In 2014, enrolment rates in primary and secondary education in Côte d'Ivoire were alarmingly low, and the enrolment gap between girls and boys was particularly large. Following the passing of a landmark law in 2015 which made primary and lower secondary education compulsory, enrolment rates drastically improved in primary and secondary education.…

Since schools have generally resumed full in-person services, the legal issues for students with disabilities include not only the continuing line of cases challenging the level and efficacy of services during the pandemic but also the potential disputes about implementation or nonimplementation of "compensatory services" per federal and…

Manifestation determination reviews (MDRs) are a federally mandated practice that prevents schools from suspending students with disabilities for more than 10 days before determining if the student's disability is significantly and directly related to the problem behavior. The process is a controversial one, and prior research has shown that the…

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) appears to offer powerful remedies to students who have been refused enrolment, excluded after enrolment or denied educational opportunities or benefits because of their disability. The Act prohibits discrimination on the ground of disability in the protected area of education and obligates…

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify how funds provided under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), may be used to pay for the costs of child and dependent care and transportation when adult learners need this assistance to participate in adult education and…

Using data from twenty-one interviews conducted with student affairs practitioners within a constructivist grounded theory study, we examined how legal issues influence the daily work of student affairs professionals. Findings demonstrate that concerns about legal issues may intrude on student-centered practice, which participants identified as a…

Schools generate and maintain numerous student records, including grades, standardized test scores, disciplinary accounts, contact information, mental health records, and more. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies to educational agencies and institutions that receive certain types of financial assistance from the…

The objectives of this audit were to determine: (1) whether Federal Student Aid (FSA) ensured completion of corrective actions in response to audit and program review findings related to satisfactory academic progress (SAP); and (2) what actions FSA has taken to assist schools with compliance with SAP requirements. The audit covered compliance…

An employment contract between the student and the host organization may be the unintended consequence of a work-integrated learning (WIL) placement. The student, as an 'inadvertent employee' of the host organization, can expose the university to risk. A case study involving thirteen Australian university lawyers identifies the legal and…

This case illustrates the importance for school leaders and teachers to be knowledgeable about current legal precedent when creating district and school policies. We describe a legal battle that occurred in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in which a school district instituted a policy affecting English learners that was in violation of two federal laws.…

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (Letter) on November 16, 2015, to "clarify that an individualized education program (IEP) for an eligible child with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) must be aligned with the State's academic content standards for the grade in…

Joaquin, a 15-year-old Latino high school student, was arrested and removed from the Upward Bound (UB) program following a student-on-student sexual assault allegation. UB adopted a student-centered discipline approach that promoted socioemotional learning opportunities. However, the staff was regulated by complex state and federal policies and…

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education (The United States Department of Justice, n.d.). Although Title IX was enacted over 45 years ago, college athletic departments remain non-compliant with the law (U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2016; Women's Law…

A chain of interconnected events has occurred over the past four decades that can transform the lives of students with disabilities and their families. These events include the national policy shift to standards-based reform, legislative action that is reflected in reauthorizations of federal educational laws and regulations, and sustained state…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) is a piece of federal legislation that directs schools and districts to provide students with disabilities a "free appropriate public education." It contains numerous legal tools that parents can use to compel schools to develop appropriate educational programming for their…