Items most frequently cited by the general public as a major problem facing the local public schools: Selected years, 1970 to 2004

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Table 23.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |                                                                     Percent
Problem                           |_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  | 1970| 1975| 1980| 1985| 1989| 1990| 1991| 1992| 1993| 1994| 1995| 1996| 1997| 1998| 1999| 2000| 2001| 2002| 2003| 2004
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____
1                                 |    2|    3|    4|    5|    6|    7|    8|    9|   10|   11|   12|   13|   14|   15|   16|   17|   18|   19|   20|   21
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____
Lack of discipline ...............|   18|   23|   26|   25|   19|   19|   20|   17|   15|   18|   15|   15|   15|   14|   18|   15|   15|   17|   16|   10
Lack of financial support ........|   17|   14|   10|    9|   13|   13|   18|   22|   21|   13|   11|   13|   15|   12|    9|   18|   15|   23|   25|   21
Fighting/violence/gangs ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    9|   13|   18|    9|   14|   12|   15|   11|   11|   10|    9|    4|    6
Use of drugs .....................|   11|    9|   14|   18|   34|   38|   22|   22|   16|   11|    7|   16|   14|   10|    8|    9|    9|   13|    9|    7
Standards/quality of education ...| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    8|    4| --- |    8|    6|    2|    5| --- | --- |    4| ---
                                  |     | --- |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Large schools/overcrowding .......| --- |   10|    7|    5|    8|    7|    9|    9|    8|    7|    3|    8|    8|    8|    8|   12|   10|   17|   14|   10
Lack of respect ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    3|    3|    2| --- |    2|    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | ---
Lack of family structure/         |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
   problems of home life .........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    5|    3|    4| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Crime/vandalism ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    4|    2|    3| --- |    2|    5|    5| --- | --- | --- | ---
Getting good teachers ............|   12|   11|    6|   10|    7|    7|   11|    5|    5|    3|    2|    3|    3|    5|    4|    4|    6|    8|    5| ---
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Parents' lack of interest ........|    3|    2|    6|    3|    6|    4|    7|    5|    4|    3|    2| --- | --- |    2|    4|    4| --- | --- | --- | ---
Poor curriculum/standards ........|    6|    5|   11|   11|    8|    8|   10|    9|    9|    3|    2|    3| --- |    1|    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | ---
Pupils' lack of interest/truancy .| --- |    3|    5|    5|    3|    6|    5|    3|    4|    3|    2|    5|    6|    5|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Integration/segregation/          |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
   racial discrimination .........|   17|   15|   10|    4|    4|    5|    5|    4|    4|    3|    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Management of funds/programs .....| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Moral standards ..................| --- | --- | --- |    2|    3|    3|    3|    4|    3| --- | --- | --- | --- |    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Low teacher pay ..................| --- | --- | --- |    2|    4|    6|    4|    3|    3| --- | --- | --- | --- |    2|    2|    4| --- | --- |    4| ---
Teachers' lack of interest .......| --- | --- |    6|    4|    4|    4|    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Drinking/alcoholism ..............| --- | --- |    2|    3|    4|    4|    2|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Lack of proper facilities ........|   11|    3|    2|    1|    1|    2| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____

---Not available.

NOTE: Respondents were permitted to select multiple or no major problems.

SOURCE: Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappan "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," selected years 1970 to 2004. (This table was prepared March 2005.)

2004 Tables and Figures

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