In a recent series of decisions, the Supreme Court has set the standard for returning control of vital school affairs to local school officials. Discusses the legal bases school officials and their legal counsel might use in showing that their school district has attained so-called unitary status, the condition for lifting federal desegregation…

Controversy over limited representation of women on a key committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Division I Management Council, has renewed concerns that big-time football conferences are not committed to diverse membership on such panels. The division's board of directors rejected the first female nominees and suggested…

Displays findings from a fall 2002 survey of all states to determine how they were progressing in meeting No Child Left Behind Act's list of requirements. Generally, states and local districts are stronger developing accountability systems but a significant gap remains between the federal law's demands and the capacity to meet them. (Author/MLF)

Examines circumstances of Californian Indians' unacknowledged and terminated tribes, the legal history and current status of their claims, and cultural and economic problems facing many tribes. Recommends a study of California Indian conditions leading to appropriate comprehensive federal legislation. Includes lists of restoration and…

Explores impact of national policies affecting income maintenance, health, transportation, education, employment, and housing of chronically mentally ill people in rural areas. Suggests policies rendered deinstitutionalization and rural community placement difficult. Reveals interlocking policy environment that warrants widening of mental health…

A British government memo on contracts between funding bodies and higher education institutions is outlined and its implications for Australian institutions are discussed, focusing on maximizing institutional control over academic offerings and managing faculty resources. (MSE)

The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (Public Law 99-457) creates incentives for states to serve all handicapped children three through five years of age and provides a new discretionary program to meet the needs of handicapped infants and toddlers and their families. (MLF)

Fearing increased federal regulation, college accreditors are re-examining the ways they assess colleges. Agreed-upon principles include establishing minimum standards for institutions seeking accreditation in all regions of the country, setting higher standards for teaching and learning, and issuing public reports of their findings about…

The United States Secretary of Education explains how the Goals 2000 Act provides a framework for encouraging systemic education reform under the leadership of state and local education agencies. Discusses the nature of the federal government's role in education, its constitutional origins, and its development and expansion. (295 references) (MLF)

Unlike other universities, the University of Arizona is ending a policy of direct commercialization of faculty research, citing new federal rules governing conflict of interest and institutional budget constraints as the reasons. The decision also follows a suit against the university concerning spinoff rights. Critics argue that the university…

The impact on college tenure and promotion practices of a Supreme Court decision, "University of Pennsylvania versus the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission," is discussed. The decision required the university to disclose confidential tenure files to the EEOC in the investigation of employment discrimination charges. (MSE)

Discusses the legal concerns of free access to information, tort liability, and free speech in a commercial electronic networking environment. Recommends that legal questions be addressed through case law, Congressional hearings, and agency solicitations, and that network service providers protect themselves by posting notice of equal access…

A new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) program, Compliance 2000, assists taxpayers wanting to comply with tax laws but finding it difficult because of legal complexity or administrative burden. Kent State University (Ohio) has used the program to resolve a compliance problem with nonresident alien students and scholars. IRS contact information is…

Challenges educational practices, mandated by court decisions and federal and state regulations, as they relate to a specific group of children who are of limited English proficiency and are educationally handicapped and, therefore, at risk for educational failure: deaf preschool children from non-English-speaking homes. (63 footnotes) (MLF)

In response to anticipated federal intervention in higher education accreditation, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges has made recommendations that did not unite but alienated its members. Two current major debates concern diversity standards and the future of accrediting agencies in higher education. (MSE)