A team consisting of Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) staff, local educators, and other representatives developed an action plan to assist in advancing the blending of academic, career, and technology education. The team prepared a vision statement, set strategic directions, analyzed barriers, and developed recommendations and actions for a 5-year period. The main tenets of the vision were as follows: (1) every student will participate in challenging and purposeful studies blending theory and application; and (2) every graduate will demonstrate mastery of the life skills required for a smooth transition into a globally competitive, technologically advanced, and service-oriented society. Five practices were mandated for Maryland schools to permit students at every level of schooling to receive blended instruction in a "single seamless system of education." The team also formulated a 10-point action plan for the MSDE to implement to help school systems and communities achieve the vision for blended instruction as a systemwide practice. (This report includes 17 references and appendixes containing a correlation of national and Maryland goals for the year 2000, key practices for raising student achievement, descriptions of six successful high school and community college programs, eight models of integration, and Maryland's career development model.) (MN)