Examines the implications zero-tolerance policies have in public schools, especially in regard to race/ethnicity and social class relations, suggesting that such policies are neither effective, child centered, nor equitable and may exacerbate inappropriate student behavior and disproportionately sanction ethnic/racial minorities. Recommends that…

The controversial discipline provisions of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are examined. It is suggested the provisions may serve to encourage systemic reform capable of dramatically affecting the educational and postsecondary careers of students with emotional or behavioral disorders and may assist in curbing…

This article gives findings from the first year of an evaluation of various behavior support programs in 21 secondary schools in Scotland. Focus is on analysis of exclusion data, school reports on the initiative, and case studies of 116 pupils receiving behavior support. Discussion notes difficulties reconciling the flexibility required for…

This article analyzes four federal court cases dealing with the use of reductive interventions to manage the behaviors of behaviorally disordered students in public schools. Definitions and principles of corporal punishment, suspension, expulsion, and timeout are outlined; and the legal status of these punishment procedures is explained.…

The Sixth Circuit Court approved an expulsion process even though the student was "convicted" on hearsay testimony alone and denied the opportunity to confront and cross-examine witnesses. The explanation and rationale for the court's orientation is viewed against prior case law. (MLF)

Recent court decisions concerning discipline of handicapped students are reviewed. The courts have not interpreted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act as unduly inhibiting traditional school discretion concerning minor infractions, but the legal intricacies of determining the relationship between handicap and misconduct makes expulsion…

Analysis of 174 reported state and federal adjudication decisions from 1950-89 concerning graduate medical students and their training identified 22 percent of cases as involving programmatic issues. Of these, most addressed problems of academic administration, especially resident dismissals. Recently, programs have accommodated judicial scrutiny…

The paper presents the view that many Australian students excluded from school for disruptive behavior may require special services on the basis of a disabling condition. Descriptive data for 124 students (ages 10-17) and a case study are presented to support this position, along with discussion of legal and service delivery implications…

Critiques pregnancy policies in sub-Saharan Africa's education systems, examining expulsion, reentry, and continuation policies for students who become pregnant. Argues that both expulsion policies and reentry policies violate students' rights to education, suggesting that continuation policies provide the most opportunity for gender equity. Notes…

Describes Illinois case involving the expulsion of five students for a gang-related brawl at a high school football game in Decatur. Students brought suit against the school district claiming violation of their 14th Amendment right to procedural due process. Both the federal district court and court of appeals rejected the students' claim.…

School officials should adopt no-tolerance policies that require educators' discretion in punishing misbehaving students (based on due process and fundamental fairness), rather than relying on the zero-tolerance approach, which fails to differentiate among different levels of offenses. Even disruptive students deserve due process and appropriate…

There have been outcries in both the academic sector and in the popular press about the high and increasingly rising use of suspensions as a discipline measure. Among the negative consequences noted has been a detrimental impact on the academic achievement of suspended students. This article presents the results of longitudinal retrospective…

This article discusses the contents of the regulation issued by the Ministry of Education in March 2005 with respect on student management in higher education institutions. The issued regulation contains the following chapters: (1) General Principles; (2) Student Rights and Obligations; (3) Management of Student Status Records; (4) Withdrawal or…

There is an unrecognised crisis in the education of pregnant schoolgirls and schoolgirl mothers. Girls leaving school due to pregnancy are not reported in official statistics. This has serious consequences in terms of resource allocation and planning of service provision. This article examines how girls are forced out of the mainstream education…

This paper analyzes data from 12 of 20 studies conducted by Special Student Concerns Projects; the projects were designed to eliminate the disproportionate number of disciplinary actions involving minority group students in schools that were in the process of desegregating. The statistical approach to the quantitative suspension data used in this…