What is the mandatory age of attendance in each of the states? Specifically, what is the age at which a student may leave school with or without parental consent, and what if any caveats or requirements are attached to dropping out? To answer these questions, the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL-SE) staff conducted a Google search…

Now that he has had the opportunity to reflect upon a report by the National Commission on the Reform of Secondary Education, the author gives us his thoughtful reflections about many of their recommendations. (Editor/RK)

School policy on teenage pregnancy must take into account a variety legal considerations. Up until recently, the favored way of dealing with pregnant pupils or pupils who are mothers was to exclude them from school. Several law cases involving instances of exclusion and segregation of pregnant pupils are cited. The 14th Amendment's guarantee of…

Arguments over student discipline tend to overlook that: most students are not at school because they choose to be. Compulsory education has not lived up to its promise. A viable alternative is to repeal coercive laws and to offer twelve years of free schooling, to be taken at any time. (KH)

Examines first the right of parents to decide educational issues that affect their children and then the bases for children's rights. Proposes a standard for insuring that children's interests are protected when conflicts erupt over an educational issue. (Author/MLF)

Author provided an interesting and convincing argument for lowering the compulsory attendance age. (RK)

In "Goss v. Lopez," the Supreme Court held that students have a right to a free public education, which cannot be taken away by school officials through suspensions, even temporarily, without due process of law. In "Wood v. Strickland," the Court further extended students' rights by ruling that, in the context of school…

A review of court decisions indicates that schools may consider absence from class as a factor in overall academic evaluation and may impose academic penalties for absences due to truancy, suspension, or expulsion. However, academic penalties may not be imposed for misconduct that does not result in absence from class. (MLF)

Intended for use in school law courses of a primarily informative nature with some attention given to attitudinal concerns, this book was designed for teachers and educational administrators. The contents are divided into 13 units that contain information regarding education and the American legal system, certification and employment, religion and…

Notes that while notice and a hearing are giant steps, the tremendous number of suspensions in public schools across the country, particularly in the inner city, may continue to rise unless they are also monitored much more closely by parents. (Author/AM)

This report focuses on the impact of the Federal Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) in the Michigan public schools. The research for this study was conducted as a project of the Ann Arbor-based Student Advocacy Center. The study's purpose is twofold: (1) explore the implications of Michigan's zero-tolerance policy for educational equity and equal…

This chapter summarizes and analyzes all state supreme court and federal court decisions as well as other significant court decisions involving the rights of school pupils. The cases discussed are generally limited to those decided during 1974 and reported in the General Digest on or before March 1, 1975. Because of their unusual significance, the…