This handbook is designed to illustrate how educational and community personnel in six school districts used a specific planning model to initiate comprehensive career guidance program planning and implementation. It contains a discussion of the Programmatic Approach to Guidance Excellence (PAGE 2) planning model and materials (an instructional resource package), which involved a team approach and was used in the project, Optimizing Planning Techniques (OPT) for Comprehensive Systems of Guidance, Counseling, Placement, and Followthrough. These project activities are described: (1) selection of one facilitator from each of ten states for training with PAGE 2 materials and in OPT procedures, strategies, and evaluation techniques to be used in conducting local district workshops; (2) selection of workshop sites; (3) evaluation using the case study method; and (4) further observation and followup of six sites with varying program characteristics and situated in diverse geographic areas to demonstrate program effectiveness. The case studies of the six sites chosen for closer consideration are presented using one format: site description (community and school), program initiation, planning session, and program continuance. Appendixes include PAGE 2 Brief Facts, Workshop Facilitation Procedures and Time Log, and Counselor Interview Form. (YLB)