Based on the landmark "Gebser" Supreme Court decision, school officials may be held accountable when they are aware of alleged sexual misconduct involving a teacher and a student but fail to initiate corrective measures. Although districts have some latitude, they must follow guidelines and construct clear, enforceable policies. (MLH)

Supreme Court decisions to date underscore school boards' responsibility to take action against on-campus sexual harassment. The high court will support employers who issue, communicate, and enforce policies prohibiting unlawful gender discrimination. Such policies need a clear "no tolerance" statement, detailed legal definitions, and a…

Numerous studies have reported the deteriorating conditions in school buildings. One of the primary causes of this national problem is lack of proper maintenance of school facilities. Outlines a comprehensive assessment and planning process to provide a district with a road map for making decisions about facility improvement. (MLF)

Peak Learning System's relationship-centered teaching framework focuses on fulfilling students' fundamental emotional needs to ensure learning willingness. Students are motivated when they believe that teachers treat them like people and care about them personally and educationally. The learning ambience must be safe, of value, successful,…

An ASBO member and chair of New York's School Emergency Response to Violent Events (SERVE) explains how this program tackles violence and teen suicide. SERVE teaches the basic principles of hostage situations, uses a confidential reporting system, and advocates safety audits and risk-reduction strategies. (MLH)

An investigation into guidance and support offered schools by 17 (British) local education authorities found considerable variations. Every school should have a senior management team member responsible for critical incident planning. Schools need guidance in preventing and handling floods, fires, structural damage, and violent incidents. (21…

Discusses S.R. Ranganathan's five laws (books are for use, every book its reader, every reader his or her book, save the time of the reader, the library is a growing organism) and updates them (libraries serve humanity, respect all forms of knowledge, use technology intelligently to enhance service, protect free access to knowledge, honor the past…

Discusses the professional standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Explains the necessity of periodic revision of the guidelines and the benefits of doing so. Outlines the essential elements of NAEYC guidelines: child development and learning; curriculum development and implementation;…

Provides a checklist to guide decisions of college planners about whether a university should adapt a historic house for campus use. Covers issues of functionality, aesthetics, budget, and typical preservation issues. Includes case studies at New York University, Yale University (Connecticut), and Wesleyan University (Connecticut). (DB)

Owners of public building projects are increasingly turning to Interdisciplinary Coordination and Constructibility Reviews prior to going out to bid. The ICCR is a methodical quality-assurance process designed to make building projects more cost effective, constructible, and of better quality. This article describes the Preconstruction ICCR…

The 12 biggest pitfalls in technology administration are school officials' failure to plan, structure a decision-making process, define roles and responsibilities, understand technical requirements, acquire and maintain technology systems properly, provide adequate staff, consider alternative service delivery options, manage projects effectively,…

Discusses ways to apply traditional search strategies to online information seeking. Highlights include explore and browse search features; hierarchical features (knowledge/topic/subject trees, categories, distribution lists); analytical search features; and the process approach. (AEF)

To integrate the library fully into the educational life of an elementary school, the following design principles are offered: (1) locate the library centrally within the school; (2) provide separate areas for different functions; (3) design the entire space so that it can be observed by one adult; and (4) incorporate computers seamlessly into the…

Proposes preliminary guidelines applicable to the creation of hypermedia-based learning environments that draw on insights gained from research in a number of fields. The framework encompasses (1) the importance of modern pedagogy in shaping instructional design, (2) cognitive and instructional design factors that may facilitate development of…

This article provides information and guidelines for the effective use of medication in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Basic principles of psychopharmacology, different types of medications that have been used successfully to treat ADHD, and best practices for assessing the effects of medication in children with ADHD are…