This document, the third of five volumes that comprise the final report of the National Assessment of Vocational Education focuses on program improvement. Chapter 1 describes the education reform movement and assesses its effects on vocational education. It discusses current reforms that states are undertaking to improve preparation of students for the work force. Chapters 2-6 deal with vocational education reforms. Chapter 2 summarizes states' progress in developing and implementing a system of performance measures and standards, explores progress at the local level in implementing these systems, and discusses the current status of performance measures and standards. Chapter 3 describes federal efforts to develop voluntary national skill standards and measures, proposes a taxonomy of skill standards, and examines advantages and disadvantages of industry skill standards and measures. Chapters 4-6 examine development and implementation of school-to-work transition reforms at state and local levels. Chapter 4 on integration of academic and vocational curricula describes secondary and postsecondary efforts, assesses the scope and impact of integration, and examines the effectiveness of integrated approaches. Chapter 5 examines implementation of tech prep programs and assesses their scope and impact. Chapter 6 on work experience programs describes cooperative education, youth apprenticeships, and school-based enterprises and examines their effectiveness. Endnotes follow each chapter. Appendixes include data tables, graphs, and definitions. (YLB)