A study examined the ways in which practitioners in four states were defining the terms coordination/cooperation/collaboration when directing the monies set aside in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funding for use in coordination among educators and job training providers. Case studies of the use of 8 percent set-aside monies were conducted in Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas, and practitioners working with JTPA programs in Alaska, Florida, and Washington were contacted. Attempts at cooperation were being made; however, terminology should be clarified to help practitioners understand what is expected of them. Technical assistance between levels of government is necessary to provide effective policy transmission. When this technical assistance is provided, a delicate balance must be maintained between respect for a state's unique system of problem solving and the general values and goals created by Federal legislation. A circular model representing collaboration, cooperation, and coordination as concentric circles lying progressively closer to the central core of program outcomes was developed during the study. (Appendixes to this report include cross-references in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act and JTPA, a flowchart illustrating state levels of vocational education administration, sample questions asked during the study, information sources on the JTPA 8 percent set-aside, and five pages of references and suggested readings.) (MN)