Legal points school officials must consider before conducting student searches are reviewed. Some courts have viewed school personnel as agents of the state, subject to all Fourth Amendment limitations. Most, however, have tended to support the doctrine of in loco parentis, permitting some searches on grounds of less than probable cause. (PP)

A 1994 national survey of deans of 91 accredited social work education programs investigated policies and procedures related to granting advanced standing to social work master's degree students who completed social work foundation courses during undergraduate study. Most have policies and procedures related to advanced standing, but they vary…

Offers an overview of the school-based decision-making councils in the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 and takes a brief look at a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the authority of councils. (MLF)

Discusses the legal issues involved in setting content or performance standards. Recommends establishing clearly documented procedures that adhere to professional recommendations and are administrated fairly. Addresses such issues as parental rights, assessment security, nondisclosure agreements, and specific alternative assessment techniques for…

Describes a study comparing English course-level placement based on writing samples and standardized placement scores, as well as two different methods of grading writing samples. Results support the use of writing samples to supplement standardized placement scores as well as the use of a group holistic method of grading writing samples. Includes…

At Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, sexual harassment policy includes comprehensive education for administrators, faculty, and other staff, and communication of policy through school publications. As a result, more communication has occurred, harassment behaviors are less severe, complaints are handled earlier and at a lower…

A study investigated the appropriateness of colleges awarding student aid based on student recruitment objectives as contrasted with traditional need analysis. Subjects were 1,658 prospective students who applied for financial aid at a mid-sized comprehensive university. Results indicate that traditional aid policies are effective in attracting…

A set of general policies or ground rules is desirable for colleges and universities planning to participate in both basic and more complex data exchanges with other institutions. Participation in data exchange is enhanced by well-defined and comparable institutional memberships, clear organizational objectives and data, high-quality and timely…

Surveyed 744 administrators and faculty at 248 colleges and universities concerning how faculty influence financial and policy decisions, how faculty satisfaction with the decisions correlates with faculty influence, how these decisions are made, and how authority and influence shift during a financial downturn. Results suggest faculty influence…

A report on a study that employs data from 490 surveys to discern education majors' attitudes about diversity. The findings suggest that most students are unaware of university diversity initiatives and support the idea for targeted recruitment of faculty and students of color. (Contains 4 tables and 36 references.) (AUTHOR)

The methodology associated with the California Study of Elementary Mathematics is examined. The article includes an overview of state policy and a description of participants and data collection procedures at the state, school district, school, and classroom levels, including methods used to collect data for development of case studies. (TJH)

Analysis of records of 194 students with severe disabilities (105 extended school year [ESY] and 89 students ineligible for ESY) found that ESY students were younger and had more medically diagnosed health impairments. Provided are a literature review and an eligibility checklist for use in making ESY decisions more explicit. (JDD)

Analysis of a survey of 234 early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers in Virginia found that ECSE staff conducted gastrostomy feedings and/or catheterizations, that nurses provided care for tracheostomies and mechanical ventilation, and that 38% of school systems (mostly urban and suburban) had written policies concerning preschoolers with…

Asserts that school violence is a major educational problem and reflects the increased violence in society. Examines responses by administrators and boards of education to school violence. Categorizes school policies regarding violence into deterrence, prevention, and treatment and discusses their effectiveness. (CFR)

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is working towards obtaining accreditation for a two-year Associate of Science Degree in Electronics Engineering. SIPI is a tuition-free vocational-technical training institution, designated in 1993 as a community college. Since 1991 the institute has enforced a…