Education Law Commons^™

Act 35, New School Performance Ratings, And School Choice, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Act 35 was a product of the Lakeview v Huckabee case and the related Extraordinary Legislative Session. The law § 6-15-2101 of the Arkansas code required the establishment of three school ratings: a rating of the school’s current academic performance (or status), a rating of the school’s academic improvement (see the OEP policy brief on the new improvement rating) 1 , and a rating based on the school’s fiscal practices. The first set of improvement scores were reported based on the standardized tests administered in spring of 2007 and 2008. The first ratings based on current academic performance are to …

The Case For Extended School Time In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

There is growing discussion over the topic of extended learning opportunities throughout the state. For example, this past fall at the OEP conference in November, Arkansas Associctaion of Educational Administrators Director Richard Abernathy stated that additional instructional time may be needed in order to fulfill all the curricular requirements for schools. Citing the need for additional enrichment opportunities, a bill is making its way through the Arkansas Legislature to provide funding for after school and summer school programs. Additionally, and potentially of more consequence, is a bill sponsored by Senator David Johnson (D) of Little Rock to expand learning time …

The Ethical Dilemma Of A Special Education Lawyer: Who Is The Client?, Jillian Petrera

Pace Law Review

No abstract provided.

Facebook Fatalities: Students, Social Networking, And The First Amendment, Thomas Wheeler

Pace Law Review

No abstract provided.

Big Changes In How Students Are Tested, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

For the past decade, school accountability has relied on tests for which the essential format has remained unchanged. Educators are familiar with the yearly testing routine: schools are given curriculum frameworks, teachers use the frameworks to guide instruction, students take one big test at year’s end which relies heavily upon multiple-choice bubble items, and then school leaders wait anxiously to find out whether enough of their students scored at or above proficiency to meet state standards. All this will change with the adoption of Common Core standards. Testing and accountability aren’t going away. Instead, they are developing and expanding in …

Rights, Religion, Regard, Contact: The Common School Ideal, A Nurturing, Safe And Effective Educational Environment For All Students, Scott Ellis Ferrin

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Educational Justice And The Recognition Of Marriage, Scott Fitzgibbon

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Recognition Of Same-Sex Marriage And Public Schools: Implications, Challenges, And Opportunities, Allison Fetter-Harrott

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Helping Students Who Can't Help Themselves: Special Education And The Deliberate Indifference Standard For Title Ix Peer Sexual Harassment, Annette Thacker

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Same-Sex Marriage And The Schools: Potential Impact On Children Via Sexuality Education, A. Dean Byrd

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Respect For Me But Not For Thee: Reflections On The Impact Of Same-Sex Marriage On Education, Charles J. Russo

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Parents, Religious Convictions, And Public School Curricula, Mark Strasser

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impacts On Education Of Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage And Lessons From Abortion Jurisprudence, Lynn D. Wardle

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

One of the most contentious issues to arise in public policy debates concerning the legalization of same-sex marriage is whether legalizing same-sex marriage has a significant detrimental impact on education, particularly public education. However, legal scholarly and professional consideration of this issue is scarce and one sided. This article reviews the evidence that legalizing same-sex marriage has had a serious, profoundly controversial, and arguably detrimental impact on public education. It then explains why legalization of same-sex marriage must have some impact on educational curriculum. When the meaning of marriage changes it must be reflected in the curriculum that covers that …

Same-Sex Marriage And The Public School Curriculum: Can Parents Opt Their Children Out Of Curricular Discussions About Sexual Orientation And Same-Sex Marriage?, Kevin Rogers, Richard Fossey

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Underneath The Radar: The Impact Of Same-Sex Sexuality And Secularism On Education In South Africa, Marius H. Smit

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Teacher Facebook Speech: Protected Or Not?, Rachel A. Miller

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

New Jersey V. T.L.O.: School Searches And The Applicability Of The Exclusionary Rule In Juvenile Delinquency And Criminal Proceedings, Bryan Stoddard

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Heart Of The Constitutional Enterprise: Affirming Equality And Freedom In Public Education, William E. Thro

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Examining Context In The Conflict Over Same-Sex Marriage And Education: The Relevance Of Substance, Process And The People Involved, Richard Peterson

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Same-Sex Marriage And Education: Implications For Schools, Students, And Parents, E. Vance Randall

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Same-Sex Marriage, Education, And Parental Rights, Richard S. Myers

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Stripped Of Meaning: The Supreme Court And The Government As Educator, Justin R. Chapa

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Forgotten Students: The Implications Of Federal Homeless Education Policy For Children In Hawaii, Clifton S. Tanabe, Ian Hippensteele Mobley

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

School Response To Cyberbullying And Sexting: The Legal Challenges, Nancy Willard

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Contracts, Control And Charter Schools: The Success Of Charter Schools Depends On Stronger Nonprofit Board Oversight To Preserve Independence And Prevent Domination By For-Profit Management Companies, Julia L. Davis

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Psychology And Law In The Classroom: How The Use Of Clinical Fads In The Classroom May Awaken The Educational Malpractice Claim, Brian J. Gorman, Catherine J. Wynne, Christopher J. Morse, James T. Todd

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Bullying In Public Schools: The Intersection Between The Student's Free Speech Rights And The School's Duty To Protect, Elizabeth M. Jaffe, Robert J. D'Agostino

Mercer Law Review

The 2009 case of eleven-year-old Jaheem Herrera's suicide in Georgia, which resulted after alleged repeated verbal bullying by his classmates, presents an interesting question regarding whether public schools must take action to prevent this type of behavior even if it does not disrupt the classroom. The issue to be addressed is not what speech schools can censor but whether schools must censor or prevent certain speech that has a harmful effect on the educational environment for a specific student or a specifically identifiable group of students.

If a public school student has a civil or liberty right to his education,' …

The Value Of Value-Added Measures, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The concept of value-added measures of teacher or school effectiveness is prompting a great deal of discussion in K-12 Education policy circles. This debate reached a boiling point last year when the Los Angeles Times published a database of the value-added scores for all teachers in the nation's second largest school district. Proponents argue value-added measures provide important information on school and teacher effectiveness. Opponents argue value-added measures are imprecise instruments which measure student background instead of teacher or school quality. The purpose of this policy brief is to provide the reader with a general understanding of the concept of …

Quality Counts 2011, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

On January 11, Education Week released its 15 th annual Quality Counts report. Since 1997, Education Week has been releasing yearly report cards for each state and the nation as a whole. These report cards attempt to measure educational progress and success in several areas as well as assign an overall letter grade to each state. Some of the grades assigned in the report cards measure the strength of states’ policies, while others measure educational inputs (school funding, job markets) or outputs (K-12 achievement)

Tango Or More - From California's Lesson 9 To The Constitutionality Of A Gay-Friendly Curriculum In Public Elementary Schools, Amy Lai

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

In August 2009, a group of parents in California filed a lawsuit, Balde v. Alameda Unified School District, in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. They alleged that the Alameda Unified School District refused them the right to excuse their children from a new curriculum, Lesson 9, that would teach public elementary school children about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) families. The proposed curriculum included short sessions about GLBT people, incorporated into more general lessons about family and health, once a year from kindergarten through fifth grade. Kindergarteners would learn the harms of teasing, while fifth graders …