The problem of campus sexual assault is viewed through the theoretical construct of institutional betrayal and the legal construct of Title IX.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination based on sex in any educational institution that receives financial assistance. This article focuses on Title IX as it applies to high school athletic programs by considering the trial of a high school district in California. A federal court found considerable inequalities between boys…

Dating violence is a form of student-on-student victimization and is a serious school safety issue. Research indicates that at a minimum, 10 percent of high school students are victims of dating violence in one form or another. Among female high school students that date, some data indicate that as many as 30 percent may be victims of dating…

Allegations of sexual misconduct may prompt districts to enter into non-disclosure or settlement agreements with alleged perpetrators in exchange for a recommendation. Non-disclosure settlements typically limit how much information districts can share with other districts. This process, often referred to as "passing the trash," can be…

An alarmingly high percentage of recent high school graduates are not prepared to succeed in college-level courses, and the impact of this educational shortcoming is substantial. Underprepared college students incur a monetary cost of enrolling in remedial courses, and states and taxpayers subsidize much of the overall cost of developmental…

Discrimination based on sexual orientation in K-12 education is not prohibited in many school districts across the United States. Teachers who are of the sexual minority (gay, lesbian, or bisexual) must remain closeted or risk losing their jobs. A history of past court decisions and laws deeming sexual minorities to be degenerates from which…

Community college Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs) typically focus on improving student outcomes. QEPs are in many ways analogous to the campus improvement plans (CIPs) that have become standard practice for virtually all K-12 schools. K-12 campus and district leaders often seek school improvement ideas from other K-12 districts. However, much can…

This case study challenges aspiring school leaders to analyze data and develop school improvement objectives, strategies for sharing data, and strategies for change. Candidates must analyze the data, determine potential issues that should be addressed by the new principal, and develop a list of further data sources needed. Candidates could also…

School administrators are expected to balance the need for school safety and good order with the rights of students to be free of unreasonable search of their person and property. This balance can be particularly difficult when over-the-counter or prescription drugs are involved. This article summarizes a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that…

Now, more than ever, the baby-boomer administrators are retiring in massive waves. Some researchers have predicted as high as 75% turnover by 2011 for education alone. For many years, not much attention has been placed upon succession planning or developing new leaders in some colleges; others have tended to create stockpiles of leadership…

This article lays the foundation of American First Amendment jurisprudence in public schools and examines recent cases relating to student Internet speech. Particular emphasis is placed on the ability of schools to regulate student off-campus Internet speech. School authorities who wish to regulate nonthreatening off-campus speech in the…

Like all teens, sexual minority youths (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) face many challenges, including student-on-student sexual orientation harassment. The authors examine recent research into the relative frequency, the potential impact, and school district responsibility to protect sexual minority youths from ongoing…

A review of legal decisions provides thought-provoking considerations for administrators who want to deter drug use on campus. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that even a limited search of students is a substantial invasion of privacy, but also that school officials need to maintain school discipline. Guidelines for the…

This study investigated the perceptions of educational leadership candidates of the efficacy of a leadership matrix based on the University of Wyomings belief matrix model for guiding the examination, clarification, and articulation of their beliefs. A pilot study involving 15 administrator certification candidates suggested the usefulness of the…

Notes that students' legitimate expectations of privacy and school officials' need to maintain school discipline and safety often collide. Outlines guidelines for searching in the following instances: student lockers; drug dogs; student trips; strip searches; and urinalysis. Suggests that training for all administrators, faculty, and staff in the…