Asserts that courts are today handing down decisions in matters they would previously have avoided. Warns that board sovereignty and rights of local control will be protected by the courts, but only if the boards act fairly and reasonably. The author presents five court cases and invites readers to determine whether their decisions would have been…

Discusses whether notice and a hearing are required when a student is transferred, for disciplinary reasons, from a New York vocational school to another school. Proposes amending the law to expressly require the same due process protection for disciplinary lateral transfers as is required for student suspensions. (Author/MLF)

Well-drafted codes of discipline can help to eliminate the ambiguity and arbitrariness that often have been associated with school discipline. Discipline codes should be characterized by fairness, fact-finding provisions, completeness of information, frankness, flexibility, informality, firmness, concern with disciplinary suitability,…

Reviews the National Institute of Education's 1978 study of school crime. Offers several social trends as possible causes for recent increases in school crime. Suggests methods for reducing violence in the schools. (BE)

Suspension, although it temporarily alleviates a difficult situation, does little to change behavior or solve the underlying causes of misbehavior. Furthermore, suspension has been found to be used disproportionately against Black students, thus depriving them of access to education. Schools should evaluate their own practices and seek new…

Any restrictions on student dress must have a legitimate educational rationale. Standards of attire for school employees are also permissible. A dress-code policy that calls for reasonable restrictions and is enforced with common sense can create a better school environment. Restrictive measures can lead to costly lawsuits. Cites advantages of…

Examines the distinctions between protected free speech and discriminatory verbal harassment on college campuses. Cites numerous campus policies and recent Supreme Court decisions. Discusses a proposed guideline based on the direct use of "fighting words" to insult or stigmatize an individual. (FMW)

The article discusses the Supreme Court's ruling in Doe v. Honig that emotionally handicapped students could not be expelled pending the outcome of a parental appeal. Among implications noted are the need for greater prevention efforts in the area of providing appropriate programs and services for handicapped students. (JW)

Practical guidelines are presented for implementing a discipline policy at the local level for students with disabilities, with suggestions for distinguishing policies affecting students in general and students with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on emerging issues and practical consequences. Relevant federal and state court decisions are cited,…

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier" established that a public high school newspaper, produced by students in a journalism class, is not a forum for public expression. The Court said that although school board policy specified that student free speech would not be restricted, other factors…

Significant changes in United States culture during the past 25 years and court decisions resulting from legal suits challenging traditional educational procedures have made the future course of education very unpredictable. The social unrest of the 1960s brought about innovations such as open classrooms and nongrading systems in the wake of…

In considering written codes of student conduct, it is important to distinguish between discipline and codes of discipline and between legal necessity and educational desirability. Educators remain free to decide about the desirability of diverse disciplinary measures so long as the minimal constitutionally mandated procedures are followed. In…

Districts should develop a procedure for the handling of their relations with law enforcement officials that balances students' and parents' rights with the responsibilities of law enforcement officials. This balance can be maintained only through a good working relationship between the school and law enforcement personnel in which each recognizes…

This book is meant to be practical. It attempts to clarify what one should keep in mind and to describe what courses of action are open when one confronts a particular situation. It is stated that teachers and principals encounter discipline problems not because they are deficient in skill or in virtue, but because they have inherited misleading…