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-------- ACHIEVEMENT INDICATORS -------- International Achievement in Mathematics and Science Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement -------- OTHER INDICATORS -------- Dropout Rates Public School Revenues and Expenditures School Crime and Safety High School Transcripts, 2005 Bachelor's Degree Recipients, 10 Years Later -------- PAST INDICATORS -------- Dropout Rates, 2005 International Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Science and Mathematics Literacy Public School Revenues and Expenditures Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement Dropout Rates Computer and Internet Use High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Students Food and Exercise in Elementary Schools Trends in Adult Literacy First Generation Students in Postsecondary Education Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement The High School Senior Class of 2004 Trends in Academic Progress Dropout Rates 2002 Dual Credit in U.S. Public High Schools Gender Differences in Postsecondary Education School Crime and Safety, 2002 International Comparisons in Science and Math Trends in Education Equity of Girls and Women Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement Dropout Rate 2001 Trends in Academic Progress International Comparisons in Reading Literacy Postsecondary Enrollment of Language Minorities Volunteer Service Civics Achievement Geography Achievement History Achievement Science Achievement Writing Achievement The High School Transcript Study Postsecondary Remedial Education Student Victimization Out-of-Field Teaching Postsecondary Attainment School Crime and Safety, 2001 Internet Access

School Crime and Safety, 2002

Methodology

The data for this indicator describe the educational status of a cohort based on a nationally representative probability sample of 15,362 10th-graders in 752 public, Catholic, and other private schools, who were studied in the spring term of the 2001–02 school year. The base-year data collection for the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) is the first wave of a new longitudinal study of high school students that continues a series of nationally representative longitudinal studies conducted by the United States Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) over recent decades.

Perceptions of School Safety

Are schools providing a safe haven in which learning can occur? This indicator addresses the question by looking at the 10th-grade cohort’s perceptions of their own safety in school, observations of safety-related problems (e.g., gang activities), and experiences of various forms of crime and bullying on school property. In 2002, a majority of 10th-graders (88 percent) perceived their school as a safe place. However, this means that about 12 percent of 10th graders reported that they did not feel safe at school (figure 1).

Figure 1. Percentage of high school sophomores who agreed or strongly agreed with various statements about school safety, by school type, urbanicity, and region: 2002

NOTE: See appendix A for the weighted response rates of all unimputed variables used in this analysis.

SOURCE: Figure 19 in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 2002: Initial Results From the Base Year of the Longitudinals Study of 2002, NCES 2005–338, by Steven J. Ingels, Laura J. Burns, Stephanie Charleston, Xianaglei Chen and Emily Forrest Cataldi.

Crimes Reported

In 2002, 66 percent of 10th graders reported having experienced at least one of these eight forms of crime, threat, or violence at least once or twice during the first semester/term of the school year (figure 2). Theft was the most commonly reported crime: 41 percent of 10th graders reported that something was stolen from them at school at least once or twice during the first semester/term of the school year. In addition to theft, some students experienced more serious negative events that involved direct confrontation with the perpetrators. One out of four 10th graders reported that someone at school offered to sell them drugs (25 percent) or threatened to hurt them (24 percent). One out of five 10th graders reported that someone at school hit them (21 percent) or bullied or picked on them (20 percent). About 15 percent of 10th graders reported that their belongings were purposely damaged or destroyed by someone at school, and 14 percent said that they were engaged in a physical fight with someone on school property. About 3 percent of 10th graders were victims of someone using strong-arm or forceful methods to get money or possessions from them at school.

Figure 2. Percentage of high school sophomores who experienced various forms of crime and bullying at school at least once or twice during the first semester/term of the school year, by sex: 2002

NOTE: See appendix A for the weighted response rates of all unimputed variables used in this analysis.

SOURCE: Figure 20 in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 2002: Initial Results From the Base Year of the Longitudinals Study of 2002, NCES 2005–338, by Steven J. Ingels, Laura J. Burns, Stephanie Charleston, Xianaglei Chen and Emily Forrest Cataldi.

Perceptions of School Rules

Students’ perceptions of school rules were linked to their perceptions of their own safety in school (figure 3). Students felt safer at school when they perceived that their school rules were clearly communicated, fair, and strictly enforced and that the consequences for breaking the rules were made clear and applied equally to everyone.

Figure 3. Percentage of high school sophomores who agreed or strongly agreed with various statements about their school rules, by students’ feelings of safety at school: 2002

NOTE: See appendix A for the weighted response rates of all unimputed variables used in this analysis.

SOURCE: Figure 22 in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. A Profile of the American High School Sophomore in 2002: Initial Results From the Base Year of the Longitudinals Study of 2002, NCES 2005–338, by Steven J. Ingels, Laura J. Burns, Stephanie Charleston, Xianaglei Chen and Emily Forrest Cataldi.

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