Identifies some constitutional, statutory, and case law that has affected bilingual education in the federal courts and the state courts and legislatures. Discusses ideas about public policy within the context of the current status of bilingual education, and suggests ways to improve policy and make better informed decisions. (JB)

Describes the annual Moot Court Competition held each year in Sacramento, California and supported by the Citizenship and Law-Related Education Center. The program gives high school students the opportunity to learn about the nation's justice system using a role-playing scenario of an appellate-level court argument. (MJP)

This paper proposes that U.S. teachers are mostly uninformed and misinformed about the appropriate place of religion on the school campus and in the classroom. Four critical questions are addressed; (1) What does the U.S. Constitution say about education and/or religion? (2) What are the current court decisions regarding specific religious…

The rights of victims of crime or violence in school settings are analyzed in this book. The first chapter looks at the scope of the problem and outlines the rights already established for those accused of crimes. The second chapter focuses on efforts to make educational environments safe, including a 1982 amendment to the California Constitution.…

A federal appeals court has upheld an amendment to California's constitution that bars government agencies from granting preferences based on gender or race. The California Civil Rights Initiative, or Proposition 209, was found not to violate the Equal Protection Clause. If the ruling is not reversed, public colleges and universities will be…

Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on California state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law…

Law school admission of minorities, and in particular Hispanics, is addressed, based on results of a study of California law schools and analyses of current trends and alternative admission and testing approaches. Information obtained on current admissions procedures in American Bar Association-approved California law schools led to the conclusion…

Ways in which various statutes discriminate against nonimmigrant alien students are discussed, with the constitutional doctrines of equal protection, due process, and federal preemption considered. California's tuition statute is analyzed. Available from Calif Western Law R, 350 Cedar St, San Diego, CA 92101, $1.50. (MSE)

Advocates teaching constitutional history and principles to middle school students in accordance with the 1988 California History-Social Science Framework. Reports findings of a survey of 118 California middle school and high school teachers that revealed a need for improved teacher knowledge about the U.S. Constitution. Recommends steps to ensure…

This court action, brought by taxpayers and parents of children attending schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), asserts that the district unequally allocates instructional staff, facilities, and finances in a manner that discriminates against poor and minority students, in violation of the California Constitution. The…

California's Proposition 8, known as "The Victims' Bill of Rights," contains a safe-schools provision that states: "All students and staff of primary, elementary, junior high and senior high schools have the inalienable right to attend campuses which are safe, secure and peaceful." Through extended reference to federal and…

This handbook informs the reader of the provisions of the constitutions and statutes of California and the United States as they are interpreted by the courts to affect the rights and responsibilities of public school students. The first of the handbook's seven sections reviews the constitutional rights of students, their right and their duty to…

Essays on the campaign to establish English as the United States' official language include: "Official Languages and Language Planning" (Richard Ruiz); "Una lingua, una patria?: Is Monolingualism Beneficial or Harmful to a Nation's Unity?" (David F. Marshall and Roseann D. Gonzalez); "Canadian Perspectives on Official…

The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2009 proceedings, see ED504973.]