The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms contains an implicit right to education, and the Charter's equality provisions offer an important tool for promoting the rights of the disadvantaged. The equality provisions are open-ended in nature and make the courts a new partner in educational decision-making, causing some educators to regard the…

Legislation enacted in 1978 and 1982 in New Jersey stipulated that a uniform recordkeeping system be established to gather information on reported offenses against persons, school buildings, and property. This report details the extent of violence and vandalism in the public schools of the state for the first 6 months of 1983. Of 593 districts,…

The individual rights of students as revealed in federal court decisions are surveyed and summarized. Following a brief outline of the overall judicial approach, using the Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District court case as an example, the document is arranged into two major parts. Part 1 examines compulsory attendance laws, dress and…

This book is intended to be used as a reference for schools that seek to create drug free educational environments and to discourage all forms of substance abuse by students and personnel. The publication examines pertinent legal principles, including search and seizure, drug testing (for students, athletes, and employees), due process and…

A compendium of proposals for model state laws intended to restore parental and local control and to improve teaching and discipline in elementary and secondary education is presented in this report. The proposals, together with explanatory passages, are presented in three categories: (1) parents' role in education, (2) teachers' role in…

This second report of the Desegregation Monitoring and Advisory Committee examines the problems and procedures of a court-approved desegregation plan for the St. Louis, Missouri public schools. Regular and nonregular student assignments and enrollments are discussed with respect to the racial composition of the student population and the type of…

All facets of society--educators, citizens, students, legislators, and judges--are concerned about and interested in solving the problem of disruptive behavior in schools. The literature on the causes and effects of, and possible solutions to, the problem of disruptive behavior in the classroom focuses on the teacher, classroom climate,…

The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of teacher concerns using the Teacher Concerns Checklist. Correlates of concerns of elementary and secondary teachers with varying levels of experience were identified from four major sources: (1) direct classroom observations; (2) pupil, peer, and supervisor ratings; (3) self report ratings…

This booklet offers a model policy statement that schools shall provide equal educational opportunities to all students regardless of sex. It includes stipulations and guidelines to achieve equal access in all areas of education. The following areas are considered: (1) Course offerings: every course shall be open to all students and schools should…

This paper examines the kinds of information and guidance that social scientists have contributed to school desegregation efforts and discusses some of the problems that remain to be overcome if desegregation is to be equitable. It is argued that research on desegregation has failed to address the important issues and that quantitative, panoramic…

The 1967-68 mental health services (MHS) program in the Pittsburgh public school system, number of children served, studies undertaken, and other staff activities are considered. A research study of perceptual-motor dysfunction among emotionally disturbed, educable mentally handicapped, and normal children, and two perceptual surveys developed for…

With the increase in the number of newly desegrated and not yet integrated schools has come a rise in reports of student behaviors considered anti-school and anti-teacher. Many institutions are strengthening security personnel to enforce order and discipline. But community reaction to "police" may be more destructive than the unacceptable behavior…

This report summarizes major points from the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports' (PBIS Center) literature review on statewide behavior initiatives (SBIs) and findings from the PBIS Center's study that examined the extent to which SBIs have been developed and implemented. Of the 19 states that responded to the PBIS Center's…

The purposes of the study were to: (1) identify the issues addressed at the due process hearings in this southeastern state, and (2) examine the implications for educators. Due process hearing decisions rendered since 1994, a total of 31 were reviewed. Results of the study showed that student placement was the most common issue for which a due…

This guide summarizes procedural safeguards for children with disabilities and their parents. It was compiled from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Missouri State Plan for Special Education, local (Missouri) district Compliance Plans for Special Education, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Rights and…