Movement for full inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms asks educators to take landmark 1975 Education of the Handicapped (recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) a step farther. All five of the 1993-94 inclusion-related legal cases favored general education environments--even for severely…

A recent state appellate court decision, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania versus Cass," suggests that careless or misguided handling of drug searches (especially random drug-sniffing searches) will not hold up in court. Unless advance warnings are provided, administrators should conduct only narrowly focused searches that satisfy…

Reviews court cases related to search of students and extracts guiding principles administrators can use to reconcile the students' legitimate privacy interests with the educational necessities of the school. (JM)

The principal whose decision to remove articles on teenage problems from a school-sponsored newspaper led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision (Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier) explains that the articles failed to meet curriculum standards for responsible and ethical journalism. An inset details Hazelwood's "winning" policy guidelines for…

A reinterpretation of student due process rights in a Mississippi court is reviewed. Public Law 94-142 is evaluated. A recent court decision found that if school systems allow nonhandicapped students to stay in school longer to complete graduation requirements they must also provide education for handicapped students through age 21. (MD)

A federal court awarded attorney fees in a P.L. 94-142 case on the basis of violation of a handicapped student's due process rights, and the U.S. Surpeme Court will review another P.L. 94-142 case that could have an impact on special education budgets. (DCS)

Administrators need to document all events connected with disciplinary action, including dates and descriptions of the incidents and of actions taken. These records, signed statements from witnesses and others involved, and references to applicable board policies or state statutes serve as crucial documentation in case of a formal court hearing.…

A Georgia school district standardized discipline procedures, codified offenses, and published the results in booklet form. A clear hierarchy of offenses specifies problems to be handled at the local school, at formal hearings, or at a special disciplinary committee. Students know what to expect, and administrators know how to proceed. (MLF)

Regarding school searches, courts have provided guidelines balancing individual students' rights against the larger school community's rights. Administrators are bound by the Fourth Amendment, which stresses reasonable grounds of suspicion and related circumstances. Strip searches, metal detectors, hidden cameras, and locker searches may meet…

Every year, a few administrators mishandle school searches and create spectacles similar to the New Castle, Pennsylvania, incident involving six illegally strip-searched students. Principals using "cops-and-robber" techniques to unearth contraband may not realize the potential for infringing on students' constitutional privacy rights.…

Too many teenagers are making part-time employment, not school, their highest priority. Work becomes a succession of short-term, minimum-wage jobs without ties to academic learning, school programs, or career paths. Schools must strengthen the school-work connection by communicating with employers and integrating work issues into courses. Sidebars…

Service learning is not immune from legal problems. In 1993, the third Circuit Court of Appeals quashed a lawsuit claiming a school's mandatory public-service requirement violated the 1st and 13th amendments. The most recent case was pursued against a New York district whose modest public-service requirement supposedly forced students into…

Legal and practical considerations are discussed concerning whether school systems should participate in the nationwide class action suit against asbestos manufactureres or file suit on their own. Other topics discussed include grooming rules in sports, unnecessary litigation, and immunity from civil rights lawsuits for school officials. (TE)

Parents gained more clout in the "Robinson v. Pinderhughes" court ruling. Baltimore schools' lack of compliance with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act illustrates that, if not offered by a state, educators should encourage legislators to enact a remedy enforcing decisions about disabled students' placement. (CJH)

Discusses statutory requirements of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and offers advice to administrators faced with a due process hearing, including steps in hearing preparation, conduct, and follow-up. (WD)