A study identified and verified the professional education competencies needed and presently held by beginning teachers of vocational agriculture in Tennessee. To obtain these data researchers designed a survey instrument that listed 99 competencies under the following areas: program planning, development, and evaluation; planning of instruction; execution of instruction; evaluation of instruction; advising student vocational organization; and supervising student occupational experience. The 30 beginning teachers who completed the survey rated the level that each competency was held by and needed by beginning teachers. After determining measures of central tendency for both the competency levels needed by and held by beginning teachers, researchers calculated the difference between the two means and, thereby, determined the need for inservice competency-based activities. Ninety-six of the 99 competencies needed by beginning teachers received mean ratings of 3.00 or higher, and 93 of the 99 competencies presently held by the beginning teachers received mean ratings of less than 3.00. Recommendations included calls for incorporating the 96 competencies rated 3.00 or higher into the agricultural education curriculum at Tennessee Technological University and for using the results of the study to design and develop inservice teacher training programs. (The study questionnaire is included.) (MN)