School Safety

To develop the Safe and Orderly School scale, PIRLS 2016 asked teachers about their degree of agreement with eight statements such as “I feel safe at this school” and “This school has clear rules about student conduct.” Exhibit 7.2 presents the percentages of students in schools categorized according to teachers’ judgments about safety. There was considerable variation, but on average, most fourth grade students (62%) were in schools judged by their teachers to be Very Safe and Orderly and nearly all the rest (35%) were in schools judged Somewhat Safe and Orderly. Only 3 percent, on average, were attending schools felt to be Less than Safe and Orderly. There was a direct positive association between safe and orderly schools and average reading achievement (517, 502, and 466, respectively).

Teachers’ reports indicate that schools may be safer in 2016 than they were in 2011. Average scores on the Safe and Orderly School scale increased in 16 countries and only decreased in 1 country.