Reviews several retention-related federal court decisions and suggests 10 best practices that school administrators can use when considering or implementing student-retention policies. (Authors/PKP)

As illustrated by two recent decisions, the courts in the past decade have demarcated wide boundaries for school officials considering dress codes, whether in the form of selective prohibitions or required uniforms. Administrators must warn the community, provide legitimate justification and reasonable clarity, and comply with state law. (MLH)

School administrators are challenged to maintain the delicate balance between protecting individuals' rights and ensuring the general welfare by maintaining a safe, secure learning environment. Legal principles and precedents governing restrictions on student appearance, privacy and procedural rights, harassment and hate crimes, and suicide are…

Administrators should regard each student threat as legitimate, but need flexibility in how they respond. Getting the facts and following due process are essential. School policy should require that students be referred to law-enforcement officials and specify communication, crisis-management, identification, and preventive/proactive procedures.…

Describes useful Web sites (and URL locators) to help educators stay current on school law: Education Week on the Web, California Education Law Report, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Office of Special Education Programs, Legal Information Institute, Internet Legal Resources Guide, ACLU Freedom Network, and American Journalism…

Since 1990, there have been at least six published court decisions concerning teachers' use of controversial videos in public schools. A relevant district policy led the Colorado Supreme Court to uphold a teacher's termination for showing 12th graders an R-rated 1900 Bertolucci film on fascism. Implications are discussed. (MLH)

Recounts the case of Lauren, a moderately disabled student suspended for disruptive, aggressive behavior before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was amended. The Seventh Court of Appeals upheld the suspension. The majority of such cases have gone against districts, reflecting a relatively high judicial standard of dangerous…

Describes two cases involving student evangelism in a classroom setting, one involving a religious poster, the other a paper on the life of Jesus. In both cases, courts upheld districts' contention that teachers' restrictive actions were reasonable. Students' right to religious expression within the classroom requires careful consideration by…

To acquaint school administrators with their legal responsibilities toward special-needs students, this article explores several common misconceptions. In actuality, disabled students would languish without special-education services; federal laws are not overly complicated; legal ignorance is no excuse for delegating responsibility; students with…

Summarizes current research on ability grouping of academically gifted students. Findings show that advanced students benefit more academically than low-ability students from homogeneous grouping; homogeneous groups are more academically and socially beneficial for all abilities than heterogeneous grouping; continuous progress makes an academic…

Under provisions of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments, school officials may change a disruptive student's placement before the situation escalates and requires disciplinary measures. IDEA's purpose is to address students' disabilities, including those causing them to misbehave. Also, disabled students may be suspended…

Religious activity in public schools has become a major issue, thanks to the Equal Access Act and "Lamb's Chapel," but neither has eliminated the Establishment Clause as a feasible concern for school officials. Protecting student religious expression to the same extent as other forms of free speech raises legitimate concerns regarding public…

Since the mid-1980s, judicial decisions have broadened school authorities' discretion to restrict student expression (in oral and written communications, grooming, and attire). The category of protected student expression has eroded. Despite replacement of the "Tinker" presumption favoring student expression with one favoring validity of school…

Educators concerned about school safety have resorted to searching students, their lockers, and their possessions. These searches have led to litigation over whether the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures applies to public schools. Although courts have upheld reasonable searches, administrators should carefully…

Discusses how numerous legal sources (Constitutional, federal, state, local, and common law) affect everyday public school operations. Fields 10 questions regarding written and legally sound rules, common rules for district schools, board approval of club bylaws and activities, "in loco parentis," legal image, employee assignments, "double…