A study examined the nature and operation of the institutions in which exemplary vocational education programs exist. Three research questions guided the study: Are there common elements that characterize institutions as exemplary? How is the presence of these common elements reflected in educational levels and types of institutions? and What implications do the findings have? An analysis of the anecdotal and contextual data from the naturalistic study collected from the 15 exemplary institutions in 11 states yielded 11 themes: school climate; ecology (physical and material) dimension; milieu (people) dimension; social system (school organization) dimension; culture (norms, beliefs, and values) dimension; administration; leadership style; high expectations; risk taking; flexibility; and vision and sense of mission. Several teacher attributes were discussed: a caring attitude; acceptance of student diversity; creation of positive classroom climate; high expectations for themselves and their students; competence; and stability. A strong sense of pride and active involvement in student organizations were noted at each of the institutions studied. Program curriculum was examined in terms of content of programs, faculty ownership, and meeting industry needs. Well-developed support services and institutional marketing were present in the programs. (Twenty-five references and a list of institutions participating in this study are included.) (NLA)