Institutions of higher education, states, and local K-12 districts have been challenged to improve math and science education for our nation's students. In the past few years, there has been renewed interest in inquiry-based, activity-oriented instruction in science for students with disabilities. Yet, there still exists the need for further empirical evidence to support instructional improvements for students with more involved emotional and behavioral disabilities. This study describes a program in which 18 middle school students with serious emotional disturbances were instructed, over the course of 8 weeks, on ''Matter'' by two different instructional approaches. Students in one classroom received a traditional textbook approach to science content, whereas students in another classroom received science instruction by a hands-on, thematic approach. Over the course of instruction, data were collected regarding students' behavior and achievement. Results indicate that, overall, students in the hands-on instructional program performed significantly better than the students in the textbook program on two of three measures of science achievement, a hands-on assessment and a short-answer test. The students did not differ on a multiplechoice format test. With regard to behavior, there were no significant differences in behavioral problems found between the two groups of students over the course of the study. Findings are discussed in relation to instructional implications for students with disabilities in the science classroom. ß 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This study investigates the relationship between high stakes college admissions tests and creativity. One hundred eighteen college students majoring in education were given the Epstein Creativity Competencies Inventory (ECC-I). We examined the total creativity competency score as well as the four different skill areas: Preserves new Ideas; Seeks Challenges: Broadens Skills and Knowledge; and Changes Physical and Social Environment. The students' ACT and SAT scores were compared with their scores on the ECC-I. Results indicate that students with lower ACT scores, scored higher overall on the creativity survey than students with high ACT scores. There was a negative correlation between the students Capturing creativity scores and their SAT scores. This indicates that students with higher SATs rated themselves lower in paying attention to and preserving new ideas; that is, capturing new ideas as they occur. There is a need in our society for innovative and creative thinkers, however, American colleges and universities are still predicting the ability to succeed in college with traditional measures.