The nature of the interests in education that are protected by the Constitution may be ascertained by reference to certain due process and equal protection decisions of the Supreme Court reviewed in this paper. Although education is not a right granted by the Constitution, the Court has often recognized the importance of education, both to the…

This report argues that the struggle for racial justice in the public schools is taking on a new focus; that the issues have now become the treatment of minority students within "desegregated" systems and the use of suspensions, tracking, and unofficial exclusion to discriminate against these students. In no other area than that of suspensions has…

Students, community representatives, members of government and civil rights agencies, and 700 educators attended the 11th national NEA conference on civil and human rights in education. These participants carefully examined the ways school boards and other administrative powers infringe on and arbitrarily ignore the rights of students to an…

This report deals with one portion of the South's youth population--the pushout--those young people who have been expelled or suspended from school or who, because of intolerable hostitlity directed against them, finally quit school. Several years ago, reports began to be received of in-school discrimination and of an escalating rate of…

This brief examines state-level data on social, economic, and child well-being measures at the outset of welfare reform, highlighting 13 states being studied in-depth. The National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) reveals that social and economic conditions relevant to welfare reform are quite diverse among the 13 states. State differences in…

Legal and educational responsibility of law schools in dismissing students for academic or disciplinary reasons is discussed. Need for and rights to due process are examined, and constitutional law is referred to. Available from William S. Hein and Co., 1285 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14209. (MSE)

Court litigation concerning the dismissal of undergraduate and graduate social work students who are academically, behaviorally, or ethically unsuitable to practice as social workers is reviewed. Substance abuse cases are included. Guidelines for educators for developing behavioral and ethical criteria for student suitability are offered.…

Zero-tolerance policies should not be used solely to rid the school of troubled students needing special counseling and mentoring. Administrators should involve teachers, parents, community leaders, and student representatives in formulating such policies. School-safety considerations and student rights must be balanced. (MLH)

The purpose of this article is to advocate for proactive content in discipline codes of conduct. Proactive discipline codes integrate Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies (Sugai & Horner, 2002) and attend to the academic needs of students (McEvoy & Welker, 2000). Proactive discipline codes of conduct have meaningful participation by key…

This article is a study of conflicting voices inside an alternative high school in Arizona. Voices of alternative schools are, quite often, not included in the discourse of curriculum reform even though the number of alternative schools is growing every year. Bakhtinian novelness of polyphony, chronotope, and carnival are incorporated into an…

This paper presents an outline and analysis of federal legislation and court decisions relevant to the exclusion of students with disabilities by school systems through the filing of delinquency and other petitions based upon in-school behavior. In many cases the behavior is related to the disability and/or to the consequences of the school…

This pamphlet summarizes the responsibilities of school officials under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in administering nondiscriminatory disciplinary sanctions in the form of long-term suspension or expulsion of students with disabilities. It also summarizes the rights of disabled students and their parents or guardians in…

This collection of issue papers addresses the inclusion of students with disabilities who are labeled disruptive in general education classrooms. The publication begins by summarizing new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. The provisions make it clearer that students with disabilities must be…

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…

This book outlines the legal aspects of the principal's role in North Carolina and is intended to be used as an instructive and advisory aid when formulating school policy. The principal's legal status, including a definition of authority and employment rights, is discussed. The author delineates the principal's responsibilities for student…