The lack of systematic, national data on the priority problems being experienced in the field operation of vocational education programs has been a barrier to the design of effective strategies for program improvement. The major purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary assessment of the field operation needs of vocational education. From a list of more than 6,000 nominations, an instrument designed to gather priority ratings for forty-eight needs was developed. The instrument was administered to local and state vocational education personnel. Findings indicate the following conclusions: (1) highest priority needs included improvements in collaboration with key segments of the employment community in communicating the benefits of vocational education and the relevance of curricula to job requirements; (2) high priority needs have an "external" orientation; (3) the major differences among groups concerning priorities were between state level and local level personnel; (4) while respondents agreed with priorities in the 1976 education amendments, they appear to have assigned lower priority to problems such as equal opportunity enrollment and sex sterotyping; and (5) six fundamental considerations appear (for example, data-based decision-making and community interaction), to underlie the respondents' priority decisions. (The survey instrument is appended. (LRA)