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…

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…

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…

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…

There was little change in the directions of litigation concerning pupils in 1978. As a result of federal statutes requiring the education of handicapped students, the courts have begun to wrestle with some very complex problems concerning the limitations of the federal law and the state legislation passed to comply with the federal legislation.…

The purpose of this study was to help public school administrators, especially principals, to understand the legal and constitutional limitations of their authority in dealing with students. Control of students is discussed as five separate topics, each representing a chapter, as follows: (1) freedom of expression and First Amendment rights; (2)…

A proposed "Code of Student Conduct" designed to replace current disciplinary regulations at the University of Maryland is discussed. It is suggested that college attorneys be participants at an early stage in the development of student disciplinary regulations, and they need to emphasize the leeway given to colleges by the courts. (MLW)

This handbook is designed for all school and community members who are interested in developing or improving discipline policies and procedures. It is divided into seven sections covering the various issues discipline policy writers must typically address. There are also guidelines for developing and communicating discipline information and…

Court cases involving student discipline, especially in regard to student publications and dress and appearance, is the subject of this chapter. The introduction discusses the doctrine of in locus parentis, the celebrated Supreme Court case of Tinker, and the minimum essentials for enforcing rules of student conduct. The first half of the chapter…

Presents a 10-question quiz based on court decisions reported from 1977 through 1979. Three areas are covered--student discipline, student searches, and student expression. Answers and explanations are given for each question. (IRT)

Student privacy rights and the increase in student violence present conflict of interests in schools. The effects of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) on this conflict are reviewed as well as liability of schools and court decisions relating to issue. The challenge to educators is to protect student privacy while providing…

New York's Court of Claims found the State University of New York College at Buffalo liable for monetary damages as a result of the off-campus death of an adult student. The American Council on Education has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of SUNY, Buffalo. (MLW)

The prohibition of student plagiarism by educational institutions creates problems associated with: (1) communicating acceptable practices for citing the works of others; (2) establishing appropriate penalties for those who do not follow the announced standards; (3) ensuring, through due process, the protection of the rights of those accused of…