This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study that examined the extent and types of challenges to curriculum in California school districts. A survey of school districts conducted in 1990 yielded 421 usable responses. The second survey, sent in 1991, elicited 379 responses, a 37.5 percent response rate. Findings indicate that the number…

This booklet explains the actions that college or university administrators should take if their institution is subject to an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for possible health or safety violations. After providing a fictional case study and an explanation of the OSHA inspection process, the booklet reviews…

This handbook is the 16th in the series of monographs designed to summarize judicial decisions on elementary and secondary education. The cases included in the book were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional reporters for the period July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1994. The cases provide a general overview of school law issues…

Section B of the Media and Law section of the proceedings contains the following nine papers: "The Professional Person as Libel Plaintiff: Reexamination of the Public Figure Doctrine" (Harry W. Stonecipher and Don Sneed); "The Anti-Federalists and Taxation under the Free Press Clause of the First Amendment" (Brad Thompson);…

An experiment in problem-solving was conducted in which one group of students used computer conferencing for continual public exchanges of ideas through asynchronous meetings, and another group used class discussion groups, while attempting to solve a legal problem in a course in consumer law. Student success rates for solving the assigned problem…

This document begins a series of issues on employment and dismissal matters of interest to school administrators in North Carolina. It addresses some of the more basic employment concepts, first describing the legal requirements in the state. In North Carolina, local school boards' authority to hire employees is contained in a variety of statutes.…

Law Day is an annual event through which schools and communities commemorate the U.S. legal system. The observance provides an opportunity for schools and bar associations to educate youngsters about the role of law and lawyers in a democratic society. Such events can help generate interest for ongoing law related education (LRE) programs in the…

Multimedia presentations offer educators and other communicators new avenues to reach audiences, but they combine a variety of legal hazards. Producers of multimedia can end up on the receiving end of lawsuits based on the many facets of copyright, privacy, and defamation law, as this guide illustrates. Copyright gives authors, composers,…

This paper recounts the legal, political, and educational changes in former East Germany as the nation has become reunified, and considers the implications of reunification for institutional research at East German universities. After a brief sketch of legal, geographic, and demographic highlights, the decrepit conditions of East German university…

The courts have applied pressure on local school districts like the Mineapolis (Minnesota) district to reduce the concentration of minority children, including Native Americans, in the schools. This policy brief addresses the issue of creating separate elementary or secondary schools for Native American children. Proponents of separation argue…

Due to their lack of knowledge concerning legal aspects of education, the staff of a preschool was uncertain about the legality of accepted practices in early childhood education and, consequently, exhibited low morale. To remedy the situation, the director of a preschool and kindergarten implemented and evaluated a 10-week practicum intervention…

Competency testing often refers to a system devised to assure successful performance on a specific test, in addition to other mandated criteria as a requisite to obtaining a high school diploma. Minimum competency testing is usually defined in one of two ways: as the acquisition of basic skills or as the demonstrated ability to apply basic skills…

This primer on legal issues and responsibilities, prepared for independent schools, provides a reference for staff, administrators, and trustees in recognizing and preventing legal problems. Legal issues surrounding the roles of trustees, school head, faculty, and students are noted, including school accountability to educate, the relationship…

The monograph addresses legal issues involving discrimination against handicapped persons and the key legal requirement of reasonable accommodation. Four chapters in Part I examine background issues, including definitions and statistical overviews of handicaps; historical attitudes toward handicapped persons and an analysis of the extent of…

Cultural and institutional influences on Chinese Americans' use of legal services are examined. General background information was gathered on clients who used the local office of a federally sponsored legal services program (LOLSP) in a major western city during 1978. Data were also collected through intensive interviews with LOLSP Chinese…