Article based on an address at the Department of Elementary School Principals (NEA) Annual Meeting, Las, Vegas, Nevada.

Four institutional/school value conflicts or dilemmas which educators face in confronting the dropout problem in high schools are analyzed: (1) public accountability vs. professional autonomy; (2) subjective vs. objective authority structure; (3) extended vs. specialized educational responsibility; and (4) diverse vs. common student work and…

Sexual harassment in higher education is difficult to isolate, define, and prosecute because of academic freedom, lack of firm guidelines and policies, and the sensitivity of the student-mentor relationship. In the wake of suits and legislation, universities and colleges have begun to establish policies and procedures to prevent and monitor sexual…

National data from the 1976 Safe School Study identified the most important determinants of secondary school student suspension to be: (1) students' attitudes and behavior; (2) teacher attitudes; (3) administrative policy on discipline; (4) quality of school governance; and (5) academic and racial bias in schools. (MJL)

Discusses the variables related to punishment and describes alternative forms of discipline. Suggests the need for parent education programs to teach positive strategies for discipline problems in the school and home. (JAC)

Student misbehavior problems in the classroom today cover a wide spectrum. Ways to deal with and help hostile-aggressive, passive-aggressive, and withdrawn failure-image students are described. A case study of a teacher's dealing with a hostile student is presented. (CJ)

Discusses the negative aspects of suspension from school, especially its disproportionate impact on non-White students, and surveys some of the most commonly employed alternatives to suspension. (ST)

The report of this New Jersey state task force is part of a proposed legislative package. This article cites some of the task force recommendations for restructuring the juvenile court system, dealing with violence and vandalism in the schools, and providing alternative schools for disruptive students. (SJL)

Recent court cases are cited that indicate courts are now beginning to require that students be informed of academic (including clinical) deficiencies and be provided the opportunity to correct the problem. When the dismissal is for disciplinary rather than academic reasons, more procedural due process is required. (Author/MLW)

Reports on a large-scale study which found that sixty percent of students are labeled as "behavior problems" by their teachers at least once during their elementary school careers. Discusses the questions this raises about teacher judgments, school behavior standards, and the impact on student self-concept. (SJL)

Procedures suggested here represent attempts to deal with potential problems of classroom control by making teacher expectations clear, by developing strategies in advance to deal with potential trouble spots during the class hour, and by reacting quickly to subtle changes in students' behavior. (Author)

The use of a traveling instructional team to provide local inservice workshops to assist New Jersey vocational teachers and administrators in reducing and dealing with discipline problems is described and the effectiveness of the training seminars evaluated. (TA)