The report describes Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) through examination of the concept as practiced at pilot programs in four initial communities. The first chapter discusses the creation of EBCE, identifies four crises to which schools must respond, defines EBCE, and describes program goals and characteristics. The next four chapters are brief descriptions of the programs including goals, components, and general outcome. In the Appalachia Educational Laboratory program in Charleston, West Virginia, high school students obtain academic credit through direct experiences in the community. The Far West School in Oakland, California, provides direct experiences to prepare tenth through twelfth grade students for entry in the adult world and high school graduation. Community classrooms, individualized learning, and performance-based curriculum characterize the suburban-rural Community Experiences for Career Education program in Tigard, Oregon. The Academy for Career Education, a part of the Philadelphia Public Schools, includes career guidance, basic skills, and career development in its program for high school students. Evaluations of the four programs indicate generally successful outcomes. The final chapter discusses the potential of EBCE in terms of what has been accomplished and the conditions necessary for replication of the programs. A bibliography concludes each chapter except the last. (Author/MS)