Responses from 157 principals (65 percent of a national sample) showed strong support for dress codes. Research focuses on the perception of school principals regarding dress codes, analyzes dress codes for common features, and proposes a constitutional standard of review for contested dress codes. (58 footnotes) (MLF)

Discusses the extent to which public recreation programs can regulate attire which many people might consider offensive, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court states that school boards have the authority to decide what constitutes appropriate behavior and dress in public schools. One case involving a student who wanted to wear a Marilyn Manson…

Public school uniforms are a recent development. Legal trends suggest that the courts are willing to defer to school authorities regarding dress codes--provided a clear link is established between the dress regulations and furtherance of the educational mission. Lists a range of options for a dress-code policy and how each of the available options…

Do school dress codes written with the specific purpose of limiting individual dress preferences, including dress associated with gangs, infringe on speech freedoms granted by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Although the Supreme Court has extended its protection of political speech to nonverbal acts of communication, it has…

The purpose of this study was to help public school administrators, especially principals, to understand the legal and constitutional limitations of their authority in dealing with students. Control of students is discussed as five separate topics, each representing a chapter, as follows: (1) freedom of expression and First Amendment rights; (2)…

This draft was developed by educators, parents, administrators, students, and Office of Overseas Dependents education representatives. It is designed to serve as a guide for the local development of handbooks regarding student rights and responsibilities. The draft, which will be reviewed after recommended revisions are received, is very broad…

Discusses the legal aspects of nine common student issues: smoking in the public schools, student responsibilities; freedom of speech; hair and dress codes; student marriage and pregnancy; patriotic observances; sex education controversy; and Title IX, ending sex discrimination. (JMF)

Reviews a recent decision in "Littlefield" by the 5th Circuit upholding a school uniform policy. Advises board member who wish to adopt a school uniform policy to solicit input from parents and students, research the experiences of other school districts with uniform policies, and articulate the interests they wish to promote through uniform…

This book is intended to help students, teachers, administrators, and parents become more aware of students' legal rights and more sensitive to arguments on both sides of current civil rights controversies. The authors attempt, whenever possible, to translate legal jargon into language more readily understood by laymen, and they rely primarily on…

School officials see a need for regulations that prohibit disruptive and inappropriate forms of expression and attire; students see these regulations as unwanted restrictions on their freedom. This paper reviews court litigation involving constitutional limitations on school authority, dress and hair codes, state law constraints, and school…

This document has four stated purposes: (1) to conform with Alaska state regulations requiring the establishment of guidelines on student rights and responsibilities; (2) to bring forth critical points of law in this area; (3) to provide examples of inappropriate policy; and (4) to provide local school districts with the criteria the state will…

An inner-city alternative high school in Chicago was established for older black teenagers who had dropped out or did not wish to attend public schools. Alternative high school students (N=100) were surveyed to compare their opinions on student rights with those of black inner-city public high school students (N=200) obtained in an earlier study.…

This book examines the impact of a variety of court cases involving the legal rights and responsibilities of public secondary school students. Each chapter begins with a brief commentary that provides an overview of a broad area of student rights, followed by a number of short sections that focus on significant subtopics. The final section of each…

In this booklet, the Council of Supervisors and Administrators of the City of New York seeks to offer hope that teachers' and principals' capacity for the reasonable exercise of authority has not been exhausted. There is a body of legal opinion that supports the authority of the principal in disciplinary matters. It is a misconception that a…

This report discusses factors that lead to wide disagreement among educators about proper definitions of student rights and responsibilities. These factors include (1) the particular era in which a definition is formulated, (2) the role perspectives, (3) the values held, (4) the anticipated consequences, and (5) the implicit concepts held…