The article introduces three papers on providing special education for handicapped children in private schools. The author reviews issues addressed in the three papers, including policy, relationships between private schools and state education agencies, and administrative problems. (CL)

Describes the procedure used by the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Public Schools to deal with censorship problems. (JL)

Explains the legal issues involved in plagiarism and suggests strategies to deal with and prevent it. (JL)

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, school system has instituted a program to improve attendance based on a year-long Danforth Foundation study of national attendance improvement measures. (JM)

The issue of bilingualism and French language instruction in Canadian schools is briefly examined with emphasis on pragmatic and practical solutions. The teaching of French as a second language is the duty of the school system. (JMF)

Responses from 168 of 267 university administrators surveyed indicated that 93% used e-mail daily; it was their preferred means of sending and receiving routine communications; 71% did not have formal e-mail usage policies; having a policy and providing e-mail usage training were correlated; they did not use e-mail for confidential, sensitive,…

National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluates all allegations of conflict of interest made in connection with NSF activities. This article identifies factors institutions may consider in developing a conflict of interest policy by discussing NSF's requirements, while highlighting these issues with case examples. A…

Briefly describes six principles from Education Commission of the States' Leadership for Literacy initiative designed to help make the teaching of reading more effective and efficient. Includes discussion of scientific evidence, standards, assessment systems, data management, professional knowledge, and alignment. (PKP)

Recent events in Florida, California, and other states suggest that school equipment purchasing is fraught with scandal and risk. This article recommends putting district policies in writing, carefully selecting bidders, timing bids to avoid peak periods, and resisting personalized incentives. Sidebars detail model purchasing guidelines and…

Discusses whether action research has more potential in solving school policy problems than formal research. Determined that both types can and should be used in the educational decision-making process. (JOW)

Open-campus policies can devastate school lunch programs. Some school systems compete with fast-food outlets by offering similar menus; others hire private contractors to construct mall-like food courts. Several Colorado and California school districts have devised innovative programs to halt lunchtime flight without sacrificing nutrition. A…

Dissatisfied with their school's attendance rate, an Iowa high school formed a committee to explore the problem and draft a strong, well-defined policy to communicate expectations. The committee also worked with the school community and parents to change students' attitudes toward school attendance. (MLH)

Concerned about discrepancies in amount and kind of homework assigned, a Tennessee school district developed some guidelines governing number of homework nights, assignment length, and grading practices. Because it is virtually impossible to require every teacher to carry out identical homework practices, school policies should remain general and…

As the Internet proliferates, it drastically increases an institution's level of data insecurity. Hacker attacks can result in denial of service, data corruption or erasure, and passive theft (via spoofing, splicing, or session stealing). To ensure data security, a firewall (screening software program) and a security policy should be implemented.…

Reports on conflicts between student religious groups and college nondiscrimination policies concerning homosexuality. Incidents involved the student Christian Fellowship chapters at Tufts University (Massachusetts) and Middlebury College (Vermont). Conflict focuses on freedom of religion versus the institution's right to withhold funding from…