A normative survey was conducted of all certificated, experienced public secondary school counselors in Missouri, to ascertain the problems, practices, and perceptions of Missouri counselors concerning the five vocational guidance functions specified in the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and its 1968 Amendments. The survey instrument was completed by 349 (73 percent) of the counselors. Conclusions were: (1) Public school counselors in Missouri generally do not accept the idea that students need to declare an occupational goal prior to course enrollment, (2) Parents are rarely used in the vocational career planning of students, (3) Many counselors feel they lack time and training for effective job counseling and placement, (4) Followup studies are imperative to obtain the information necessary for the evaluation of vocational education, and (5) School boards and school administrators are unrealistic concerning the relationship of vocational guidance to vocational education and are lacking in basic understanding of the legal requirements for effective programs in vocational education. This Ed.D. thesis was submitted to the University of Missouri. (GR)