Defamation is a common-law claim for liability that encompasses "libel," which is the written form, and "slander," which is the oral form. School principals can be plaintiffs or defendants in defamation suits. Relevant case law provides illustrations of the various elements of defamation for both roles of the principal. Court…

Questions arise about the constitutionality of including some form of prayer, usually an invocation or benediction, in public school graduation ceremonies, and whether such prayer can appropriately be delivered by a minister or other religious leader. The U. S. Supreme Court has not addressed this precise issue, but an analysis of other courts'…

This issue of "Policy Notes" concerns the restructuring of American education during the past quarter-century, with centralization and legalization being the two most noteworthy changes in educational governance. David Kirp claims that the increased control of schooling by state and federal authorities, the elaboration of new…

The basic requirements for fair school disciplinary proceedings were set down in the Supreme Court decision of Goss v. Lopez. The requirements are that students be given oral or written notice of both the nature of the rule (violation of which will result in punishment) and the nature of the specific violation and the intended punishment. In…

Administrators need to know what control they have over student-produced publications. The first step administrators should take is to be well versed in the First Amendment and in court rulings involving the scope of student rights and school authority in regard to the student press. Step two is to make rules within the law. In general, school…

Three educational malpractice cases and the issues arising from them are examined in this article. The cases are examined in terms of whether school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors owe a legal duty to students to exercise the ordinary skill and competence of a reasonable and prudent member of their profession; whether educators…

This newsletter defines common law negligence, discusses recent trends in common law negligence, cites litigation, and establishes guidelines to assist school administrators in the avoidance of such tort action. The success or failure of a negligence suit most commonly turns on one of three factors: duty, breach of that duty, and proximate cause…

Many people in our society turn to courts for the resolution of every problem. By delegating to judges the authority to declare our legal rights we diminish our individual and collective liberties. This trend of legalism can have important consequences for school administrators. Rather than resist or evade the law, school officials can obviate…

Public concern about use of drugs by young people in the United States remains high and efforts to counter drug abuse through education and intervention continue. While drug testing of athletes at the collegiate level is fairly common, legal restraints make testing less common at the secondary school level. After citing numerous statistics…

This casebook intends to show young people that their rights, their way of life, and indeed sometimes their very life, can depend on one remarkable document, the Constitution of the United States. The casebook is about the United States Constitution and how the Supreme Court and lower courts have interpreted it to govern the lives of U.S. public…

Facing limited financial resources and a need to encourage large-scale school improvements, state legislators are addressing selected educational problems through such policy approaches as funding experimental programs, designing incentives for school improvement, and encouraging parental involvement. Identified within this document are a number…

This law-related education teaching resource calls attention to civil rights in the school. Julius Menacker gives an overview of major national school legislation and the federal courts' roles in the constitutional areas of equal protection, freedom of expression, and due process. Aggie Alvez offers new perspectives on the constitutional,…

When the Supreme Court decided that the Constitution requires public school principals to follow procedural due process in suspension and expulsion cases, the Justices recognized a link between procedural due process and the fairness of effective discipline. This report reviews the constitutional due process required when public school officials…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. School administrators are continually being challenged to develop new strategies to safeguard their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an organization's assets, both human and financial, from all…

This theme issue of "Research and Creative Activity" features six articles on Indiana University faculty whose work on various campuses continues to broaden and advance knowledge about "Literacy and Learning". The articles are as follows: "New Ways to Teach Reading" (about the work of John McEneaney, Assistant…