The handbook is designed to provide assistance to school personnel in the development and operation of a cooperative occupational home economics program. It can serve as a guide to the teacher-coordinator as a new program is developed or as a resource for strengthening an existing program. Topics covered in the handbook's 22 chapters are: occupational home economics program, differences between the two aspects of the vocational home economics program, vocational home economics program, occupational home economics clusters, teacher qualifications, the teacher-coordinator, steps in initiating an occupational home economics program, steering committee, determining the need for an occupational home economics program, advisory committee, policy statement, student selection, job analysis, selection of training stations, placement of students, training plan and agreement, student reports (daily, weekly, and periodic), FHA/HERO (Federal Housing Administration/Home Economics Related Occupations) student organization, publicity, end of year activity, program evaluation, and coordination activities. Information is presented in paragraph as well as chart form and sample records and reports are included where appropriate. Definitions of 19 terms related to occupational home economics are also contained in the handbook. Appended is a manual for supervisors of occupational home economics student-learners. (Author/MS)