In September, the board created a new reporting system that allows principals to report incidents outside the school without being blamed for them.

Teachers and principals report that once slouching students now stand at rapt attention and virtually shout a pledge they used to mumble.

Soon the principal was reporting the same results.

Mr Adair said that a review body chaired by a sheriff- principal could report by the end of the year.

A year ago, after principals across the city reported that the city's newly revamped disciplinary system was in disarray, Mr. Bloomberg announced several changes.

In addition, principals may properly report as lesser offenses some attacks that the police describe as assaults, the officials said.

Both principals reported receiving letters of support and requests for interviews from all over the world.

Administrators said it is too soon to gauge academic results, though principals at the year-round schools reported attendance rates of 98 percent.

During the six months that ended Jan. 1, principals in 479 of the city's 1,113 schools reported no incidents at all.

Since the vote, the principal, Kathleen Collins, has reported receiving three anonymous letters with racist content.