This summary provides an overview of developments in school finance litigation since the United States Supreme Court's historic and lamentable 1973 ruling in "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" that wealth-based discrimination in educational expenditures does not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to…

Drawing on the writings of scholars in the field, this report presents the case for increased parental control over the education of children. It begins by maintaining that the American public school has fallen from favor mainly because of a decline in academic achievement and the replacement of the teaching of basic skills with social…

The purpose of this paper is to examine, from a Constitutional perspective, the bases on which ability grouping and tracking might be challenged as barriers to equal educational opportunity. Findings from educational research on ability grouping, commentary from law review journals, and the texts of cases themselves are included as a part of the…

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…

Reviews factors that could influence planning for the provision of educational facilities in the foreseeable future: new enrollment projections, the need to address deferred maintenance problems, recent educational reform efforts, the needs of new programs, recent tax limitation measures, court action, and new approaches to raising funds. (PGD)

Dissects features of the First Amendment, concentrating on freedom of religion, speech, and press clauses. Highlights the Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier case and its reverberations. Argues that, when school officials censor, students learn that government may censor. Suggests censorship is counterproductive to schools' mission to promote…

Presents a simulation in which a student political action committee organizes to protest budget cuts affecting their high school. Seeks to engage students in legal reasoning over First Amendment issues. Poses possible protests, then asks students whether they believe First Amendment rights would protect them. Includes Supreme Court precedents for…

Outlines a unit of study in which students undertake a scavenger hunt for data about the civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Lists 36 activities (e.g., obtain a copy of a search warrant) and assigns points for the completion of each. Explains that student groups attempt to earn a 200-point total by completing activities. (CH)

This paper discusses how to determine whether a test was developed in a legally defensible manner, reviewing general issues, specific cases bearing on different types of test use, some evaluative dimensions, and evidence of test quality. Tests constructed and used according to existing standards will generally stand legal scrutiny. (SLD)

The review of 1994 judicial pronouncements on the law of higher education reports on and discusses cases addressing the First Amendment, invasion of privacy, tort liability, immunities, civil procedure, access to records and meetings, funding, employment, disciplinary decision, discrimination against students, intercollegiate athletics, and…

The principal's domain has been increasingly shaped by demands for accountability, by student activism and teacher collectivism, and by increased administrative centralization. Principals need to know their legal rights and responsibilities in order to survive in the principalship. This book was designed to serve as a practice primer for the…

Supreme Court decisions made during the previous and present terms as well as some that will be rendered next term are discussed. Among the cases, the following are of particular relevance to school board members. In "Memphis Community Schools v. Stachura" the Court declared that damages based on the "value" of constitutional…

This booklet offers school administrators guidance on the constitutional foundation of religious freedom and the relationship between church and state in the United States. Most of the recent Supreme Court cases dealing with religion in the schools and many current issues in the field are discussed. Questions that administrators may wish to…

Application of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to dismissal of public employees has become clarified through such recent federal court litigation as "Loudermill v. Cleveland Board of Education" in 1981, which followed the Supreme Court precedent set in 1972 in "Board of Regents v. Roth." The threshold…

This chapter reviews collective bargaining cases in education during 1986. Although the courts addressed a broad range of topics, no new legal principles were applied in these cases. The courts relied on traditional labor law concepts and applied them to the specific statutes and policies of the applicable jurisdiction. The review addresses the…