Reviews the continuing legal and political battles against corporal punishment and discusses the legal future of corporal punishment in view of social and legislative changes since "Ingraham." (81 footnotes) (MLF)

Threatening student web sites raise complex legal questions for schools. According to "Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), students' First Amendment rights must be abridged to ensure an orderly school environment. Recent litigation, educator rights, American Civil Liberties Union interventions, and legally defensible strategies for schools are…

The purpose of these Utah behavioral intervention policies and procedures is to provide state-of-the-art guidelines for educators dealing with the behavior problems of students with disabilities. The standards serve to assure that students have access to effective education procedures and due process, and that school districts minimize their risk…

A study to determine the status of disciplinary procedures in nonpublic high schools in Nebraska and Kansas is described in this report. A two-part questionnaire to assess schools' written policies and actual practices was administered to 68 out of 72 private schools, a 94 percent response rate. Findings indicate that the majority of nonpublic…

Plagiarism and cheating can be defined as academic dishonesty and represent policy concerns among all levels of education. Such cases involve academic versus disciplinary decisions and the need to determine the student's understanding of the definition of plagiarism or cheating. This paper analyzes six legal issues raised in court cases and…

Designed to be read by parents and children together, this handbook outlines the standards of behavior, discipline, attendance, and academics established at the Santa Maria Joint Union High School in California. Following a letter of introduction to parents, the student code is divided into four sections. Students' legal and educational rights are…

Schoolmen fear that the Wood v. Strickland decision will spark increasing costs and attorney involvement and have a significant impact on day-to-day school board operations. (Author)

This brief booklet is intended to help New Jersey school districts as they develop or revise consistent systems of school rules governing student behavior. The booklet lists the most basic provisions of a student conduct code as student rights and responsibilities, rules of acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and regulations or procedural due…

This report discusses the expanding role of Federal judges as educational policymakers. The report discusses court decisions related to interpretations by the Federal Courts of the U.S. Constitution. The report notes that court decisions have covered the following topics: dress codes, flying of the flag, freedom of speech, unwed mothers,…

Discusses community-based programs which have shown promise of enhancing the democratic governance of schools and increasing the school system's resource bases. Describes three types of programs in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri: school-community advisory councils, school-business linkages, and government-agency partnerships. (KH)

Detection of drug users at school is a problem complicated by recent New Jersey court cases upholding students' privacy rights against mandatory medical examinations and search-and-seizure actions. Requiring confidential medical screening by private physicians for sports and other extracurricular activities is an alternative strategy offering…

A current United States Supreme Court case will determine constitutional guidelines for school administrators in searching students for drugs and other school contraband. Thus far, the New Jersey Supreme Court has established a demanding standard for warrantless searches of students and their property, requiring respect for students'"valid…

The moral and ethical training of children, previously the sole responsibility of the home, is being transferred to the school, giving rise to the problem that because of increased emphasis on student rights, the school does not have the authority to enforce positive social values. (JD)

Discusses the legal training needed by both teachers and administrators for making them aware of their responsibilities in education. In this way they may properly administer discipline while protecting themselves against indictment and preserving student's rights. (Author/RK)

This brief presents an overview of findings from a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) study that investigated how the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) affected the ability of schools to maintain a safe environment conducive to learning. A study surveyed 272 public middle and high school principals…