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.…

A followup study of high school students graduating in 1970 from Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Edmonton (Alberta) area schools, investigated protest activity involvement during high school and present political/social activities and concerns. Educational targets of student unrest at the time are indicated as being (1) curriculum…

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…

This report reviews legel problems related to students' rights by discussing the results of legal disputes involving primary and secondary student challenges to school district rules, regulations, and policies. The study is concerned solely with controversies involving Federal issues that have been heard by Federal courts. A summary of apparent…

The guidelines and codes in this booklet were written to assist teachers and administrators strengthen their positions in times of legal and social confusion and in the face of challenges to administrative and staff authority. Model codes are provided for student (1) assembly, (2) dress and grooming, (3) motor vehicles, (4) search and seizure, (5)…

Discusses issues related to dress codes, student behavior, and youth gangs. Presents a role-playing activity based on a proposed dress code aimed at gang-related clothing in a secondary school. Includes two student handouts and step-by-step instructional procedures. (CFR)

Describes a dedicated principal who restored order and doubled enrollment at one troubled Washington, DC, elementary school. His efforts involved instilling a sense of stern discipline and an ethic of striving for excellence. He creates partnerships with local businesses and organizations, involves parents, requires uniforms, knows every child,…

One of the challenges facing school systems is creating an effective student handbook of current school policies. This report reviews the literature concerning federal and state statutes, district policies, and the professional literature concerning the implementation of a school wide discipline policy and plan that can be codified in a handbook.…

Guidelines for the development and implementation of a public school uniform policy are presented in this document. Written during spring 1991 in response to Virginia House Bill 1206, which directed the state board of education to develop model policy guidelines by January 1, 1992, the suggestions serve as a practical guide for planning,…

Five exercises based on a sample school dress code were designed from a political science perspective to help students develop skills in analyzing issues. The exercises are intended to be used in five or more class periods. In the first exercise, students read a sample dress code and name groups of people who might have opinions about it. In…

This part of the School Management Handbook provides the elementary school administrator with a quick overview of several aspects of school discipline. The first section introduces concepts central to developing effective school discipline policy, including the value of focusing on preventing rather than simply punishing misbehavior;…

Court cases involving student discipline, especially in regard to student publications and dress and appearance, is the subject of this chapter. The introduction discusses the doctrine of in locus parentis, the celebrated Supreme Court case of Tinker, and the minimum essentials for enforcing rules of student conduct. The first half of the chapter…

Educators and the public are divided over the value of implementing school-uniform policies in the public schools. This digest examines arguments for and against school-uniform policies, identifies legal considerations, and offers guidelines for implementing policies on student dress. Most parents have responded favorably to uniform policies,…