Table 75.

Percentage of teachers indicating that certain issues are serious problems in their schools and that certain problems occur daily, by level and control of school: Selected years, 1987-88 through 2007–08

Control of school and issue	Percent of teachers indicating issue is a serious problem																											Percent of teachers indicating problem occurs daily, 2003-041
	1987-88 total		1993-94 total		1999-2000 total		2003-04									2007-08												Total2		Elementary schools		Secondary schools
							Total2			Elementary schools			Secondary schools			Total			Elementary schools			Secondary schools			Combined schools
1	2		3		4		5			6			7			8			9			10			11			12		13		14
Public schools
Student tardiness	10.5	(0.18)	10.5	(0.28)	10.2	(0.22)	13.8		(0.29)	9.8		(0.38)	23.1		(0.58)	9.8		(0.33)	5.8		(0.37)	17.9		(0.65)	9.0		(1.36)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student absenteeism	16.4	(0.23)	14.4	(0.29)	13.9	(0.26)	13.1		(0.31)	8.3		(0.36)	23.7		(0.59)	11.7		(0.36)	6.5		(0.42)	21.4		(0.63)	14.2		(0.95)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Teacher absenteeism	2.3	(0.09)	1.5	(0.09)	2.2	(0.10)	1.1		(0.08)	0.9		(0.12)	1.7		(0.15)	1.5		(0.15)	1.2		(0.20)	2.0		(0.20)	2.3		(0.48)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Students cutting class	5.9	(0.16)	5.1	(0.12)	4.7	(0.12)	5.5		(0.23)	1.5		(0.17)	14.5		(0.59)	4.0		(0.20)	0.5		(0.12)	10.9		(0.52)	4.0		(0.64)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Physical conflicts among students	5.8	(0.18)	8.2	(0.25)	4.8	(0.19)	12.1		(0.29)	13.7		(0.43)	9.3		(0.38)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	12.1	(0.29)	13.7	(0.43)	9.3	(0.38)
Robbery or theft	3.7	(0.12)	4.1	(0.17)	2.4	(0.11)	3.7		(0.17)	2.9		(0.23)	5.9		(0.24)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	3.7	(0.17)	2.8	(0.22)	5.9	(0.24)
Vandalism of school property	6.1	(0.15)	6.7	(0.23)	3.4	(0.15)	3.7		(0.16)	2.5		(0.21)	6.3		(0.33)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	3.6	(0.16)	2.5	(0.21)	6.3	(0.33)
Student pregnancy	6.9	(0.17)	7.3	(0.24)	3.7	(0.12)	2.4		(0.12)	0.2	!	(0.06)	7.0		(0.34)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student use of alcohol	11.4	(0.18)	9.3	(0.17)	7.4	(0.14)	3.0		(0.10)	0.3		(0.07)	9.0		(0.28)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	3.1	(0.10)	0.3	(0.07)	9.0	(0.28)
Student drug abuse	8.0	(0.14)	5.7	(0.14)	6.0	(0.11)	4.5		(0.14)	0.5		(0.10)	13.0		(0.35)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	4.5	(0.14)	0.5	(0.11)	13.0	(0.35)
Student possession of weapons	1.7	(0.06)	2.8	(0.12)	0.8	(0.06)	0.5		(0.05)	0.1	!	(0.05)	1.2		(0.12)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	0.5	(0.05)	0.1	(0.05)	1.2	(0.12)
Verbal abuse of teachers	8.1	(0.21)	11.1	(0.26)	—	(†)	11.8		(0.31)	9.3		(0.39)	17.1		(0.50)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	11.8	(0.31)	9.3	(0.39)	17.1	(0.50)
Student disrespect for teachers	—	(†)	18.5	(0.35)	17.2	(0.34)	21.6		(0.45)	18.6		(0.62)	28.3		(0.58)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	21.6	(0.45)	18.5	(0.61)	28.3	(0.58)
Students dropping out	—	(†)	5.8	(0.16)	4.6	(0.11)	3.3		(0.13)	0.4		(0.08)	9.6		(0.41)	3.5		(0.19)	0.8		(0.19)	8.7		(0.41)	5.3		(0.77)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student apathy	—	(†)	23.6	(0.35)	20.6	(0.30)	16.6		(0.34)	9.9		(0.40)	30.4		(0.56)	16.5		(0.45)	10.0		(0.55)	28.5		(0.67)	21.4		(1.16)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Lack of parental involvement	—	(†)	27.6	(0.45)	23.7	(0.36)	21.6		(0.42)	19.3		(0.58)	26.3		(0.59)	19.5		(0.49)	16.8		(0.68)	24.0		(0.69)	23.5		(1.42)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Poverty	—	(†)	19.5	(0.52)	19.2	(0.43)	21.4		(0.45)	22.4		(0.64)	19.0		(0.57)	22.1		(0.59)	22.8		(0.83)	20.2		(0.68)	26.7		(1.36)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Students come unprepared to learn	—	(†)	28.8	(0.39)	29.5	(0.36)	2.4		(0.15)	1.8		(0.19)	3.9		(0.22)	24.2		(0.56)	20.7		(0.84)	30.5		(0.77)	28.5		(1.45)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Racial tension	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	26.8		(0.46)	23.7		(0.68)	33.5		(0.69)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	2.4	(0.15)	1.8	(0.19)	3.9	(0.22)
Private schools
Student tardiness	3.6	(0.38)	2.6	(0.23)	2.9	(0.21)	2.8		(0.40)	2.1		(0.45)	5.0		(0.83)	2.5		(0.28)	2.3		(0.37)	3.0		(0.83)	2.6		(0.47)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student absenteeism	3.7	(0.39)	2.2	(0.19)	2.5	(0.22)	1.9		(0.23)	0.9		(0.17)	4.0		(0.75)	2.0		(0.23)	0.9		(0.23)	3.9		(0.99)	2.3		(0.40)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Teacher absenteeism	0.8	(0.13)	0.8	(0.10)	0.8	(0.11)	0.3	!	(0.10)	0.2	!	(0.08)	0.5	!	(0.24)	0.5		(0.13)	0.3	!	(0.08)	0.2	!	(0.18)	1.0	!	(0.32)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Students cutting class	0.9	(0.16)	0.7	(0.11)	0.8	(0.12)	0.5		(0.11)	0.2	!	(0.07)	0.9	!	(0.36)	0.5	!	(0.18)	0.1	!	(0.05)	1.1	!	(0.41)	0.7	!	(0.43)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Physical conflicts among students	1.3	(0.19)	1.5	(0.15)	1.0	(0.18)	2.4		(0.31)	2.7		(0.55)	1.0	!	(0.35)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	2.3	(0.33)	2.6	(0.58)	1.0	(0.35)
Robbery or theft	1.3	(0.18)	0.8	(0.10)	0.9	(0.11)	0.4		(0.10)	#		(0.03)	1.3	!	(0.40)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	0.4	(0.10)	#	(†)	1.3	(0.40)
Vandalism of school property	1.3	(0.19)	1.2	(0.11)	0.7	(0.11)	0.5		(0.11)	0.1	!	(0.07)	0.8	!	(0.28)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	0.5	(0.11)	0.1	(0.08)	0.8	(0.28)
Student pregnancy	0.6	(0.12)	0.4	(0.06)	0.4	(0.09)	0.1	!	(0.05)	0.1	!	(0.04)	0.3	!	(0.19)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student use of alcohol	3.6	(0.30)	3.1	(0.19)	3.1	(0.16)	0.7		(0.17)	#		(†)	3.3		(0.86)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	0.7	(0.17)	#	(†)	3.3	(0.86)
Student drug abuse	1.8	(0.24)	1.3	(0.15)	1.8	(0.14)	1.1		(0.25)	#		(†)	5.2		(1.31)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	1.1	(0.26)	#	(†)	5.2	(1.31)
Student possession of weapons	0.4	(0.11)	0.3	(0.06)	0.3	(0.06)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	#	(†)	#	(†)	#	(†)
Verbal abuse of teachers	2.0	(0.24)	2.3	(0.25)	—	(†)	2.4		(0.40)	1.1		(0.29)	4.0		(0.84)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	2.4	(0.40)	1.2	(0.29)	4.0	(0.84)
Student disrespect for teachers	—	(†)	3.4	(0.27)	3.8	(0.31)	5.1		(0.37)	3.6		(0.54)	6.3		(1.05)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	5.1	(0.37)	3.6	(0.56)	6.3	(1.05)
Students dropping out	—	(†)	0.6	(0.09)	0.5	(0.10)	0.3	!	(0.09)	0.2	!	(0.08)	0.5	!	(0.26)	0.4	!	(0.20)	0.4		(0.13)	0.5	!	(0.22)	0.4	!	(0.54)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Student apathy	—	(†)	4.5	(0.28)	4.3	(0.29)	3.0		(0.39)	1.4		(0.23)	6.6		(0.95)	3.9		(0.34)	1.7		(0.30)	6.9		(1.06)	5.1		(0.74)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Lack of parental involvement	—	(†)	4.0	(0.26)	3.4	(0.30)	2.5		(0.37)	1.6		(0.28)	3.6		(0.77)	2.5		(0.24)	1.9		(0.36)	2.8		(0.67)	3.0		(0.46)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Poverty	—	(†)	2.7	(0.23)	2.1	(0.21)	2.2		(0.26)	1.7		(0.31)	3.4		(0.78)	2.0		(0.21)	1.4		(0.28)	2.0		(0.56)	2.6		(0.44)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Students come unprepared to learn	—	(†)	4.1	(0.28)	4.9	(0.36)	0.4		(0.08)	0.1	!	(0.06)	0.9	!	(0.36)	3.6		(0.34)	1.9		(0.33)	6.2		(1.51)	4.4		(0.85)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)
Racial tension	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	3.5		(0.30)	2.1		(0.53)	6.8		(0.99)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	0.4	(0.08)	0.1	(0.06)	0.9	(0.36)

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

!Interpret data with caution.

1 Only the 2003-04 survey included questions about how often problems occurred.

2 For 2003-04, combined schools are included in the total but not shown separately.

NOTE: Standard errors appear in parentheses. Some data may have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public Teacher Questionnaire," selected years, 1987-88 through 2007-08; "Private Teacher Questionnaire," selected years, 1987-88 through 2007-08; and "Charter Teacher Questionnaire," 1999-2000. (This table was prepared February 2011.)