excellence in Education Act of 1985 established the Missouri Career Development and Teacher Excellence Plan, also known as the Career Ladder Program. The intent of the program was to develop and implement a process to encourage quality teachers to remain in the classroom and to continue the emphasis on improved instruction. The Missouri Career Ladder provides a 3-stage, flexible framework in which career advancement is available while teachers are financially rewarded for performance and professional responsibilities. In order to provide an organizational framework, responsibilities were divided into three categories: personal and professional growth; faculty collaboration; and community/school involvement. This manual contains guidelines developed by a 36-member advisory committee, providing planning information helpful to teachers and administrators in local school districts. The guidelines include information on: use of performance based teacher evaluation, a model career ladder plan, guidelines and implementation procedures. It also provides career development plan forms, explanations of important terms associated with the career ladder process, a set of the most frequently asked questions (and answers) regarding the Career Ladder, the statutory authority, and a complete copy of the Board of Education Rule, Title 5. An appendix provides guidelines for local school district career ladder plans. (LL)