A competency-based culinary arts food preparation curriculum for Delaware high school students with special needs was developed during a project that included the following activities: review of the state's existing culinary arts curriculum for regular education students; incumbent worker survey administered to 24 restaurant owners/managers/assistant managers in New Castle County, Delaware, who would employ the special needs students in entry-level positions; and analysis of food service jobs listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" (DOT). The 21-member Craft Advisory Committee of the New Castle County Vocational School District reviewed the revised curriculum to ensure that it met the career opportunities available to special needs students in a food preparation program. The new curriculum for special needs students contains units on the following topics: fundamentals of culinary arts, safety/sanitation, weights/measures, tools/equipment, food production/preparation, service procedures/techniques, and baking. It is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in the following occupations: busperson; cook's helper; food prep person; pot and pan person; dish machine operator; and general sanitation/custodial worker. Appended are the following: new and original food preparations curricula; incumbent worker survey; list of restaurants surveyed; DOT extract; and advisory committee minutes. Contains 30 references. (MN)