Tests should be used by educators to help students of different backgrounds and abilities achieve their full potential. The goals of guaranteeing excellence via promotion of high academic standards and ensuring equal educational opportunities are inseparable, mutually dependent goals. State reform efforts and fairness issues are examined. (MLH)

This paper describes and analyses some of the legal consequences of the schooling reforms of 1989 in New Zealand, which devolved the power to run schools to individual Boards of Trustees in each of the 2,600 schools in the country. The focus will be on three main kinds of legal action: between the state and schools (relating to interpretations of…

This book describes the actions that led to the 1973 United States Supreme Court case to establish administrator rights, "Holstrop v. Illinois Junior College District 515." The book was written by the plaintiff, who believed that he had been illegally removed from his presidency at Prairie State College, a junior college in Illinois.…

This book describes transitions at Catholic colleges and universities by which governance was transferred from the founding religious communities to boards of mostly lay trustees. The book uses seven case studies from: (1) the College of New Rochelle (New York), (2) Saint Louis University (Missouri), (3) the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), (4)…

This articles examines litigation which has been generated as a result of fiscal cut-backs at institutions of higher education and looks at the rights and obligations of college and university administrators and students as well as possible future trends. A first section details the effects of budget reductions at California state institutions…

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…

One of the more controversial issues that has come before the courts since the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) concerns the imposition of disciplinary sanctions on students with disabilities. Because this issue is not directly addressed by the act, school administrators must turn to case law for guidance. This paper…

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…

Section A of the Media and Law section of the proceedings contains the following nine papers: "RICO and the First Amendment: Racketeering Laws Threaten Free Expression" (Matthew D. Bunker and others); "Press Coverage of the Federal Appellate Courts: Technology and a Shared Notion of Newsworthiness" (Rebekah V. Bromley);…

Case citations regarding discrimination in education are provided in this document. The first section deals with civil rights remedies, specifically, employment and student discrimination. The second section describes cases involving employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, and disabilities. Gender-related…

Designed to assist public institutions in meeting the many requirements and deadlines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, this handbook provides a blueprint for coordinating ADA compliance and conducting the required self-evaluations. Chapter 1 reviews policy implications of compliance with the ADA, discusses the importance of…

This practicum was designed to train eight adolescents with specific learning disabilities (SLD) about their legal rights and responsibilities, through a scenario-based program presented in the classroom as part of a transition program. The practicum involved the development of 22 scenarios, a pretest and posttest, and discussions and role-playing…

This instructor guide for a unit on legal issues in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of learning--understanding the…

This paper summarizes events leading to the interdistrict settlement of the St. Louis (Missouri) school desegregation case. Remarks are focused on four points: (1) an overview of the settlement process and rationale, (2) an explanation of the principal provisions, (3) a brief analysis of the implementation process, and (4) a discussion of 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…