Project PRIMES (Progress Research in Meeting Elementary Standards) is a Title III ESEA funded project charged with assisting Columbus (Ohio) public and parochial elementary schools in an on-sight evaluation of science programs. The population included nine schools in Columbus. Input was received from 9 principals, over 90 teachers and 140 parents. The method used to evaluate was an opinionnaire created by principals and teachers from public and parochial schools in Columbus. The instrument was made up of six sections: equipment and materials, classroom programs, teacher strengths and weaknesses, staff strengths and weaknesses, organization and overall evaluation of the science program. The results of the study indicate that a majority of the staff felt the science program is weak. There is a lack of equipment with the textbook-lecture approach used most often and few child-oriented activities. In addition, community resource personnel were not utilized. The major recommendations involved adopting programs that are activity oriented, making better use of resource teachers and improving communication in the area of materials and supplies. Finally on a state level, it is recommended that standards place too much emphasis on material objects per se and too little on the staff's knowledge of the use of these materials. (Author/BR)