In addition to the potential loss of life, school shootings can evoke feelings of profound fear and anxiety that disturb a community's sense of safety and security. Questions have been raised about whether schools' approaches to addressing student behavior are a factor in school shootings. These approaches include discipline that removes the…

Every 2 years, Education requires nearly all school districts to report incidents of restraint and seclusion. Generally, restraint is restricting a student's ability to move, and seclusion is confining them alone in a space they cannot leave. The House Committee on Appropriations' explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations…

This document records testimony from a hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor that was held to discuss the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint practices in classrooms. The statements presented in this report discuss the Federal Government's role in protecting the health and safety of students and school staff. Member…

Research shows that students who experience discipline that removes them from the classroom are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, and become involved in the juvenile justice system. This can result in decreased earning potential and added costs to society (lost tax revenue and incarceration). The Government Accountability Office…

This report examines what is known about enrollment, discipline, and support staff in alternative schools, among other objectives. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed data on alternative schools for school years 2013-14 and 2015-16 from Education's Civil Rights Data Collection (most recent years available); visited selected school…

The Virginia Board of Education's "Student Conduct Policy Guidelines" were first developed in 1994 in response to action by the 1993 General Assembly requiring the Virginia Board of Education to establish such guidelines. In 2004, the "Guidelines" underwent a major revision in response to requirements of § 22.1-279.6. of the…

The courts generally uphold the school's action in disciplining a student for conduct that takes place out of school if the punishment is denial of extracurricular privileges. If the school withdraws academic privileges, the courts require a stronger showing of evidence. (MLF)

The courts have not limited use of corporal punishment in schools. Most schools have the authority to use corporal punishment. To protect children from ill-defined standards, the public must persuade legislators that the "in loco parentis" doctrine be subject to statutory limitations. (MD)

A recent Florida court decision provides an example of a textbook case of an unconstitutionl student search. The key distinction from the "New Jersey vs. TLO" case (a student search found to be constitutional) is that the teacher who searched the students had no reasonable cause. (MD)

Reviews a Pennsylvania higher court decison in which a student sued the school board for reducing her grades as punishment for misconduct during a school outing. The court found in the student's favor. The punishment must fit the crime. (MD)

Responding to numerous lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights recently promulgated nationwide guidelines entitled "Sexual Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students or Third Parties." This document suggests that school districts establish a student code of conduct prohibiting sexual…

Outlines the case of "Bethel School District N. 403 v. Fraser" in which the Supreme Court overturned the lower court decisions and recognized that schools have an interest in protecting minors from exposure to vulgar and offensive spoken language. Students can be punished for going beyond the bounds of socially appropriate behavior. (MD)

The fact that a teacher is not present when a child is injured does not automatically mean that the teacher will be held liable. Liability attaches if injury is due to a dangerous situation that could have been prevented if the teacher had been present in the classroom. Courts do not hold teachers liable for unforeseeable behavior of children. (MD)

Discusses the legal and educational requirements for functional behavioral assessment (FBAs) and behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for special-education students. (Contains 45 references.)(PKP)

Senior class high jinks can be amusing until someone gets hurt and the school district is sued. That's what happened when three seniors concocted an explosive smoke bomb that unintentionally injured several girls holding a yearbook party nearby. Since the prank was considered a misdemeanor, the district was liable for $12,500 and suffered lots of…