A national study was conducted to accomplish three objectives: (1) describe the organization and governance of state and local agencies and delivery systems for vocational education; (2) describe the basic provisions by which the capital and operating costs of vocational education are funded; and (3) describe the status of the nation's vocational education system in terms of capacity, services, accessibility to students, and the adequacy, condition, and level of utilization of its facility resources. Data were secured through interviews with state directors of vocational education and executive officers of other state agencies responsible for vocational education programs, and through a mailed survey (with telephone follow-up) of all public secondary and free-standing, two-year postsecondary institutions having facilities for five or more different vocational programs. Findings include the following: state governance structures for vocational education may be characterized by ten different categories of broad structures, five different classes of administrative units, and five different levels of authority over institutions; vocational education institutions and delivery systems may be classified by six types of institutions, four different classes of single and multidistrict services, and thirteen different types of program administration units; vocational programs may be financed from four primary sources; and the location of institutions having five or more different programs does not reflect the distribution of the population. Further examination of the relationship between federal requirements and state policies, practices, and statutes is recommended. (Also available are the following related volumes: vol. 1, Technical Report [CE 018 973]; vol. II, State Vocational Education System Descriptions [CE 018 974]; and vol. III, Methodology Report [CE 018 975].) (JH)