Schools across the United States use abeyance agreements as an alternative to suspension or expulsion, yet little is known about them. These agreements allow students to avoid or reduce suspensions or expulsions, if they meet the terms of the agreement and waive certain due process rights. David Perrodin argues that these agreements enable school…

The central school district obligation for disciplinary changes in placement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to answer the question of whether the conduct at issue is a manifestation of the individual student's disability. School psychologists often play a key role in this team-based manifestation determination…

In this article, school disciplinary exclusions in high schools in Ghana are highlighted to explore alternatives to school exclusions. The 2017 budget and the preceding budgets of the Republic of Ghana clearly indicate that the bulk of the nation's expenditure is spent on education. Part of the 2017 budget is especially targeted at making the…

A qualitative study of twelve student conduct administrators sought to capture their lived experiences relative to the impacts of federal and state regulation, case law, the media, attorney encroachment, parental involvement, and the use of litigation to supersede traditional processes on their professional work and personal lives. The interviews…

This guide is designed to supply educators with a means to identify whether racial/ethnic disproportionality in discipline practice exists in their schools or districts. It also aims to help educators use data to reduce racial/ethnic disproportionality in suspensions and expulsions. The guide is organized into two sections. The first section…

The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE), recognizing the need for safe and supportive schools, revised its policy regarding student conduct. The result, "Expected Behaviors in Safe and Supportive Schools" (WVBE Policy 4373, effective July 1, 2012), put forth the behaviors expected of West Virginia's students; the rights and…

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that may influence school administrators' disciplinary decisions involving students with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the investigator-developed measures adequately represent the hypothesized latent factors per the pattern of observed responses. The hypothesized…

The current emergence of a human rights culture in South African educational practice has direct bearing on the approach to learner misconduct in public schools. A variety of landmark court cases are discussed here that deal with, inter alia, the school governing body's right to delegate certain powers, the occasional withdrawal of learners'…

The Internet age has led to a different kind of teen bullying: cyberbullying. What is cyberbullying and what can teens do about it? In "Teen Cyberbullying Investigated," Judge Tom Jacobs presents a powerful collection of landmark court cases involving teens and charges of cyberbullying and cyberharassment. This riveting, informative guide will…

The Internet is a valuable educational tool being utilized in many classrooms today. However, Internet and computer policies restrict and limit how the Internet and computer can be used in a school. An Internet and computer policy typically limits students to use the Internet and computer for educational purposes. If a student violates this policy…

Corporal punishment is still legal under various circumstances in the United States public schools. This practice is specified in the discipline policies of cities and towns in roughly twenty-two states. Corporal punishment usually takes the form of paddling with wooden paddles or sticks by school administrators with the consent of the parents.…

This report contains 4 addresses given at a conference on higher education and the law in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and includes 2 supporting documents. The first address: "An Overview of the Interaction," by Richard A. Thigpen, discusses: (1) how constitutional standards are made applicable to public and private institutions of higher education; (2)…

Presents two legal cases involving high school students ("Birdsey v. Grand Blanc Community Schools" and "State v. Wolfer") that illustrate requirements for use of "Miranda Warnings." These warnings are not usually required to be provided in civil suits, or proceedings involved in administration of school discipline.…

Discusses how PL94-142 may cause discipline dilemmas in schools, especially regarding suspension and expulsion, noting difficulties of determining separate discipline policies for handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Notes that the literature, the law, and the courts all point to the need for options for dealing with disciplining special…

Discusses the legal issues involved in controlling student behavior. Indicates that school officials must establish compelling reasons for controls and establish fair procedures for implementing their actions. (JOW)