Describes the development and current uses of computerized databases of information about individuals by the government and private agencies, especially credit bureaus, and discusses three major categories of abusive information practices that threaten personal privacy: information collection, information dissemination, and information management…

Centering around a role-play simulating the search of students suspected of possessing illegal drugs, this lesson focuses on students' rights as related to the Bill of Rights. Calls upon students to argue landmark cases involving students' rights to enhance critical thinking skills. (GEA)

Developed in collaboration with representatives from 20 national health and education organizations, this handbook provides guidance to help school district personnel navigate the many and at times conflicting legal considerations connected to managing student health information. This resource will assist all school officials in developing and…

The ability to meet people, visit places around the globe, and make purchases online has added a new dimension to teaching children about the opportunities and accompanying risks that exist in everyday life. The Direct Marketing Association has created this guide to information use, behavior, and privacy on the Internet to help parents supervise…

This newsletter presents information about the status of the Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data Exchange/Exchange of Permanent Records Electronically for Students and Schools (SPEEDE/ExPRESS), a system developed for the electronic exchange of student academic records. The awarding of the new SPEEDE/ExPRESS contract, the…

This report discusses the results of an investigation into the coordination between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Medicaid program. Interagency agreements and other documentation were obtained and analyzed from 12 state directors of special education, coordination mechanisms reported by key federal agencies were…

The Communication Technology and Policy section of the Proceedings contains the following 15 papers: "The Virtual Sphere: The Internet as a Public Sphere" (Zizi Papacharissi); "Toward a Typology of Internet Users and Online Privacy Concerns" (Kim Bartel Sheehan); "Blind Spots of the Communications Decency Act Debate: A…

Discussion of the ethical use of electronic mail highlights a study at Gallaudet University (District of Columbia) that investigated student and faculty attitudes concerning privacy, equal access to information, and social conduct on the system. Results for deaf and hearing individuals are compared, and the use of telecommunications to help…

Addresses the legal tension between a teacher's right to privacy and a school board's right to demand exemplary conduct by teachers in and out of school. Concludes with a summary and two flow charts that illustrate the legal analysis that most courts follow when examining these issues. (MLF)

Reviews institutional policy and case law regarding sexual harassment and consensual sexual relations between college faculty and college students. Advises colleges to strengthen sexual-harassment policies and educate students and faculty about harassment, and to adopt a policy on consensual sexual relations between students and faculty members.…

Corruption in college athletics requires immediate attention through monitoring and publication of student-athletes' academic records. Privacy can be protected three ways: modification of federal law concerning student records; implementing voluntary disclosure; and exposing exploitation of African-American student athletes by examining their…

One of the principal drafters of Stanford University's regulation concerning verbal harassment on campus proposes an interpretation of the conflict between civil rights and civil liberties in this situation. Contrasts in the two approaches to injury and the public/private distinction are highlighted. The text of Stanford's regulation is appended.…

Addresses issues relating to the Internet and personal privacy. Defines privacy and discusses it in the context of property boundaries, contracts or special relationships, and gossip. Explores clashes between ideals of personal privacy, free speech, and economic freedom in the context of the Internet. (DSK)

Under federal statutes, many employment practices are legally questionable: targeting certain positions for one sex only; using racial quotas to reach diversity goals; using non-job-related tests as pre-employment screening devices; employing discriminatory employment policies; using non-job-related disabilities to deny employment; and inquiring…

Argues that, while students should have the right to privacy in the classroom, there are instances when that right must be waived. Contends, however, that learners cannot acquire a proper understanding of factual material, or the justification for believing it, without being granted a degree of privacy during the learning process. (Contains 10…