Increasing numbers of parents are "dumping" parental responsibilities at the school-house door. However, a highly vocal and politically active minority of parents are demanding that schools relinquish those responsibilities. One helpful role the schools can play is to offer parent-education classes that provide specific tips on disciplining…

This article addresses the efforts of school districts to use private health insurance or Medicaid to subsidize special education services. It notes that such efforts have been generally unsuccessful, time-consuming, and costly. A legal explanation of the reasons for such failures is provided. (Author/DB)

Examines the current inconsistency between the jurisdictions concerning peer sexual harassment and proposes a standard by which future cases should be judged. Reviews three cases: (1) "Aurelia D. versus Monroe County Board of Education"; (2) "Doe versus Petaluma City School District"; and (3) "Doe versus Taylor Independent…

Handbooks are used by school districts to communicate with their employees. Courts have in certain circumstances considered handbooks as binding commitments. Discusses the extent by which handbooks should be prepared and used by school districts. Examines their advantages, disadvantages, and possible contents. (MLF)

School boards can minimize financial losses by identifying potential risks. If a risk cannot be avoided, the next step is a loss-control program aimed at reducing the impact of any loss. (MLF)

Abraham Maslow's needs hierarchy proposes that people must satisfy their "deficiency" needs (for food, safety, love, belonging, and esteem) before they can move toward growth and achievement. Schools should help all students meet standards, stress rate of improvement, and report scores on school-climate measures. (MLH)

Eating disorders among teens and younger children have reached epidemic levels. The school's primary role in helping students who may have eating disorders is referring them to specialists. Schools can also help students learn good eating habits and designate a resource person to serve as a liaison with community medical and mental health…

Surveyed university personnel and undergraduate students using a newly constructed Retention Questionnaire designed to assess the relative levels of student and university responsibility for retention which they attribute to each other. Found that students and university personnel frequently differ in their perceptions of responsibility--and for…

Discusses the importance of schools working to reduce youth violence and creating safe environments for students. Examines the causes of juvenile crime and looks at the juvenile justice system, parental responsibility, and five areas of public school responsibility (parent participation programs, school security procedures, safe school programs,…

School officials should adopt no-tolerance policies that require educators' discretion in punishing misbehaving students (based on due process and fundamental fairness), rather than relying on the zero-tolerance approach, which fails to differentiate among different levels of offenses. Even disruptive students deserve due process and appropriate…

American kids are fat and getting fatter. In the late 1970s, about 7 percent of U.S. children between the ages of six and 11 were considered obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. The percentage now is more than 13 percent, even higher among teens and in certain demographic groups. The reasons why are no surprise. Children…

The Surgeon General, the Nation's top public health officer, is appointed by the President of the United States to help protect and promote the health of the Nation. The recently published "Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking" [ED496083] highlights underage alcohol use as a major public health and…

In this article, the authors use qualitative and quantitative research to identify the performance of social actors whose decisions impact students and teachers, elucidate a set of measurements for their performance, and offer both a theoretical and research justification for these measurements. The work challenges two faulty assumptions behind…

To determine the nature of law enforcement services provided on campuses in the context of the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, the U.S. Department of Justice surveyed four-year institutions of higher education in the United States with 2,500 or more students. This report presents data collected from nearly 600 campus law enforcement…

This article examines the legal and practical issues that school officials should consider in handling a case of child abuse allegedly committed by a school employee. It suggests ways in which school officials can work with other involved parties to best serve the child's needs without compromising the district's ability to meet its own legal…