Discusses Oklahoma case ("Owasso Independent School District No. 1-001 v. Falvo") wherein the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in February 2002 that peer grading did not violate the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). (PKP)

In a case from Oklahoma-"Falvo v. Owasso Independent School District," the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the practice of directing students to grade one another's assignments. Students are not education professionals; only teachers should grade student work. (MLH)

In its "stare decisis" ruling upholding a Pennsylvania school district's random drug-testing policy, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals nonetheless declared its disagreement with a similar panel's 1998 decision upholding another district's policy of random, suspicionless drug, alcohol, and tobacco testing. (MLH)

In a case involving questionable canine search-and-seizure practices, a circuit court upheld a school board's decision to terminate a teacher's contract. While touting zero tolerance, the board fired an honored teacher 3 years from retirement who may not have known about the marijuana cigarette in her car. (MLH)

The recent decision of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in "Miller," based on the school district's interest in preventing possible abuse, gave legal support for random, suspiciousless drug testing of students. Contends this is a "slippery slope" argument, that the key factor in deciding whether to adopt a policy of random drug testing should…