Surveyed attitudes toward the importance of privacy, seriousness of various privacy invasions, organizations that are trusted or mistrusted, etc. Concluded, among other findings, that most respondents were wary of possible invasions of privacy by the government but preferred government regulation of data collection by private businesses to…

A recent Supreme Court decision on a First Amendment case involving a teacher in Texas illustrates how teachers' and other public employees' rights to freedom of speech face serious erosion. The problem is deciding whether grievances fall into the protected area of "public concern" or the unprotected area of a "purely private…

Court rulings and legislation are cited in a discussion of institutionalized mentally retarded persons' rights to privacy. The authors emphasize the need to restructure job responsibilities and/or descriptions to ensure appropriate resident-staff relations for dressing, bathing, toileting, and other private activities. (CL)

The pros and cons of financial disclosure laws of varying strictness and their effects on school board members are discussed. Recent trends are noted and a tabulation is provided of the statutory requirements concerning disclosure of personal finances and campaign contributions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (PGD)

Computers make possible a variety of investigative and enforcement techniques. However, the technology of systematic data searching is subject to at least six sources of error, e.g., incorrectly entered data, none of which can be completely eliminated. Thus, a thought police as envisioned by Orwell remains a technological fiction. (RM)

Examines educational tasks in general computing, including computer-assisted instruction, computer-managed instruction, word processing, secretarial and business applications, time sharing, and networking to larger computers. (CT)

Notes that both liberals and conservatives have criticized values clarification courses on the grounds that they assume only one correct position regarding values: ethical relativism. Maintains that values clarification fails to live up to its own claims of openness and neutrality. (Author/JM)

Reviews recent federal publications on government information, particularly in the area of general informational services, public access to government information and privacy issues, coordination of government information systems, and congressional information needs. (Author)

Online users leave traces that others can find and use. Provides an overview of where and how users leave traces and what users can do to protect their privacy. Discusses Internet accounts; special files ("signature,""plan,""project,""file,""finger,""whois," and "vacation");…

Discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in Gonzaga University v. Doe, where the Supreme Court held that a person whose records were disclosed has no right to sue the institution for its violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Explores the decision's ramifications for higher education, including applicable…

Discusses the history of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Falvo and Gonzaga U.S. Supreme Court cases, and how universities might rethink FERPA in light of digital records. A discussion of Professor Lawrence Lessig's book "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" is used as a framework for discussing institutional…

Teachers should examine classroom questions, assignments, and activities to determine if any of them actually violate rights of student and family privacy. Lists an example of classroom questions that signal possible invasion of privacy, and guidelines for invasion of privacy charges. (MLF)

Some of the laws, rules, and principles related to student privacy, especially as they relate to the electronic era, are described. Some of the key elements of the Buckley Amendment are detailed and the ethical implications are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the increasing legal regulation of social workers' professional obligation to client confidentiality which means that social workers no longer can rely solely on an ethical commitment to maintaining client privacy. Contends social workers must learn to read and interpret applicable statutes and court decisions both for protection of…

Examines libraries' policies of keeping patron records private and confidential. Addresses the idea that libraries use their automated systems to retain and use patron data to develop and improve library services. Describes uses of patron data that can help libraries develop targeted services to users to better meet their information needs. (JMV)