This document contains the proceedings of a hearing held on August 13, 1999, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families. The hearing addressed school safety, discipline, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Following opening remarks of the congressmen, the report includes…

The authors debate whether institutions of higher learning should impose regulations or speech codes to ban sexually harassive speech believed to foster gender-based discrimination. Masters insists that narrowly crafted controls are necessary to make colleges and universities inviting to all. Dagley argues that speech codes are improper because…

Summarizes a complex Kentucky appeals court ruling upholding a school district's right to administer the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System exam to all students. Parents not allowing their children to take the exam lost their "reasonable accommodation" suit--signalling strong judicial support for the education reform…

This study, which evaluates the Benjamin Banneker Scholars Program, was undertaken in response to litigation challenging the University of Maryland's right to operate a scholarship reserved exclusively for high-achieving African Americans. Using varied data sources, the study found that the Banneker scholarship program continues to be necessary as…

The rights of students to complete programs into which they have matriculated and the obligations of colleges and universities to maintain these programs for sufficient periods of time to fulfill any existing contracts with students are discussed. Contract principles are applied in protecting a student's right to complete degree programs. (MLW)

Increasing demands for professional accountability in education, coupled with a growing tendency in the American public to seek redress through the courts, have given rise to the educational malpractice suit, alleging that students have failed to learn because schools have been negligent in their duty to educate. This chapter provides guidelines…

Discussion of the necessity for educational institutions to develop and implement a copyright policy includes the role of administrators; legal implications; seven elements to be included in a policy; guidelines for implementing the policy; and a list of resources for further information. (LRW)

Examines the current status of religion in education and considers the implications for policy making and practice. Frames the discussion by reviewing recent Pennsylvania and New York cases that challenged educational policy concerning outcomes-based education and the Kirjas Joel Hasidic sect, respectively. Proposes a "moderate…

This report is aimed at helping Congress: (1) better understand the functions, history, capabilities, limitations, uses, and misuses of educational tests; (2) learn more about the promises and pitfalls of new assessment methods and technologies; and (3) identify and weigh policy options affecting educational policy. To prepare this report, the…

After 25 years of federal and state voucher systems in higher education, public colleges and universities find themselves financially shortchanged. Higher education vouchers (direct student aid) were developed to expand educational opportunity, give lower income students more choices, and support private colleges. Voucher systems produce greater…

Six of the 22 Supreme Court decisions in the 1981-82 term concerning or affecting higher education are discussed. The cases concerned sex discrimination, tuition-free public schooling for undocumented children, residency status, dormitory drug search, student religious groups using school facilities, and the scope of Title IX. (MSE)

Most educational reform cases proceed as class actions in which there is no single aggrieved plaintiff with clearly identifiable views, but rather an aggregation of individuals, often with conflicting preferences. This paper explores the problems presented in educational reform class actions where plaintiffs disagree over the remedial objectives…

Presented is the report of a Virginia study committee analyzing various policy options on the provision of services to students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study found that approximately 49,000 Virginia students have an attention deficit disorder, with 24,500 in need of special education services and an additional…

The full texts of all prepared statements and supplemental materials presented during three days of hearings (second session) held on H.R. 11023 are contained in this document. Statements are made by (1) State coordinators of career education, (2) program directors, teachers, and representatives from State universities and local schools, and (3)…

Focusing on what policymakers cannot do, rather than on what they should do, this booklet explores the constitutional parameters of the teaching of moral values. Section 1 provides a description of the general rules for legal analysis followed by the courts when dealing with freedom of speech or religion. In the following two sections, these rules…