The purpose of this study were to: (1) determine the extent to which state industrial arts publications reflect the thinking of contemporary leaders, (2) identify curricular trends in state publications, and (3) provide guidelines for the preparation of state industrial arts handbooks. Data were obtained by a word count documentary analysis of 78 state industrial arts publications and a survey of the opinions of a jury of 104 industrial arts leaders. Some of the 10 conclusions were: (1) The degree of emphasis placed on various topics has not changed significantly in the last 20 years, (2) Current guidebooks tend to emphasize the teaching of specific courses more than those published before 1962, (3) Electricity-electronics and metalworking receive more emphasis while less emphasis is given general crafts, (4) The jury preferred more comprehensive guidebooks, (5) Many on the jury believed publications were out-of-date when they were issued, and (6) There was no consensus on whether the guidebooks should be general guides or detailed courses of study. Nineteen recommendations for the preparation of state industrial arts publications are given. VT 007 899 is a summary of the Ed.D. thesis which was submitted to the University of Arkansas. (EM)