REL Midwest Reference Desk Data and Statistics Concerning Truancy and Bullying September 2012 Questions 1. What national- and state-level data sources and statistics exist on bullying? 2. What national- and state-level data sources and statistics exist on truancy? Background REL Midwest received a request for national- and state-level information and statistics concerning bullying and truancy. REL Midwest gathered state-by-state information for the Midwestern states: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Following an established REL Midwest research protocol, we conducted a search for national and state data on bullying and truancy. Searched sources included the National Center for Education Statistics and the state education agency websites for each of the seven Midwest region states. We also searched for appropriate organizations that may act as resources on this issue. We have not done an evaluation of these organizations or of the resources themselves, and we offer this list for informational purposes only.

1. What national- and state-level data sources and statistics exist on bullying? National Resources on Bullying Note: The following sources are ordered by relevance. Bradshaw, C. P., Waasdorp, T. E., O’Brenna, L. M., & Gulemetova, M. (2011). Findings from the National Education Association’s nationwide study of bullying: Teachers’ and education support professionals’ perspectives. Washington, DC: National Education Association. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Nationwide_Bullying_Research_Findings.pdf Summary: The National Education Association (NEA) collected data on school bullying from a nationally representative sample of 5,064 NEA members—including 2,163 professional staff and 2,901 education support professionals—in April 2010, using both Web- and phone-based surveys.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, June 8). Youth risk behavior surveillance system—United States, 2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2012, 61(4), 9. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6104.pdf From the abstract: “The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six types of health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults.” Devoe, J., & Bauer, L. (2009). Student victimization in U.S. schools: Results from the 2009 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Washington, DC: Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012314.pdf From the “Highlights”: “This report provides estimates of student criminal victimization as defined by the School Crime Supplement to the 2009 National Crime Victimization Survey. The NCVS is the nation’s primary source of information on criminal victimization and the victims of crime in the United States. The SCS is a supplement to the NCVS that was created to collect national-level information about students ages 12– 18 and school characteristics related to school crime.” Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., Hamby, S., & Kracke, K. (2009). Children’s exposure to violence: A comprehensive national survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf Summary: The National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a comprehensive, nationwide survey of the incidence and prevalence of children’s exposure to violence. The survey was conducted in 2008 to measure past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children ages 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization, school violence and threats, and Internet victimization. National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Crime & safety surveys. Washington, DC: Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crime/ Summary: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) regularly conducts two surveys on the topic of school crime and safety: the School Survey on Crime and Safety, a survey of public schools and principals and the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, a survey of students ages 12–18. All the data and reports related to these two surveys collected during the past years are centralized at the Crime & Safety Surveys website. The annual Indicators of School Crime and Safety report available from this NCES site (under Publications and Products) provides the most current and detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources—the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the

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YRBS, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, and the School and Staffing Survey. Indicator 11 in this report series is on bullying at school and cyberbullying anywhere. State Resources on Bullying Illinois Center for Prevention Research and Development. (2012). Illinois youth survey. UrbanaChampaign, IL: University of Illinois. Retrieved from http://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/ Summary: Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and supported by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) is a voluntary, selfreport survey administered in public and private schools every two years (the next administration is scheduled for 2012). The IYS provides data on drug use, bullying, depression, school climate, and other topics at the state, district, and school levels. Illinois also participates in the CDC’s (YRBS noted previously. Illinois results on YRBS can be found at http://www.chdl.org/yrbs.htm. Indiana Indiana State Department of Health. (2011). The Indiana youth risk behavior survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.in.gov/isdh/20627.htm Summary: The Indiana Youth Risk Behavior Survey is part of CDC’s national YRBS. The YRBS is conducted every two years among a representative group of Indiana students in Grades 9–12. This website includes links to numerous YRBS documents and data relevant to bullying in Indiana schools. Iowa Iowa Department of Education. (2012). Iowa youth survey. Des Moines, IA: Author. Retrieved from http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=503&Itemid=12 95 From the introduction on the web page: “The Iowa Youth Survey is a collaborative effort conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa Department of Education, the Office of Drug Control Policy, the Iowa Department of Human Services, and the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning of the Department of Human Rights. The survey has been administered in Iowa since 1975 but has undergone significant changes over time. Since 1999, the survey has been administered to almost all of the state’s Grade 6, 8, and 11 students. The results of the Iowa Youth Survey are organized into state-level, regional, and local reports. Beginning in the 2012–13 school year, the Iowa Department of Education is launching a new data collection system for bullying and harassment reports for all public and accredited non-public schools in Iowa built around the components of the Iowa Anti-Bullying Anti-Harassment Law. Iowa also participates in the federal CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Iowa’s YRBS results can be found at

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http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1640&Itemid=2 451#IYRBSurvey” Michigan Michigan Department of Education. (2011). Youth risk behavior survey. Lansing, MI: Author. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-14028753_38684_29233_41316---,00.html Summary: The Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey is part of the federal CDC’s YRBS. The YRBS is conducted every two years among a representative group of Michigan students in Grades 9–12. This website contains links to numerous YRBS documents and data relevant to bullying in Michigan schools. Minnesota Minnesota Department of Education. (2011). Bullying in Minnesota schools: An analysis of the Minnesota student survey, 2010. Roseville, MN: Author. Retrieved from http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/educ/documents/basic/004351.pdf Minnesota Department of Health. (2011). Minnesota Center for Health Statistics: Minnesota student survey. St. Paul, MN: Author. Retrieved from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/mss/ From the introduction on the Web page: “The Minnesota Student Survey is administered every three years to students in Grades 6, 9, and 12 across the state. The survey asks questions about activities, experiences, and behaviors. Topics covered include tobacco, alcohol and drug use, school climate, physical activity, violence and safety, connections with school and family, health, and other topics. The survey is administered jointly by Minnesota’s state departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety.” Ohio Ohio Department of Education. (n.d.). Ohio discipline reports. Columbus, OH: Author. Retrieved from http://ilrc.ode.state.oh.us/PublicDW/asp/Main.aspx?server=mstris2&project=ILRC&evt= 3002&uid=guest&pwd=&persist-mode=%228 Summary: In order to satisfy requirements of Ohio’s anti-bullying and harassment laws, districts are required to summarize their “bullying data” semiannually in a report to the Ohio State Board of Education and publicly on their district website. The Ohio Department of Education provides counts of discipline incidences of harassment and intimidation (i.e., bullying, hazing, threats of harm) by school and district. The data can be accessed through the “Power User Reports” option of Ohio’s interactive local report card (iLRC) by clicking on the discipline folder and then selecting the discipline occurrences option (building, district, or state level). Ohio also participates in CDC’s

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YRBS. Ohio’s survey webpage is http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/chss/ad_hlth/youthrsk/youthrsk1.aspx. Wisconsin Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2012). Wisconsin youth risk behavior survey. Madison, WI: Author. Retrieved from http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/yrbsindx.html Summary: The Wisconsin YRBS is part of the federal CDC’s YRBS. The YRBS is conducted every two years among a representative group of Wisconsin students in Grades 9–12.

2. What national- and state-level data sources and statistics exist on truancy? National Resources on Truancy Note: The following sources are ordered by relevance. Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). The importance of being in school: A report on absenteeism in the nation’s public schools. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools. Retrieved from http://new.every1graduates.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/FINALChronicAbsenteeismReport_May16.pdf From the executive summary: “Chronic absenteeism is most prevalent among lowincome students. Gender and ethnic background do not appear to play a role in this. The youngest and the oldest students tend to have the highest rates of chronic absenteeism, with students attending most regularly in third through fifth grades. Chronic absenteeism begins to rise in middle school and continues climbing through Grade 12, with seniors often having the highest absenteeism rate of all.” National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). The condition of education: Indicator 28— student absenteeism. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012045_3.pdf From the report: “In 2009, the average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading score of 12th-grade students with perfect attendance (292) was not measurably different from the score of those who reported missing one or two days in the previous month (290), but was higher than those who reported missing three or four days (284), and missing five or more days (273)…. In 2011, 30 percent of 4th-grade students reported missing 1–2 days, 12 percent missed 3–4 days, and 7 percent missed 5 or more days of school in the previous month. Thirty-five percent of 8th-grade students missed 1–2 days, 13 percent missed 3–4 days, and 6 percent reported missing 5 or more days of school. In 2009 in 12th grade, the latest year for which data are available, 38 percent of students reported perfect attendance, 39 percent reported missing 1–2 days, 15 percent reported missing 3–4 days, and 8 percent reported missing 5 or more days.”

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National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). National assessment of educational progress reading assessments. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/ Summary: Estimates of absenteeism for states and major metropolitan areas are available from the 1992–2011 reading assessments. To access the data, click on “Main NDE,” then select “reading” from the drop-down menu. Select Grade 4 or Grade 8, the level (national, state, city, regional), and in the “select variables” tab, click on “student factors” and then “academic record and school experience.” State Resources on Bullying Illinois Illinois State Board of Education. (2011). Student assessment: Report card. Springfield, IL: Author. Retrieved from http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/report_card.htm Illinois State Board of Education. (2012). eReport card public site: Division of student assessment. Springfield, IL: Author. Retrieved from http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getsearchcriteria.aspx Summary: Illinois defines chronic truancy rate as the number of chronic truants, divided by the average daily enrollment, multiplied by 100. Chronic truants include students subject to compulsory attendance who have been absent without valid cause from such attendance for 10 percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Chronic truancy rates for schools and districts are included in Illinois’s report card data. Indiana Indiana Department of Education. (2012). Annual school performance reports. Indianapolis, IN: Author. Retrieved from http://www.doe.in.gov/improvement/accountability/annualschool-performance-reports Summary: Indiana’s school corporations are required to report the number of students with more than 10 unexcused days of absence from school. The data is reported in Indiana’s annual performance reports (APRs). Iowa Iowa Department of Education. (2012). Iowa public school unilateral removals by district. Des Moines, IA: Author. Retrieved fromhttp://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=527& Itemid=4434 Summary: Iowa reports the number of students removed by its public school districts for attendance reasons. The data can be found in the file “2010–11 Iowa Public School Unilateral Removals by District.”

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Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information (2012). School data and reports: School safety. Lansing, MI: Author. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/cepi/SID_Data_Descriptions_EOY2014_436863_7. pdfSummary: In Michigan, students are considered truant when they have 10 or more incidents of unexcused absence. An unexcused absence is defined by local school board policy. Michigan reports the number of students who were truant from each school and district during the past school year in its “School Safety” data series files. Minnesota Minnesota Department of Education, (2012). Data reports and analytics: Student data— Discipline data. Roseville, MN: Author. Retrieved from http://education.state.mn.us/MDEAnalytics/Data.jsp Summary: Minnesota reports the number of students who were subject to a formal out-ofschool dismissal for an unexcused absence. Ohio Ohio Department of Education, (n.d.). Interactive local report card: Discipline occurrences. Columbus, OH: Author. Retrieved from http://ilrc.ode.state.oh.us/Power_Users.asp Summary: Ohio provides school- and district-level data on discipline occurrences by types and reasons through its interactive local report card website. Select the “Begin” button. Then choose “Discipline” from the topical menu on the left of the new page and select discipline occurrences files (building, district, or state-level) as appropriate. Wisconsin Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (n.d.). WINSS successful school guide. Madison, WI: Author. Retrieved from http://data.dpi.state.wi.us/DownloadOptions/ Summary: Beginning with the 1998–99 school year, Wisconsin defined “habitual truant” as a student who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five or more days on which school is held during a semester. Data on the number and percentage of habitually truant students in Wisconsin schools and districts can be accessed through the Wisconsin Information Network for Successful Schools (WINSS) system under the heading titled “What about attendance and behavior?”

Additional Organizations to Consult 

The Bullying Research Network, University of Nebraska–Lincoln http://cehs15.unl.edu/cms/index.php?s=2&p=124 From the website: “The mission of the Bullying Research Network (BRNET) is to serve as a virtual clearinghouse to support national and international research initiatives in

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effective bullying prevention and intervention. The central objective is to unite researchers in bullying prevention and intervention in order to further our understanding of the complex social ecology underlying bullying dynamics. BRNET members engage in web-based dialogue about cutting-edge methodologies and strategies, apply for extramural research grants and contracts; implement exemplary, evidence-based models in field settings; and disseminate this information to educators, students, and parents.” 

Youth Violence Project, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia http://curry.virginia.edu/research/projects/bullying/bullying-research From the website: “Our team of faculty and graduate students conducts research on effective methods and policies for youth violence prevention and school safety.”

Keywords and Search Strings Used in the Search  

For bullying: (bullying OR crime OR safety) AND (data OR statistics) For truancy: (truancy or absenteeism) AND (data OR statistics)

Search of Databases and Websites Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Sources: Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program, Doing What Works (DWW), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), IES Practice Guides Other Federally Funded Sites: Center on Innovation and Improvement, Center on Instruction, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, Common Core of Data (CCD), National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education Additional Data Resources: Education Development Center, ERIC, EBSCO databases, JSTOR database, FirstSearch (OCLC), ProQuest, Educator’s Reference Complete, Google Scholar, Google, general Internet search

Criteria for Inclusion When Reference Desk researchers review resources, they consider—among other things—four factors: 

Date of the Publication: The most current information is included, except in the case of nationally known seminal resources.

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Source and Funder of the Report/Study/Brief/Article: Priority is given to IES, nationally funded, and certain other vetted sources known for strict attention to research protocols.

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Methodology: Randomized controlled trial studies, surveys, self-assessments, literature reviews, policy briefs. Priority for inclusion generally is given to randomized controlled trial study findings, but the reader should note at least the following factors when basing

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decisions on these resources: numbers of participants (just a few? thousands?); selection (Did the participants volunteer for the study, or were they chosen?); representation (Were findings generalized from a homogeneous or a diverse pool of participants? Was the study sample representative of the population as a whole?). 

Existing Knowledge Base: Although we strive to include vetted resources, there are times when the research base is slim or nonexistent. In these cases, we have included the best resources we could find, which may include newspaper articles, interviews with content specialists, organization websites, and so on.

The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Reference Desk is a service provided by a collaborative of the REL Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This response was prepared under contract ED-IES-12-C-0004 with IES, by REL Midwest, administered by American Institutes for Research. The content of the response does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

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