Table 210.10.

Percentage of teachers indicating that certain issues are serious problems in their schools, by level and control of school: Selected years, 1987-88 through 2015–16

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Control of school and issue	1987-88 total		1993-94 total		1999-2000 total		2003-04 total			2007-08 total			2011-12												2015-16
													Total			Elementary schools			Secondary schools			Combined 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		(0.33)	11.9		(0.33)	8.5		(0.49)	17.6		(0.55)	16.4		(1.11)	12.3		(0.28)	9.0		(0.29)	18.6		(0.60)	10.3		(0.72)
Student absenteeism	16.4	(0.23)	14.4	(0.29)	13.9	(0.26)	13.1		(0.31)	11.7		(0.36)	13.9		(0.35)	8.6		(0.49)	22.6		(0.63)	21.9		(1.48)	15.1		(0.32)	10.4		(0.33)	23.3		(0.63)	17.3		(1.06)
Teacher absenteeism	2.3	(0.09)	1.5	(0.09)	2.2	(0.10)	1.1		(0.08)	1.5		(0.15)	1.6		(0.14)	1.3		(0.16)	1.8		(0.20)	3.3		(0.58)	2.2		(0.10)	1.7		(0.12)	3.1		(0.21)	2.8		(0.39)
Students cutting class	5.9	(0.16)	5.1	(0.12)	4.7	(0.12)	5.5		(0.23)	4.0		(0.20)	4.9		(0.22)	1.2		(0.16)	10.8		(0.47)	10.4		(1.05)	5.1		(0.22)	1.3		(0.11)	11.9		(0.50)	5.8		(0.70)
Physical conflicts among students	5.8	(0.18)	8.2	(0.25)	4.8	(0.19)	12.1		(0.29)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Robbery or theft	3.7	(0.12)	4.1	(0.17)	2.4	(0.11)	3.7		(0.17)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Vandalism of school property	6.1	(0.15)	6.7	(0.23)	3.4	(0.15)	3.7		(0.16)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student pregnancy	6.9	(0.17)	7.3	(0.24)	3.7	(0.12)	2.4		(0.12)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student use of alcohol	11.4	(0.18)	9.3	(0.17)	7.4	(0.14)	3.0		(0.10)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student drug abuse	8.0	(0.14)	5.7	(0.14)	6.0	(0.11)	4.5		(0.14)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student possession of weapons	1.7	(0.06)	2.8	(0.12)	0.8	(0.06)	0.5		(0.05)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Verbal abuse of teachers	8.1	(0.21)	11.1	(0.26)	—	(†)	11.8		(0.31)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student disrespect for teachers	—	(†)	18.5	(0.35)	17.2	(0.34)	21.6		(0.45)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Students dropping out	—	(†)	5.8	(0.16)	4.6	(0.11)	3.3		(0.13)	3.5		(0.19)	3.1		(0.17)	0.9		(0.16)	6.3		(0.39)	7.7		(0.85)	2.2		(0.13)	0.6		(0.06)	4.7		(0.31)	3.9		(0.50)
Student apathy	—	(†)	23.6	(0.35)	20.6	(0.30)	16.6		(0.34)	16.5		(0.45)	20.0		(0.44)	13.4		(0.61)	31.4		(0.74)	27.3		(1.41)	18.3		(0.35)	12.2		(0.36)	29.2		(0.55)	20.7		(1.00)
Lack of parental involvement	—	(†)	27.6	(0.45)	23.7	(0.36)	21.6		(0.42)	19.5		(0.49)	24.6		(0.54)	22.1		(0.77)	28.3		(0.65)	29.4		(1.55)	21.3		(0.39)	19.6		(0.47)	24.0		(0.62)	23.3		(1.19)
Poverty	—	(†)	19.5	(0.52)	19.2	(0.43)	21.4		(0.45)	22.1		(0.59)	29.0		(0.59)	29.5		(0.86)	26.8		(0.79)	32.4		(2.00)	28.7		(0.48)	29.4		(0.64)	26.9		(0.73)	31.7		(1.37)
Students come unprepared to learn	—	(†)	28.8	(0.39)	29.5	(0.36)	26.8		(0.46)	24.2		(0.56)	30.2		(0.59)	27.1		(0.86)	35.4		(0.85)	34.9		(1.54)	27.1		(0.42)	24.7		(0.50)	31.5		(0.76)	27.9		(1.31)
Poor student health	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—		(†)	3.3		(0.20)	5.0		(0.25)	5.1		(0.38)	4.4		(0.37)	6.3		(0.63)	5.2		(0.17)	5.3		(0.22)	4.7		(0.26)	6.7		(0.62)
Private schools
Student tardiness	3.6	(0.38)	2.6	(0.23)	2.9	(0.21)	2.8		(0.40)	2.5		(0.28)	3.8		(0.59)	3.7		(0.61)	4.9		(1.11)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student absenteeism	3.7	(0.39)	2.2	(0.19)	2.5	(0.22)	1.9		(0.23)	2.0		(0.23)	3.0		(0.34)	2.1		(0.44)	4.6		(0.99)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Teacher absenteeism	0.8	(0.13)	0.8	(0.10)	0.8	(0.11)	‡		(†)	0.5		(0.13)	0.5		(0.12)	‡		(†)	0.7	!	(0.28)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Students cutting class	0.9	(0.16)	0.7	(0.11)	0.8	(0.12)	0.5		(0.11)	0.5	!	(0.18)	0.7		(0.20)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Physical conflicts among students	1.3	(0.19)	1.5	(0.15)	1.0	(0.18)	2.4		(0.31)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Robbery or theft	1.3	(0.18)	0.8	(0.10)	0.9	(0.11)	0.4		(0.10)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Vandalism of school property	1.3	(0.19)	1.2	(0.11)	0.7	(0.11)	0.5		(0.11)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student pregnancy	0.6	(0.12)	0.4	(0.06)	0.4	(0.09)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student use of alcohol	3.6	(0.30)	3.1	(0.19)	3.1	(0.16)	0.7		(0.17)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student drug abuse	1.8	(0.24)	1.3	(0.15)	1.8	(0.14)	1.1		(0.25)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
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)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student disrespect for teachers	—	(†)	3.4	(0.27)	3.8	(0.31)	5.1		(0.37)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Students dropping out	—	(†)	0.6	(0.09)	0.5	(0.10)	0.3	!	(0.09)	0.4	!	(0.20)	0.3	!	(0.13)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Student apathy	—	(†)	4.5	(0.28)	4.3	(0.29)	3.0		(0.39)	3.9		(0.34)	3.6		(0.38)	1.7		(0.42)	7.1		(1.32)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Lack of parental involvement	—	(†)	4.0	(0.26)	3.4	(0.30)	2.5		(0.37)	2.5		(0.24)	2.7		(0.32)	1.8		(0.34)	3.2		(0.80)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Poverty	—	(†)	2.7	(0.23)	2.1	(0.21)	2.2		(0.26)	2.0		(0.21)	2.6		(0.33)	2.7		(0.52)	2.8		(0.79)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Students come unprepared to learn	—	(†)	4.1	(0.28)	4.9	(0.36)	3.5		(0.30)	3.6		(0.34)	3.9		(0.41)	2.0		(0.41)	6.7		(1.07)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Poor student health	—	(†)	—	(†)	—	(†)	—		(†)	0.7		(0.13)	0.8		(0.21)	0.4	!	(0.17)	0.5	!	(0.25)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)

—Not available.

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

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

‡ Reporting standards not met. Data may be suppressed because the response rate is under 50 percent, there are too few cases for a reliable estimate, or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

NOTE: Elementary schools are those with any of grades kindergarten through grade 6 and none of grades 9 through 12. Secondary schools have any of grades 7 through 12, and none of grades kindergarten through grade 6. Combined schools have both elementary and secondary grades, or have all students in ungraded classrooms.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Data File," selected years, 1987-88 through 2011-12; "Private School Teacher Data File," selected years, 1987-88 through 2011-12; and "Charter School Teacher Data File," 1999-2000; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public School Teacher Data File," 2015-16. (This table was prepared May 2018.)