To aid Oregon's school districts in developing policies and procedures for student conduct and discipline, this document suggests guidelines for district preparation and distribution of student conduct codes, including formal and informal student assembly, dress and grooming, use of motor vehicles, search and seizure, attendance, freedom of…

The scenario: Pictures of children in various states of nudity are discovered in an elementary teacher's desk. What does one do? This paper offers guidance, much of it based on common sense, for administrators who may find themselves in a situation fraught with serious consequences if a mistake is made in determining the truth. Court decisions are…

This guidebook is built on the conviction that finding common ground on many divisive issues is possible within the civic framework provided by the Religious Liberty clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It argues that there is a clearly defined constitutional difference between "teaching religion" to students and "teaching…

Experts agree that the U.S. criminal justice system faces a crisis, yet there is a broad range of views as to its sources, consequences, and solutions. There seems to be a public perception that the individual rights guaranteed accused criminals by the U.S. Constitution prevents the criminal justice system from functioning properly. It is…

This monograph attempts to familiarize people with their constitutional rights through the use of a playlet presented as a conversation among three people. The conversation points out that many rights stand in conflict with one another and how a balancing act must be achieved to carry out the enjoyment of one's rights. The monograph proceeds on…

This issue of "this Constitution" is devoted to commemorating the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. Materials include: "A Chronology of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in the United States" (Herman Belz); "Constitutional Power to Enforce Individual Rights: The Legacy of McCulloch v.…

This law studies curriculum guide describes a course designed to provide secondary students with the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the U.S. legal process. The law studies course is intended to develop corresponding concepts and skills in conjunction with the content presented. The content areas of the curriculum include: (1)…

A brief review of the federal constitutional provisions and equivalent Texas Constitutional provisions for the criminally accused is provided in question and answer form. First Amendment rights related to such matters as freedom of the press, rights of students, picketing, distributing leaflets, state licensing, and obscenity are considered in the…

This paper presents arguments in favor of, and legal and constitutional guidelines for, religious released time education programs as a workable counterbalance for those concerned with the trend toward secularism in public education. The guidelines are necessarily general, because laws regarding the authority of school districts to adopt released…

This legal primer on violence in schools addresses the responsibility of school officials to respond to undisciplined youths whose behavior threatens the welfare and safety of other children in attendance. It is broken down into sections that provide a brief overview of the key rules and guidelines for school officials and teachers in each topic…

With the alarming increase in drugs and weapons on American school campuses, teachers and school officials have stepped up their efforts to search lockers, other school property, and sometimes the students themselves. School officials must remember that any search of a student creates a Fourth Amendment issue. Thus, it is important to know the…

Summarizes the major constitutional rights of students which are supported by recent court cases in the areas of religion; freedom of speech, expression, and assembly; student government; academic penalties and grades; pregnant and married students; exclusion from extracurricular activities; punishment; police in the schools; student records; and…

This essay highlights issues in the legal aspects of school related censorship and summarizes the current law under the following categories: general considerations, the Tinker principle, prior review of student publications, censorship of classroom speech and materials, and censorship of library resources. (Author)

During the first 6 months of 1996, a task force of teachers, administrators, and community members in the Lane Education Service District (Eugene, Oregon) studied issues and practices related to teaching about religion in public school classrooms. The task force sought to develop a framework for teaching about religion and its appropriate…

The purpose of this book is to answer questions regarding Illinois statutes, case law, and an administrative rules in force as of January 1, 1998. The book is designed for the lay men and women serving on school boards and in other official capacities, but it also answers legal questions commonly raised by teachers, parents, students, and others…