The study examined whether access to tenure review documents or deliberations decreases the degree of selectivity evidenced in tenure decisions. Liberal arts institutions (N=123) were surveyed to determine the relationship between access and tenure selectivity. The first stage of the study was a description of the range of access available in the…

Eighth-grade students were studied to learn how their interpretations of school situations are influenced by behavior and visual space attributes and settings. A variety of studies support the importance of relationships between the person and the learning environment. In this study, it was hypothesized that students would evaluate as more…

A general introduction to computer based national information systems, and the context and basis for future studies are provided in this report. Chapter One, the introduction, summarizes computers and information systems and their relation to society, the structure of information policy issues, and public policy issues. Chapter Two describes the…

Defining stress as a "misfit" between individual needs and environmental attributes, this paper reviews research on areas where the designed environment, on both a schoolwide and a classroom level, interacts with the educational process. These interactions are considered from the perspective of stresses imposed on both teachers and students. The…

Should private employers have a right of access to criminal history record information in order to make employment decisions about applicants and employees? This book addresses both legal and operational questions relating to the use of criminal justice data for private employment and decision-making purposes. The informative, non-prescriptive…

The existing physical forms of housing are not always compatible with prevalent social patterns. To investigate the relationship between family system characteristics and attitudes about residential space, 64 Indiana families in 4 stages of the family life cycle (early years with no children, crowded years with at least one preschool child, peak…

Court decisions stressing the rights of mental patients have necessitated a radical revision in the management of behavioral treatment programs. The client's rights to the least intrusive procedures to achieve treatment goals have become important in case law. Factors which identify intrusiveness include: (1) the extent to which the "new…

Designed for employees of elementary schools, this document answers questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The guide is written in question and answer form; questions are organized around related issues. Provisions not applicable to elementary schools have been omitted. "Purpose and Applicability"…

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was passed in 1974 because some legislation was needed in order to discourage the abuse of individual rights due to the personal prejudices and/or disapproval of others. There are thousands of persons in American society who because of advanced educational training and a keen sense of perceptivity, can…

In this appeal from the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Kathleen Sullivan is the appellant; Meade Independent School District, No. 101, school board members, and school administrators, the appellees. The single, young elementary school teacher was discharged at midterm by the small, rural community's school board as…

This paper discusses the issues involved in achieving a balance between a child's rights to protection and adequate care and a family's rights to privacy and autonomy. The paper advocates a shift from the current norm of privacy concerning parents' child rearing practices towards increased openness and freer community-family communication. In view…

The text of a joint resolution of Congress is provided in three sections. The first authorizes the President to call a White House Conference on Library and Information Services by 1978 and includes specifications for: composition of the conference, the role of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science in planning and…

Three categories of issues relating to government policies and computerized data processing are examined. These relate to: 1) central government policies for data development; 2) parliamentary and public concern with the social consequences of computerized data processing; and 3) the international dimensions of developments in data processing.…

Examines developments in information technology that might endanger individual privacy and legislative responses to these threats by the English-speaking democracies, i.e., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Guidelines for the responsible use of information technologies are proposed. (CLB)

Two thousand secondary school counselors and principals were surveyed as to their school's practices regarding access to student records. While results indicate that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 has increased parent and student access to records, many schools are in violation of federal laws. (BS)