Two landmark court cases have upheld the constitutional right of handicapped children to a publicly supported educational program, and to various procedural safeguards to insure fair implementation of that right. Neither case deals directly with the right to an "adequate" education. Presents arguments lawyers could present in raising this adequacy…

Examines the procedural due process rights of public school teachers in Iowa in light of recent changes in the Iowa statute governing the termination of teacher contracts. The changes include the requirement of "just cause" in contract termination. Available from the Drake Law Review, Des Moines, Iowa 50311; sc $5.00. (Author/IRT)

A study examined 50 Pennsylvania cases reviewing the involuntary commitment of persons with mental retardation. Factors evaluated included characteristics of the individual, the presiding court, the impact of a court-appointed Child Advocate or Public Defender, availability of residential alternatives, and prior placement. (Author/DB)

Truth in testing laws are subject to challenge on the grounds that they invade federally protected rights and interests of the test-makers through the due process clauses of the Constitution and federal copyright protections. (Author/MLF)

Changes in the legal status of the building principal are presented through an examination of litigation and legislation that have altered the principal's duties, responsibilities, due process rights, collective bargaining rights, and certification requirements. (Author/IRT)

The booklet provides a history of the legislative and court action in the area of special education. The National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Secondary Education Act of 1965 are cited as two legislative milestones in education. Federal involvement in special education is discussed including the acts assisting the handicapped, gifted, and…

Uses the statutes of South Carolina as an example of the legal requirements for teacher dismissal and decertification. Argues that it is by no means impossible under the law to discharge or decertify a teacher, nor is the process nearly so complicated as some administrators claim. (Author/IRT)

Featured in the issue is an analysis of the consent Decree in New York State Association for Retarded Children v. Carey (Willowbrook case). In addition, summaries and updated information are presented for 25 new cases and 34 cases previously reported regarding the following topics: architectural barriers, classification, commitment, custody,…

Presented is a compendium of state lawsuits establishing the legal and constitutional rights of mentally retarded citizens. Cases cover the following rights: to equal educational opportunity; to be free from inappropriate educational classification, labeling, and placement to community services and to treatment in the least restrictive…

Examines the implications of decisions by arbitrators that have an impact on teacher retention and tenure. The text is divided into four areas: tenure laws, negotiability, arbitrability, and procedural issues. Available from Commerce Clearing House, Inc., 4025 W. Peterson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60646; Single copy, $3.00. (Author/IRT)

Reviews court decisions involving tenure rights in higher education, focusing mainly on the contractual aspects of tenure, and examines the relationship of tenure to consitutional issues in an effort to completely define the legal status of tenure in higher education. (Author/JG)

Presented is the history of the Scottsboro case, in which eight Black men were found guilty and sentenced to death for raping two White women in Alabama. At the heart of the Scottsboro trials was the issue of whether the U.S. Constitution established standards of justice in state criminal trials. (RM)

This report contains findings of a nationwide study of youthful offenders tried in adult courts. Data were gathered from more than 3,000 counties for the year 1978. The report is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the study and explains its methodology and the background of the problem (covered in more detail in Appendix A). Chapter…

The degree of proof needed for conviction in a criminal action (which is "proof beyond a reasonable doubt") is greater than the proof needed to obtain a judgment in a teacher-dismissal civil action (which is "a preponderance of the evidence"). (Author)

Increasingly, high school students are getting married, or pregnant, or both. School authorities are thus faced with an increasing number of decisions as to what action, if any, to take when such a marriage or pregnancy becomes known to them. This paper discusses the status of legislation on pregnant students' rights according to (1) Mississippi…