The rapid growth of minimum competency testing (by 1981, 36 states in the United States had mandated some form of minimum competency testing) has led to increased legal challenges of the existing testing programs. Three issues have been raised and are summarized in this brief overview: (1) constitutional claims under the due process clause; (2)…

The Critical Issue Bibliography (CRIB) Sheet focuses on alcohol and drug abuse on campus, a problem that has accelerated in the last decade. The CRIB sheet is divided into five sections related to key areas an institution needs to consider when trying to prevent alcohol and drug abuse on campus: (1) trends in research; (2) legal implications; (3)…

University officials and faculty are frequently required to make decisions based on interpretations of disputed facts. By applying the concept of due process within the context of higher education, they can meet legal challenges of contract and constitutional law and the pedagogical demand for justice. To guide their efforts, decision makers can…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 11 documents from the ERIC database concerning the teaching of religion. Includes items that explore the role of religion in public education, moral education, and secular humanism. Explains how to obtain ERIC documents. (SG)

This document presents a training guide designed to be used by counselor educators in courses developed to prepare school counselors and by counselors themselves. Noting that recent developmental guidance materials and programs have been challenged for a number of reasons by various groups, the guide draws on the insights of those who have been…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. This ERIC Digest discusses how risk management, a concept long used by corporate decision makers, can help school boards and administrators conserve their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. This ERIC Digest in Spanish discusses how risk management, a concept long used by corporate decision makers, can help school boards and administrators conserve their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to…

Despite privacy concerns, school administrators are feeling pressure to adopt urgent measures to keep drugs and alcohol from further endangering our youth's well-being and undermining staff performance. This urgency is reinforced by a national anti-drug campaign and Congressional passage of the Drug-Free Workplace Act (1988) and the Drug-Free…

This digest reviews earlier court decisions which led up to the Supreme Court's 1988 "Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier" decision and also discusses the "Hazelwood" case's implications for freedom of student expression. The digest cites various documents in the ERIC database which deal with student journalism, censorship,…

This Digest overviews legal challenges in five areas of test use for decision-making in schools: ability tracking, placement in special education classes, test scores as college admissions criteria, test disclosure, and teacher competency testing. Cases illustrating these challenges are described and include: Hobson v. Hansen (1967), Moses v.…

This brief overview of minimum competency testing and disabled high school students discusses: the inclusion or exclusion of handicapped students in minimum competency testing programs; approaches to accommodating the individual needs of handicapped students; and legal issues. Surveys of states that have mandated minimum competency tests indicate…

This digest notes that the terms and conditions of computer software package license agreements control the use of software in schools and libraries, and examines the implications of computer software license agreements for classroom use and for library lending policies. Guidelines are provided for interpreting the Copyright Act, and insuring the…

Much of the concern among librarians and educators as to the legality of library lending and classroom use of copyrighted videotapes is the result of "Home Use Only" labeling and other information supplied by the Motion Picture Association of America and some of its members. Much of this labeling and information is misleading and…

The issue of drug testing is the focus of this ERIC Digest. Several aspects of drug testing discussed in question-and-answer format: (1) What is the current status of drug use in the schools? (2) What legal questions arise when schools consider drug testing? (3) How might drug testing be applied in a fair, economical, and legally safe manner? (4)…

A brief introduction to the topic of gender bias and fairness in testing is provided. A test is biased if men and women with the same ability levels tend to obtain different scores. The conditions under which a test is administered, the wording of individual test items, and a student's attitude toward the test can affect test results. While gender…