According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), once students with disabilities receive educational placements, school officials cannot unilaterally change their settings. When officials wish to change the placements of students with disabilities for any reason, they must not only notify their parents of their intent to do so…

Self-insurance pooling programs are emerging among school districts due to the insurance market crisis. School business managers, therefore, have been attempting to avoid hostile carriers by adopting such programs. (CJH)

Under new "managed health care systems," the classical functional separation of risk taker, claims payor, and provider are vertically integrated into a common entity. This evolution should produce a competitive environment with medical care rendered to all Americans on a more cost-effective basis. (CJH)

An alternative to school district protection during the current insurance crisis is self-insurance consolidation, which can eventually reduce premiums and enable needed tort reform. (CJH)

As many court cases demonstrate, insuring against punitive damages is a complex issue facing school districts. Districts should secure competent legal counsel when purchasing liability insurance that specifically covers all potential punitive awards. (12 citations) (CJH)

The Insurance Service Office's extensive revisions of its commercial general liability policy, including the "claims made" coverage, have been approved in most states. Before accepting a policy in today's insurance market, purchasers should be aware that defense costs can create problems during settlement negotiations. (CJH)

This paper assesses the likely impact of proposed changes in the Office of Postsecondary Education's method of calculating parental base-year income on determining eligibility for student financial aid. In examining applicant data the study concludes that the change to use of prior, prior year (PPY) income is not a good proxy for the current prior…