The absence of comprehensive educational theory regarding dress codes results in deference to community norms as a way to determine implementation and compliance. Implementing dress codes ultimately results in inconsistent practices and violations of students' rights. To the detriment to student learning, dress codes disproportionately affect…

Analysis of two recent federal court cases in which principals violated student speech rights offers guidance to middle school administrators as they attempt to address student expression. Characteristics of a successful school from the Association for Middle Level Education provide a framework for analyzing these cases in order to prevent…

In today's public secondary schools, administrators face challenges that prior generations never anticipated, one of which is the T-shirt conundrum. The T-shirts that students wear to class contain all sorts of messages and images, many of which administrators may well consider inappropriate. This article is intended to help beleaguered educators…

Hardly a week passes without yet another highly visible court case involving the rights and freedoms of secondary school students. The subject matter of these lawsuits is as varied as the activities of the students who have gone to court to vindicate their legal interests. The outcome of such cases also runs the gamut; some student plaintiffs (and…

This article discusses some basic principles that can guide principals' decisions on when and how to regulate student dress. Like many school issues, implementing a dress code or uniform policy involves both the constitutional rights of students and the responsibilities of school officials. As a result, with dress codes and many other concerns,…

The 2008 presidential campaign has, by all accounts, been extraordinary. Record numbers of voters expressed their views in historic primaries, and citizens across the country have been invigorated by debate about what policies and which politician will be best for this country. Equally noteworthy is the fact that young people have not been absent…

This third edition expands coverage on such topics as the law and students with disabilities, confidentiality, sexual harassment, student searches and tuition vouchers. It also includes some new topics such as bullying, copyright law, and the law and the internet. Both public and nonpublic school educators are aware that courts, over the last…

The House of Lords' decision in "R. (on the application of Begum) v. The Headteacher and Governors of Denbigh High School" considered whether a particular school uniform policy infringed a student's right to manifest her religion under Article 9. This paper analyses the content of this decision, and explores how schools should approach…