The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees "the right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" by governmental officials. In a 1985 Supreme Court decision, "New Jersey v. TLO," students' privacy rights in public schools are afforded a lower…

This paper examines what is known about the link between court decisions and changing school discipline practices; proposes a variety of studies to add to knowledge in this area; and contains suggestions on ways that research findings can be used to improve the ongoing legal education of school personnel. The complex nature of some of the Supreme…