Questionnaires were sent to 2,000 public and independent elementary, middle, and junior high schools in New Jersey to determine the status of K-8 science teaching. Survey results (with 21 percent response) are reported for: organization (grade ranges, school location, total number of elementary teachers, number of elementary teachers teaching science, and number of teachers teaching science related to school organization); program (type of science program, textbooks used, and textbook updating); financing and budgeting; time and scheduling; science laboratory activities; science enrichment activities; safety; full- or part-time science resource person; and miscellaneous categories (computer availability, availability of time and/or finances for teacher to attend meetings, in-house science facilities; and problems adversely affecting the science curriculum). Among the findings highlighted are: (1) nearly 84 percent of science taught took place in self-contained classrooms; (2) a text-centered program, using inquiry and discovery methods, was the dominant type of program at each K-8 grade level; (3) texts are updated every 5 to 6 years; (4) over 80 percent of the schools reported using laboratory activities; and (5) more than half of all schools noted that their boards of education or trustees had not adopted a formal policy on science safety. (JN)