Students who lack discipline are less successful in school, according to a study by the Educational Testing Service. One of the authors of the study -- which is the first to link discipline with student achievement -- commented that discipline policy is not a side issue, but "a prerequisite for a sound academic policy."

• In the study, 29 percent of 10th-graders said it was okay to copy homework or come late to class, while 16 percent found nothing wrong with talking back to teachers.

• The national analysis of more than 13,000 students found that, of 8th-graders, one in 10 feels unsafe at school.

• They study found little evidence that requiring students to wear uniforms reduces discipline problems.

• There was only slight evidence that small schools are the solution to discipline problems.

Smaller schools experience fewer minor offenses, such as cutting classes, but have higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse.