Public School District Survey on Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-free Schools

Book excerpt: This report is the third in a series presenting results from surveys on safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools. The introduction notes that the data were obtained from a survey of 739 public school superintendents. Among the highlighted results are the following: (1) nearly all public school districts were found to have written policies on general discipline and alcohol, drug, and tobacco use; (2) school principals and teachers were involved in these policies in over 90 percent of school districts surveyed; (3) the average number of hours drug use education was taught in each grade during the 1990-91 school year ranged from about 14 hours in kindergarten through third grade to about 20 hours in grades 4 through 6,, 21 hours in grades 7 through 9, and 18 hours in grades 10 through 12; (4) drug use education is offered in a variety of different ways; (5) more than 80 percent of the districts teach students about causes and effects of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use, how to resist peer pressure, and school alcohol, drug, and tobacco policies and enforcement; (6) police provided assistance or educational support to a great extent in promoting safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools, according to 42 percent of public school district superintendents; and (7) suspensions occurred on average about 26 times for every 1,000 students per public school district. (LLL)