A study analyzed the experience of eight schools that had begun working to integrate their academic and vocational education programs several years before passage of the 1990 Perkins Act amendments. The following common themes were identified as collectively defining integration as a distinct reform effort: (1) richer, better sequenced curricula that enhance academic and generic skills needed by all workers; (2) facilitative instruction that motivates students to learn and provides them with a practical/applied understanding of the world; (3) increased collaboration and coordination among academic and vocational teachers to create a more unified schooling experience; and (4) more attention to the skills and knowledge students need to make an effective transition from school to work and college. The study also demonstrated that integration can apply to all high schools, should be approached as a school improvement effort, flourishes in a permissive regulatory environment, can take years to implement, and complements other current systemic reforms. (MN)