| Table 22. | Items most frequently cited by the general public as a major problem facing the local public schools: 1970 to 1995 |
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| Percent
Problems |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|1970 |1975 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1995
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
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Lack of discipline ...............| 18 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 15
Lack of financial support ........| 17 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 13 | 11
Fighting/violence/gangs ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 9 | 13 | 18 | 9
Use of drugs .....................| 11 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 38 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 7
Standards/quality of education ...| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 8 | 4
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Large schools/overcrowding .......| --- | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3
Lack of respect ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3 | 3
Lack of family structure/ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
problems of home life ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 5 | 3
Crime/vandalism ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 4 | 2
Getting good teachers ............| 12 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Parents' lack of interest ........| 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2
Poor curriculum/standards ........| 6 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2
Pupils' lack of interest/truancy .| --- | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2
Integration/segregation/ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
racial discrimination...........| 17 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2
Management of funds/programs......| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |(\1\)| 2
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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 | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
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| ---Data not available.
\1\ Less than .05 percent. SOURCE: "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, various years. (This table was prepared April 1996.)
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