During the past year, in cases involving the authority of school boards to make curricular decisions and provide for services, the courts have balanced school board authority against constitutional and statutory provisions related to privacy, free exercise of religion, and public records laws. Section 1, "School Boards and Board Members," outlines…

Confidentiality issues in cooperative relationships between schools and agencies providing services to children and families with special needs are examined. Introductory sections consider the need to share information and the nature of confidentiality restrictions. A section on overall information sharing considers: when to address the…

This report reviews the essential medical facts concerning Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the legal implications of AIDS in the school setting, and school board policy responses to AIDS. The report begins with an introduction that clarifies the extent of the problem posed to schools by AIDS and identifies the kinds of information with…

This handbook clarifies how to meet legal requirements when the same student population qualifies for both bilingual and special education programs. Legal streamlining of existing California-mandated requirements for bilingual and special education is emphasized. The handbook begins with a discussion of the difficulties encountered when providing…

Frustrated by the federal government's new approach to desegregation of public colleges, states are taking steps to help more minority students persist and succeed in higher education. Conflicting court rulings over race-conscious desegregation remedies have added to the confusion. The most extensive state proposals are in Maryland, where public…

Court decisions in two cases concerning the University of Nevada at Las Vegas's suspension of an athletic coach because of institutional violations of National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations are discussed, focusing on the courts' applications of state action doctrine (subjection to scrutiny under constitutional law) and coercion…

Several variants of the "melting pot" ideology have informed the actions of those responsible for educational policy-making in the United States. This ideology has increasingly come under attack by a variety of persons. The purpose of this paper is to outline several legal grounds on which this ideology has been and will be challenged and to spell…

The report of first-year problems and potential solutions, based on a study of legal issues which arose in the development of employer based career education (EBCE) programs, is presented as a working draft from which certain policy questions and priority issues may be delineated. Federal statutes and the statutes of Pennsylvania, West Virginia,…

Factors to be considered when developing a new formula for financing public education in Connecticut are discussed in light of the Horton v. Meskill ruling, which declared Connecticut's financing method in violation of the state constitution. Formulas used by other states that may be applicable to Connecticut are also examined. (SF)

This article discusses the constitutionality of racially restrictive student clubs and organizations at colleges and universities, focusing on the recent proliferation of such groups, the laws and legal standards that apply to such campus groups, and recommendations to university administrators concerning racially restrictive organizations. (MDM)

Precedents from litigation on state graduation assessments provide insight into the potential legal arguments challengers may raise with regard to mandated content and performance standards for all students. Clearly documented, fairly administered procedures that adhere to professional recommendations will be the hallmark of defensible standards.…

Six legal issues surrounding a school district's reduction in force are described in this twelfth chapter in a book on school law. First, the courts generally hold that the school board must prove that a reduction in force (RIF) is inescapable. The second issue revolves around which positions and employees are being eliminated. In deciding such…

Presented are papers delivered at a 1976 Colorado environmental law conference. Included in the publication are the conference schedule, the text of nine papers, background information on authors, and bibliography listings for each paper. Titles and topics of the papers are the following: (1) Water Resources Development and the Environment…

Reviews lower court developments in 1995 that applied and developed earlier Supreme Court precedents concerning employment discrimination in higher education in the areas of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin under state and federal laws; gender discrimination under state and federal law, including two cases of voluntary…

Conflicts between parents' wishes and school authorities' decisions have historically occurred in several areas, including compulsory education, special education, and curriculum. Reviews legal precedents for parental rights, explores current court cases involving parent/school authority conflicts, and critiques recent state legislation concerning…