This report focuses on the Educational Opportunities Act, S. 2, which was designed to reauthorize and improve programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for the next 5 years. It describes the purposes of the Act's 11 titles, which focus on the following issues: helping disadvantaged children meet high standards; teacher…

In November 1990, the Students' Right to Know and Campus Security Act became law, requiring all postsecondary institutions that receive federal student aid to collect campus crime statistics and make timely reports to the campus community on crimes that are considered a threat to other students and other employees. The law also requires that…

This book documents school-based sexual violence in South Africa and the discriminatory impact on girls' education when the government fails to respond effectively. Eleven chapters include: (1) "Preface"; (2) "Summary" (e.g., the effects of sexual violence on education and South Africa's legal obligations); (3)…

Under a Congressional mandate, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required to collect data on the frequency, seriousness, and incidence of violence in elementary and secondary schools. The NCES responded to this requirement by commissioning a survey, the Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey on School Violence, the results of…

This article alerts parents to the danger of asbestos exposure in schools and urges parent teacher associations to demand corrective action. It explains: (1) how to identify asbestos; (2) how to remove it; and (3) how to recover costs from the industry. A recently enacted rule by the Environmental Protection Agency is stated. (PP)

A review of federal legal developments in education in the past 25 years addresses four issues: (1) student records, (2) the education of students with disabilities, (3) the civil rights of students with disabilities, and (4) school safety. Tables summarize major special education principles, special education court cases, and Supreme Court cases…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated the incidence and impact of serious student misconduct on schools, whether students with disabilities are being disciplined differently from those without disabilities, and the role that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA) plays in schools' ability to properly…

Reviews Supreme Court case, New Jersey v. T.L.O., that established the right of school officials to conduct searches of students when the purpose is to maintain discipline, order, and safety in the educational setting. The need to have reasonable grounds for suspicion before conducting the search is emphasized. (CR)

This article presents an overview of federal and state laws intended to prevent school violence and examines related decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court. School districts' reactions to violence are discussed and a framework is proposed that school districts can use to develop legally correct policies regarding violence. (CR)

In this report, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides a summary of its FY 2005 accomplishments. Also, in recognition of the 25th anniversary, some of the significant cases that OCR has resolved over the years are highlighted. The last quarter century was eventful and challenging for OCR. Major U.S. Supreme Court decisions, such as "Grove…

This document provides the text of House Joint Resolution 153 and the remarks made in the hearing held before a subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives. This joint resolution was written to provide for insurance grants and loans by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA)…

The Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) requires that each state or outlying area receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) have a law that requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state or outlying area to expel from school for at least one year any student found bringing a firearm to school. Their…

Maintaining safe schools requires the forging of partnerships to share information between schools and youth-serving agencies, including the police department, court system, youth parole and probation offices, and child protective services. All public elementary and secondary schools are subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to require all local education agencies (LEAs) to identify asbestos-containing materials in their school buildings and take appropriate action to control release of asbestos fibers. The LEAs are required to describe their activities in…

This document contains two issues of a journal on reducing youth gun violence, reprinted from a report by the U.S. Department of Justice. The first issue, part one, provides an overview of programs and initiatives. The second issue, part two, describes prevention and intervention programs. To reduce violence and build healthy communities requires…