The purpose of this analysis is to provide systematic and up-to-date data on the frequency of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2012) court decisions on a state-by-state basis, not only overall, but in relation to special education enrollments. This empirical analysis revealed notable differences among state rankings in the…

Describes an Illinois case involving the demotion of an elementary school principal with 5 years of experience to a classroom teacher. The former principal sued the district claiming that her state due-process rights were violated. The state court disagreed, entering a summary judgment for the district; later affirmed on appeal. Reviews other…

This study suggests that court procedures in Illinois must improve to assure that more children are placed in permanent homes in a timely way. The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children examined the timeliness of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois' Child Protection Division in completing the sequence of hearings and…

Advocacy for drastic change in the governance and structure of Illinois educational finance is the theme of this collection of oral presentations. Section 1 contains testimonies by G. Alan Hickrod and Lawrence E. Frank delivered to the Citizens Council on School Problems, focusing on K-12 educational funding problems and solutions. Section 2…

The results of new and/or continued litigation challenging the constitutionality of state school financial systems since the publication of the first volume of this study, which examined the history of such litigation from 1912-1971, are presented in this second volume. Recent cases illustrate two trends: the increase in the number and expediency…

In 1985 the Illinois Legislature revised its Juvenile Court Act and sections of the criminal code to get tough on juvenile crime and school-related crime. The Illinois Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the act. Greater legislative and judicial support is a national trend to control school violence. (MLF)

This monograph contains five presentations delivered during the course of an attempt made in November 1992 to amend the state constitution of Illinois in such a way as to make education a fundamental constitutional right. The effort failed to garner the 60 percent of the vote required to pass the amendment. These presentations made a strong…

Analyzes "Camlin v. Beecher Community School District (Illinois)," wherein the state appellate court held that the school board violated its own drug policy when it expelled a high school student for allegedly smoking marijuana on a field trip without first offering him an opportunity to enter a drug education program. Court also held…

School reformers have been calling for reductions in the size of large urban districts. A statutory approach to devolution is available in many states: citizens petition the appropriate government authority for district reorganization, or detachment, from the school district in which they are located. Illinois law and court decisions are used to…

Designed as supplementary reading in American government or social studies courses, this compilation of articles is intended to help students gain a better understanding of the judiciary's role in the Illinois legal system. The first of three sections contains articles about judges and the court system. The second section examines the criminal…

Examines several state supreme court cases that bear on school finance litigation in Illinois. Suggests that the Illinois plaintiffs have an opportunity to establish a new litigation strategy. When school finance schemes are challenged on the basis of educational quality, courts have the opportunity to define a basic standard of education that…

Illinois tort policy has swung from supporting the sovereign immunity of school districts, to completely striking down sovereign immunity, to narrowing conditions in which districts and employees could be liable. Advises Illinois and other states with similar problems to develop legislation and court precedents to reduce the complexity of tort…