To develop a plan for competency based industrial arts curriculum in Virginia, three objectives were set: (1) to survey competency based curriculum developments in other states and prepare a catalog format; (2) to plan and coordinate a competency based curriculum planning conference; and (3) to specify procedures for completing catalogs for industrial arts competencies with criterion references for application and inservice. Of the thirty-three states responding to the initial survey, eleven indicated they were working with competency based instruction at the state level. From information gathered from these respondents a competency catalog format was prepared. On May 22, 1978, a conference on curriculum planning for competency based instruction in industrial arts education was held to assist individuals who had been appointed to advisory committees for the development of competency catalogs. Individuals were trained to work in small groups to advise the writers of catalogs for industrial arts education courses which are included in the Virginia Model Plan for Industrial Arts Education. All materials were reviewed by the Industrial Arts Education Service and will be used by future research groups in their catalog development tasks. It was concluded that competency based instruction is a viable means of improvement and accountability in industrial education for Virginia, and it was recommended that fifteen catalogs of criterion referenced tasks be developed for all approved industrial arts programs for the public schools of Virginia. (Author/JT)