Table 233.10.

Number and percentage of public schools that took a serious disciplinary action in response to specific offenses, number of serious actions taken, and percentage distribution of actions, by type of offense, school level, and type of action: Selected years, 1999-2000 through 2009–10

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Year, school level, and type of serious disciplinary action	Total		Physical attacks or fights		Insubordination		Distribution, possession, or use of alcohol			Distribution, possession, or use of illegal drugs		Use or possession of a firearm or explosive device			Use or possession of a weapon other than a firearm or explosive device1
1	2		3		4		5			6		7			8
Number of schools taking at least one action
2009-10	32,300	(940)	24,000	(770)	—	(†)	7,600		(320)	16,100	(400)	2,500		(340)	11,200	(650)
Percent of schools taking at least one action
1999-20002	—	(†)	35.4	(1.02)	18.3	(0.79)	—		(†)	—	(†)	—		(†)	—	(†)
2003-04	45.7	(1.15)	32.0	(0.94)	21.6	(0.85)	9.2		(0.50)	21.2	(0.58)	3.9		(0.40)	16.8	(0.84)
2005-06	48.0	(1.18)	31.5	(1.02)	21.2	(0.85)	10.2		(0.47)	20.8	(0.61)	4.5		(0.35)	19.3	(0.91)
2007-08	46.4	(1.16)	31.5	(0.89)	21.4	(0.95)	9.8		(0.48)	19.3	(0.53)	2.8		(0.26)	15.3	(0.77)
2009-103	39.1	(1.14)	29.0	(0.94)	—	(†)	9.2		(0.39)	19.5	(0.48)	3.0		(0.41)	13.5	(0.78)
Primary school4	18.1	(1.51)	13.2	(1.26)	—	(†)	1.0	!	(0.33)	2.0	(0.47)	1.7	!	(0.57)	6.4	(0.93)
Middle school4	67.0	(1.68)	49.7	(1.87)	—	(†)	13.6		(1.17)	36.9	(1.19)	4.1		(0.65)	25.1	(1.70)
High school4	82.7	(1.57)	62.6	(1.63)	—	(†)	36.1		(1.47)	66.1	(1.39)	7.3		(1.05)	28.9	(1.39)
Combined school4	49.2	(5.31)	35.6	(4.26)	—	(†)	9.9		(2.54)	22.7	(3.57)	‡		(†)	10.9	(2.72)
Number of actions taken
1999-20002	—	(†)	332,500	(27,420)	253,500	(27,720)	—		(†)	—	(†)	—		(†)	—	(†)
2003-04	655,700	(29,160)	273,500	(14,450)	220,400	(16,990)	25,500		(1,600)	91,100	(3,410)	9,900	!	(4,300)	35,400	(1,470)
2005-06	830,700	(45,710)	323,900	(16,690)	309,000	(33,840)	30,100		(1,880)	106,800	(4,950)	14,300		(2,690)	46,600	(2,040)
2007-08	767,900	(44,010)	271,800	(15,180)	327,100	(38,470)	28,400		(1,470)	98,700	(5,780)	5,200		(910)	36,800	(2,630)
2009-103	433,800	(22,880)	265,100	(22,170)	—	(†)	28,700		(1,920)	105,400	(4,070)	5,800		(1,360)	28,800	(1,580)
Percentage distribution of actions, 2009-10	100.0	(†)	100.0	(†)	—	(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0	(†)	100.0		(†)	100.0	(†)
Out-of-school suspensions lasting 5 days    or more	73.9	(1.79)	81.2	(2.18)	—	(†)	74.3		(2.23)	59.6	(1.70)	55.5		(9.64)	62.2	(2.44)
Removal with no services for remainder of    school year	6.1	(0.86)	5.0	(1.22)	—	(†)	4.0		(0.92)	8.0	(0.94)	22.2		(4.96)	8.8	(1.31)
Transfer to specialized schools	20.0	(1.36)	13.9	(1.57)	—	(†)	21.7		(2.27)	32.4	(1.57)	22.3	!	(7.91)	29.0	(2.32)

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Prior to 2005-06, the questionnaire wording was simply "a weapon other than a firearm" (instead of "a weapon other than a firearm or explosive device").

2 In the 1999-2000 questionnaire, only two items are the same as in questionnaires for later years--the item on physical attacks or fights and the item on insubordination. There are no comparable 1999-2000 data for serious disciplinary actions taken in response to the other specific offenses listed in this table, nor for total actions taken in response to all the listed offenses.

3 Totals for 2009-10 are not comparable to totals for other years, because the 2009-10 questionnaire did not include an item on insubordination.

4 Primary schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not higher than grade 3 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 8. Middle schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 4 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 9. High schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 9 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 12. Combined schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools.

NOTE: Serious disciplinary actions include out-of-school suspensions lasting 5 or more days, but less than the remainder of the school year; removals with no continuing services for at least the remainder of the school year; and transfers to specialized schools for disciplinary reasons. Responses were provided by the principal or the person most knowledgeable about crime and safety issues at the school. Respondents were instructed to respond only for those times that were during normal school hours or when school activities or events were in session, unless the survey specified otherwise. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and because schools that reported serious disciplinary actions in response to more than one type of offense were counted only once in the total number or percentage of schools.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, and 2009–10 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010. (This table was prepared September 2013.)