This letter was written by Adam Schott, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, to remind State educational agencies' (SEAs') of responsibilities to support the unique needs of students in foster care, as required under Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). This…

While students have a right to exercise free speech, schools have a responsibility to ensure safety and maintain the integrity of the learning environment. School and district administration must prepare for the potential of civil unrest both in the community and at school (e.g., walkouts, sit-ins, protests), and to prevent or mitigate the impact…

While the longstanding structural challenges in the professional development of junior scholars of color can be confronted through strong mentoring relationships, the potential power of effective mentoring will only be realized when the environments in which these relationships exist begin to change. Derived from insights gleaned from grantees of…

Polarizing political beliefs are nothing new on campus, but the tactics employed by supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement create new cause for concern, from the politicization of curricula and academic associations to efforts to silence Israeli speakers to overtly anti-Semitic behavior on campus. In a new essay, the…

Creating safe and supportive schools that are free from bullying, discrimination, harassment, aggression, violence, and abuse is essential to this mission. Bullying among school-age youth is a particularly serious, insidious, and pervasive problem that undermines the teaching and learning environment, increases mental health and behavior problems,…

A parent brings a cyber bullying incident to your attention and expects you to resolve it. What are the students' rights and your responsibilities according to the law? Because the laws regarding disciplinary action are still evolving, this manual fills the gap by providing public school leaders with data-driven solutions for managing cyber…

Sexual harassment of students is illegal. A federal law, "Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972" ("Title IX"), prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment, in education programs and activities. All public and private education institutions that receive any federal funds must comply with…

Purpose: Many school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are hampered in participating in managing children with dysphagia by their school systems' lack of supportive policies and procedures. A need exists to better define the dysphagia-trained SLP's role and clarify the district's responsibility. The purpose of this article is to address…

Eastern Michigan University's logo depicting a Huron Indian was discontinued in response to concern about use of American-Indian names and symbols. The process of developing a new logo design compatible with institutional values and goals illustrated that moral indifference in integrity and values is antithetical to institutional mission. (MSE)

Describes the importance of developing a school violence prevention and crisis response plan, explaining what an effective plan should include; how to establish a school-based team; essential components of a crisis response plan; how to ensure safety via contingency provisions to the crisis response plan; and how to handle the crisis aftermath. A…

The Surgeon General, the Nation's top public health officer, is appointed by the President of the United States to help protect and promote the health of the Nation. The recently published "Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking" [ED496083] highlights underage alcohol use as a major public health and…

Schools can better meet the needs of single-parent families in the following ways: (1) acknowledge the diversity of single-parent families; (2) avoid assumptions about single-parent families; (3) provide educators with information about differing family structures; and (4) facilitate the connection between single parents and schools. (11…

As a result of its activities, values, and assumptions, higher education has become deeply implicated in the environmental dilemmas of our time. Colleges and universities need to act more responsibly, re-forming an education that is more appropriate to a threatened ecology, before they can teach an ethic of responsibility. (Author/MSE)

An institution's educators legal liability policy can provide very broad or limited protection to a college and employees. The college or university's insurance buyer or risk manager must understand the terms and conditions of the policies available and evaluate their specific application to the institution, giving coverage as much weight as costs…

An American Association of University Women study indicates that 85% of girls and 76% of boys in grades 8-11 have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Recent court decisions underline schools' responsibility for ensuring a safe school environment. Administrators should act to eliminate sexual harassment, educate students, involve parents,…