Items most frequently cited by the general public as a major problem facing the local public schools: 1970 to 1994

Table 22.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |                                 Percent
             Problems             |____________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |1970|1975|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989|1990|1991|1992|1993|1994
__________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
                1                 | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
__________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
Lack of discipline ...............| 18 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 18
Fighting/violence/gangs ..........|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  9 | 13 | 18
Lack of financial support ........| 17 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 13 | 14 |  9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 13
Use of drugs .....................| 11 |  9 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 11
Standards/quality of education ...|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  8
                                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
Large schools/overcrowding .......|--- | 10 |  7 |  5 |  4 |  3 |  4 |  5 |  5 |  8 |  6 |  8 |  7 |  9 |  9 |  8 |  7
Lack of family structure/         |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
problems of home life ........... |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  5
Crime/vandalism ..................|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  4
Getting good teachers ............| 12 | 11 |  6 | 11 | 10 |  8 | 14 | 10 |  6 |  9 | 11 |  7 |  7 | 11 |  5 |  5 |  3
Parents' lack of interest ........|  3 |  2 |  6 |  5 |  5 |  6 |  5 |  3 |  4 |  6 |  7 |  6 |  4 |  7 |  5 |  4 |  3
                                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
Poor curriculum/standards ........|  6 |  5 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 |  8 |  8 | 11 |  8 |  8 | 10 |  9 |  9 |  3
Pupils' lack of interest/truancy .|--- |  3 |  5 |  4 |  5 |  5 |  4 |  5 |  3 |  6 |  5 |  3 |  6 |  5 |  3 |  4 |  3
Integration/busing ...............| 17 | 15 | 10 | 11 |  6 |  5 |  6 |  4 |  3 |  4 |  4 |  4 |  5 |  5 |  4 |  4 |  3
Lack of respect ..................|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  3
Moral standards ..................|--- |--- |--- |  1 |  2 |  4 |  1 |  2 |  5 |  7 |  6 |  3 |  3 |  3 |  4 |  3 |---
                                  |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |
Low teacher pay ..................|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |  4 |  2 |  3 |  5 |  4 |  4 |  6 |  4 |  3 |  3 |---
Teachers' lack of interest .......|--- |--- |  6 |  4 |  7 |  8 |  5 |  4 |  4 |  5 |  3 |  4 |  4 |  2 |  2 |--- |---
Drinking/alcoholism ..............|--- |--- |  2 |  2 |  3 |  3 |  4 |  3 |  5 |  6 |  5 |  4 |  4 |  2 |  2 |--- |---
Lack of proper facilities ........| 11 |  3 |  2 |  2 |  2 |  1 |  2 |  1 |  1 |  2 |  1 |  1 |  2 |--- |--- |--- |---
__________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____

--- Data not available.

SOURCE: "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, various years. (This table was prepared April 1995.)

1995 Tables and Figures

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