Ongoing or recently completed across the United States are a series of lawsuits via which teacher plaintiffs are contesting how they are being evaluated using value-added models (VAMs) as part of states'/districts' teacher accountability systems. To investigate the empirical and pragmatic matters addressed in court, researchers conducted a case…

Research on modality shifts in English-to-Chinese courtroom translation remains limited, despite the critical role of modality in shaping legal nuance, and speaker intentionality in judicial settings. This gap is particularly consequential in high-stakes contexts such as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), where…

This article presents a tool for systematic consideration of the accuracy of the legal contents of publications in special education. The tool is a two-dimensional grid with one axis having three overall levels relative to legal requirements and the other axis having the three perspectives symbolized by the courtroom roles of pro-parent,…

Recent efforts to change the teaching profession and teacher preparation include a number of innovations to use portfolio assessment, value added measures (VAM), accountability metrics and other corporate education reform ideas. These approaches may provoke considerable potential legal consequences. Traditional constitutional and civil rights…

According to the U.S. Supreme Court ("Island Trees School District v. Pico," 457 U.S. 853, 1982), the Constitution presupposes that the free flow of information between the government and the public is essential to maintaining an informed citizenry, which in turn is essential to holding governments accountable. However, local governments…

This article reviews the impacts of the civil rights policies framed in the 1960s and the anti-civil rights political and legal movements that reversed them. It documents rising segregation by race and poverty. The policy reversals and transformation of U.S. demography require a new civil rights strategy. Vast immigrations, the sinking White…

A growing number of states and local schools across the country have adopted educator evaluation and accountability programs based on the use of student test scores and value-added models (VAM). A wide array of potential legal issues could arise from the implementation of these programs. This article uses legal analysis and social science evidence…

Discusses the minimum competency testing movement and the unresolved issues concerning it. Indicates that until the issues are settled, there will continue to be controversy and legal activity. (JOW)

Extrapolates from existing case law on educational testing to the likely ways in which school accountability systems may be challenged in the courts. Also offers a list of recommended actions for accountability system developers. (SLD)

Changes in sports and the "sue syndrome" have increased the risk of athletic coaches being sued. Suggestions to reduce the risk involve: (1) job contracts; (2) preseason physical examinations; (3) parental consent; (4) good rapport with participants; (5) equipment safety; (6) documentation; (7) insurance; and (8) establishing priorities. (FG)

For educators in the field of higher education and judicial affairs, issues are growing. Campus adjudicators must somehow maximize every opportunity for student education and development in the context of declining resources and increasing expectations of public accountability. Numbers of student misconduct cases, including matters of violence and…

Summarizes the reasoning of a group of legal experts and reform-minded educators who discussed a recently filed suit against the San Francisco Schools. The 18-year-old plaintiff in this case is suing for one million dollars because he can't read. (JF)

A survey of the short history of the issue of counselor certification and licensure are the springboard for imagined future outcomes. Questions to ponder concern how licensure will come about, who will regulate the profession, and what part counselors must take to avoid the dilemma of lawsuits and malpractice. (MPJ)

Reviews court litigation during the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States which was blatantly political. Also questions the extent to which political influences in the courtroom pose a threat to the administration of justice. Cases include anarchist trials of the late 1800s, the Debs Case, and the Sacco-Vanzetti Case. (DB)

Preventive legal risk management is about implementing policies and practices that protect an organization from the risk of legal claims and that help ensure that the organization complies with its legal obligations. A well-structured process will prevent or minimize adverse effects on a school's human, physical, and financial assets. (Contains 26…