The primary purpose of this study was to develop the considerations and techniques for the selection, development, and validation of laboratory experience units in general biology for prospective elementary school teachers. The completed laboratory experience unites developed in this study may serve as resources of activities for college instructors who teach general biology to undergraduate majors in elementary education. For purposes of this study the laboratory experience unites were centered about those principles of general biology which an elementary school teacher should understand in order to teach about plants and animals.

The primary purposes of this study are fourfold, namely: (1) to summarize the writings of specialists in school finance and public finance which are judged to have significance concerning the nature, source, control, and measurement of local fiscal ability; (2) to develop an analytical evaluation of the "bases" of the proposed measures; (3) to develop a criterion of the relative taxpaying ability of Arkansas counties in terms of the actual valuation of real property; and (4) to determine the significance of the association among the three measures and the relative significance of the degree of relationship of each measure to the criterion.