A new

study from the Educational Testing Service finds that minor

misbehavior is on the rise in public schools

nationally. Moreover, the report, titled “Order in the Classroom,”

documents for the first time what experience tells us

is obvious: Even minor disruptions damage learning. According to

the report, one in five principals is battling with

students who verbally abuse their teachers–up from 13% in 1990.

Two-thirds of the principals reported that tardiness

was a problem in 1997, up from 50% of the schools in 1990.

– Los Angeles Times: October 21, 1998