NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A survey of New Rochelle public school students, administered in the spring of 2009 and 2010 to students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th, shows a level of cigarette use that is lower that than national average for all grades except high school seniors.
The Communities That Cares Youth Survey found that compared to national findings, 8th and 10th graders reported the lower rates of past 30-day cigarette use; however 12th graders reported higher rates of use. From 2009 to 201 0, 30-day cigarette use decreased in 10th graders, but increased in 12th graders.
The Communities That Cares Youth Survey was administered in the spring of 2009 and 2010 to students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th in the City School District of New Rochelle to measure substance use, delinquency and other problem behaviors in adolescents such as drug use and antisocial behaviors.
In 2009, there were 2,249 students and in 2010, there were 2,267 students who completed valid survey. In 2010, there were 651 students in 6th grade, 688 students in 8th grade, 524 students in 10th grade and 404 students in 12th grade who completed the surveys with half (50%) being male and half being female. The majority of the students identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino (35%), with the next largest group being White (27%) followed by African American (19%), Other/Multiple (16%), and Asian (3%).
Talk of the Sound recently obtained several reports and other documents related to School Safety and Security in the New Rochelle school system from the period 2009 to 2012. Some are low quality photocopies. We will present several of them over the coming weeks.
We are publishing data on the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, inhalants, other drugs, antisocial behavior (physical fights on school property, being drunk or high at school, attacking someone with intent to harm, selling drugs), feeling unsafe at school and gang involvement.
To the best of our knowledge these annual reports were never shared with the public.