The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act seeks to: (1) provide vocational education to underserved groups; and (2) encourage program improvement and modernization. Although the General Accounting Office (GAO) believes that Perkins Act funds are being used appropriately for the most part, a number of potential problems were identified regarding program targeting to economically depressed areas (EDAs) and disadvantaged students and the adequacy of program data. GAO's review was conducted in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. One finding was that there was less program improvement spending in EDAs than in other areas. The study also found that allocation mechanisms can direct funding to more affluent school districts and away from poor communities. Finally, according to the survey, complete and reliable data on vocational education enrollment and spending, which might have aided the GAO in reaching more definitive conclusions concerning the implementation of the Perkins Act on a nationwide basis, were unavailable at either the national or state levels. (KC)