Lawton, Stephen B. (1986). Public, Private and Separate Schools in Ontario: Developing a New Social Contract for Education?. The government of Ontario announced in 1984 that it would begin to fund Catholic high schools in 1985. Prior to this announcement, Ontario had operated since the 1800s under a system that provided for the public funding of a dual system of Protestant and Catholic public elementary schools and a single system of nondenominational secondary schools. Since the majority of Ontario's residents were non-Catholic, this arrangement developed into a system of essentially nondenominational public elementary and secondary schools supplemented by alternative public, Catholic elementary schools and a scattering of private schools of various types. This system of alternatives is now being extended into secondary education. The change raises a number of legal and constitutional questions, however. This paper reviews the historical factors behind the creation and development of Ontario's public school system, examines the constitutional issues raised in relation to Canada's Constitution Act of 1867… [PDF]

Jones, Jerome B. (1986). The Black Superintendent and Court-Supervised Desegregation. The court-ordered desegregation plan under which the St. Louis (Missouri) Public School District has operated since 1983 has had a mixed reception and has suffered from inadequate funding. The desegregation effort began with the filing in 1972 of a class action suit alleging that operation of the schools was unconstitutionally discriminatory. After several court battles at district and appeals court levels, three separate but related plans were developed and approved: the Intradistrict Plan mandated forced integration of all city schools; the Vocational Education Plan allowed voluntary transfer of students among the city's and county's vocational high schools; and the Settlement Plan provided for other voluntary interdistrict transfers, magnet school program expansion, systemwide educational improvement, and special programs to improve all-black schools. All the plans involved monitoring by citizens' committees. This paper discusses the events leading up to the court-ordered plan,…

Innocenti, Mark S.; And Others (1987). Helping Parents To Be Informed Advocates for Their Handicapped Children: Planning Materials for Four Meetings To Provide Information and Support. Preschool Transition Project. The manual provides parent educators with guidelines for conducting a series of four 1-hour meetings to help parents of preschool handicapped children fulfill their role as their child's advocate. At the first meeting, information on tests and testing and on the Individualized Education Program process is presented. In the second meeting, parents are informed of the legal rights to which children receiving special services are entitled. At the third meeting, other parents of older handicapped children speak providing a parent perspective of special education services. In the fourth meeting, school district special education administrators give parents specific information about the school district and answer parents' questions. The manual also contains general suggestions for the meetings (e.g. send parents reminder notes, serve refreshments, and develop a parent handbook) and appendixes which include forms used by the Preschool Transition Project in Utah, a list of regional… [PDF]

Irvin, Larry K.; Singer, George S. (1984). Informed Consent for Intrusive Behavioral Treatments: Behavioral Treatment and Review System. Informed consent is required from a child's parent or guardian before use of some types of behavior modification for severe behavior problems, such as tantrums, self-abuse, aggression, stealing, destruction of property, etc. Behavior modification procedures that produce physical or psychological discomfort or pain require informed consent because they intrude on the person's body or mind. Both a legal and a practical definition of informed consent are offered, along with examples of informed consent used in special education settings. A legally valid consent must meet the three criteria of being voluntary, knowledgeable, and intelligent. An informed consent document should be completed by parents/guardians to give legal permission for educators to carry out an intrusive treatment. The document should include a description of the problem behavior, previous treatments, proposed treatment, risks of proposed treatment, type of data collected and data collection methods, expected…

(1989). Relating to Each Other. A Questionnaire for Students. A survey designed to examine some aspects of the day-to-day campus environment (for both men and women) is presented. Many people on campus have become increasingly concerned with subtle and obvious forms of sex-based discrimination, and often men and women have very different experiences, even when they study in the same classroom. Questionnaire items are designed to gather information about students' perceptions and experiences concerning the other sex. The 13 questions (plus space for comments and ideas) are as follows: What is your sex? What is your class standing? What is your race/ethnicity? Do any of the following behaviors apply to your personal definition of sexual harassment? Have you experienced any of the listed behaviors that might occur between male and female students? Do you avoid any of the following places because student behaviors there make you feel uncomfortable? What has been your response to inappropriate behavior from other students? Have you experienced any…

Bradford, Virginia M. (1988). Confusion in Education: Teachers' Issues Regarding Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in the Classroom. A discussion is presented on the problems and conflicts that arise over the question of admitting children with Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) to the school classroom. Legal, educational, and ethical questions are involved, including the applicability of federal statutes regarding the handicapped, the right to confidentiality, public safety, and health education. These issues are addressed through an examination of the literature on education, bioethics, and law. While common law guarantees the right to an education, the state may impose certain restrictions to protect public health. However, federal statutes regarding the handicapped provide HIV-infected children with access to regular classrooms, and privacy and confidentiality are safeguarded by federal statute. Drawing from commentary from 1981 to the persent, a sound structural basis for curriculum development for education on HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is considered. This includes suggestions for… [PDF]

Thomas, Frances S., Ed. (1984). The State of Black Michigan: 1984. Each of the eight chapters of this report on life conditions of blacks living in Michigan addresses a different issue. The chapter titles (and their authors) are as follows: (1) "A Demographic Overview of Blacks in Michigan" (Maxie C. Jackson, Jr.); (2) "The Economic Status of Blacks in Michigan" (Karl D. Gregory); (3) "Unemployment, Employment, and Training in Michigan" (Richard W. Thomas); (4) "Black Political Participation in Michigan" (Wilbur C. Rich); (5) "Black Crime in Michigan" (Homer C. Hawkins); (6) "Black Youth in Michigan" (Algea Othella Harrison); (7) "The Media in Michigan" (Gilbert A. Maddox); and (8) "Summary and Conclusions: Racial Disparities Persist in Michigan" (Joe T. Darden). The concluding chapter, which analyzes general findings, asserts that the socioeconomic gap between blacks and whites in Michigan remains wide, and that true black progress will remain impossible to attain as…

Hollinger, Judith A., Ed. (1984). Legal Guide for Senior Citizens: Laws and Programs Affecting Kansas Senior Citizens. This booklet is intended to inform (not advise) older Kansans about eligibility requirements and benefits provided by state and federal programs. Financial assistance programs discussed are Social Security, railroad retirements, veterans' benefits, unrestricted general assistance, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, food stamps, Low Income Energy Assistance, and weatherization. Health care programs outlined include Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits, private insurance, Hill-Burton funds, and senior dental care. Housing information is provided about renting, public and private subsidized housing, homesharing, Continuing Care Retirement Community, extended family, nursing homes, alternatives to nursing home placement, and multi-purpose senior centers. Tax relief programs described are food sales tax refunds, homestead tax refunds, intangibles tax exemption, and federal tax benefits, credits, and refunds. Consumer topics addressed are deceptive and unconscionable practices,…

Hollinger, Judith A. (1984). Guia Legal para Ciudadanos Envejeciente: Leyes y Programas Afectando los Ciudadanos Envejeciente de Kansas. (Legal Guide for Senior Citizens: Laws and Programs Affecting Kansas Senior Citizens). This booklet, translated into Spanish, is intended to inform (not advise) older Kansans about eligibility requirements and benefits provided by state and federal programs. Financial assistance programs discussed are Social Security, railroad retirements, veterans' benefits, unrestricted general assistance, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, food stamps, Low Income Energy Assistance, and weatherization. Health care programs outlined include Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits, private insurance, Hill-Burton funds, and senior dental care. Housing information is provided about renting, public and private subsidized housing, homesharing, Continuing Care Retirement Community, extended family, nursing homes, alternatives to nursing home placement, and multi-purpose senior centers. Tax relief programs described are food sales tax refunds, homestead tax refunds, intangibles tax exemption, and federal tax benefits, credits, and refunds. Consumer topics addressed are deceptive and…

Schumack, Sharon, Ed. (1987). The Educational Rights of Homeless Children. NEWSNOTES, n38 Sep. This newsletter focuses on the educational rights of the homeless. It contains the following articles: (1) Homelessness: A Barrier to Education for Thousands of Children; (2) New Federal Act Protects Education Rights of Homeless Children; (3) Suggested Questions Regarding the Education Provisions of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act; and (4) Advocates in New York Challenge Denial of Education to Homeless Children. The extent of homelessness and its effect on children are discussed. Research has indicated that 43% of homeless children do not attend school, and that among the reasons are families' inability to meet residency requirements or to provide the schools with the necessary records, and lack of transportation. There are also indications that the homeless children are not made welcome in the schools. (PS)… [PDF]

(1977). The White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals: Volume II. Final Report. Part A. May 23-27, 1977. The three-part final report documents recommendations and resolutions and summarizes the work of more than 700 delegates to the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, May 23-27, 1977, in Washington, D.C. It is emphasized that the primary purpose of the conference was to give persons with mental and/or physical disabilities an opportunity to voice their concerns and vote on recommended solutions to problems. Part A outlines the history and process of the conference. Recommendations and resolutions are summarized under the following headings: health, educational, social, economic, special, and miscellaneous concerns. Open forums, caucuses, and seminars are described. Special interest sections address disabled nonwhites, disabled women, disabled veterans, disabled Hispanic individuals, information resources, coordination, long-term care, disability law, mental health, and epilepsy. An alternative conference report is presented. (DB)…

Johnson, T. Page, Ed. (1978). Administrative Control of Student Publications. A Legal Memorandum. This paper analyzes the present state of the law and offers some suggestions for school officials who seek to update their school regulations concerning student publications. It examines court cases in such areas as restrictions on the time, place, and manner in which students can distribute publications; prior restraint or censorship of materials; vagueness of regulations; and publications sponsored by the school and publications not sponsored by the school. The trend of federal court decisions has been to expand the applications of First Amendment freedoms to the publications of secondary school students, but whether this trend will continue depends at least in part on the willingness of school officials to seek out broader and more acceptable bases for resisting the directions taken by the courts where they believe that the courts are going too far. (Author/IRT)…

Brown, Frank (1978). The Burger Court and School Integration, 1978: The End of the Second Reconstruction Period, 1954-1974. The United States Supreme Court's attitude toward school integration is analyzed in this paper. The liberal rulings of the Court under Justice Earl Warren are traced through 1974. The Court's consideration during this racist period and the disproportionate impact of school board policies in producing segregated schooling is detailed. The reversal of these policies by the Court under Justice Warren Burger is discussed. It is asserted that the Burger Court has effectively limited court ordered school integration to the neighborhood concept. In addition, it is pointed out that the Burger Court is making it more difficult to bring suit in Federal court and to obtain legal council in cases relating to segregated schools. Strategies are suggested to counter the present negative attitudes of the Burger Court toward school integration. (Author/GC)…

(1980). European Regional Seminar on Implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation Concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education Relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Sofia, Bulgaria, 15-20 October 1979). Final Report. This document is the final report of the Unesco seminar on international understanding. The major purposes of the seminar were twofold: (1) to evaluate implementation of human rights and peace-related recommendations within Unesco member nations since 1974 and (2) to suggest how to develop and implement more effective human rights/international understanding approaches in the context of traditional and out-of-school education. The seminar was attended by 21 educational experts from 15 Unesco member nations and by 14 observers from Bulgaria. Presentation of status reports from the 15 nations represented at the seminar indicated that member states had been successful in implementing the 1974 recommendations in various ways, particularly in the areas of promoting the study of world issues and concentrating on helping young people think rationally about social and political issues. Suggestions for making education for international understanding and peace even more effective in the…

Taylor, J. Rodney (1976). To Search or Not to Search!. Constitutional guarantees, as provided by the Bill of Rights, are enjoyed by all citizens. This principle applies no less to students with respect to their college or university domicile. Case law on this subject suggests that three questions must be answered to determine the reasonableness of residence searching: (1) by whom the search is conducted; (2) the specific reasonable cause precipitating a search; and (3) the circumstances under which evidence of unlawful activity is found. Careful and thoughtful consideration of the basic principles of search and seizure can help in avoiding legal difficulties and infringement of student rights. (Author/KA)…

Weatherford, M. Stephen (1978). Popular Participation and Representation in the Urban Environment: The School Desegregation Issue in Los Angeles. Most scholarly literature on school desegregation treats opposition to busing as racist, reactionary, or as springing from deeper conditions of alienation or anomie. From this viewpoint, anti-busing demonstrations are episodic, unorganized and not founded on any thoroughgoing comprehension of the immediate policy issue. Busing is merely the triggering event which releases the individual's anger at social injustice. A case study of opposition to busing in Los Angeles (surveying its leadership, members, activities, and organizational characteristics) challenges this description. The account of the anti-busing movement which views it in terms of the collective mass behavior outbursts hypothesized by mass society theories is found to be inappropriate. The reasons individuals join and participate in anti-busing organizations appear to be quite different from the "symbolically racist" characteristics which correlate with verbal opposition to busing in public opinion surveys….

(1976). Women's Rights Handbook. California Department of Justice Information Pamphlet No. 9. This booklet was prepared as a general summary of women's rights in areas such as employment, education, credit, health care, and domestic relations. Other topics dealt with in terms of women's rights include child bearing; business establishments; public assistance; insurance; rape, other crimes, and law enforcement; housing; and childcare. Each of the subjects is presented in a chapter that begins with a short summary of the most important points of California law on the subject. A more detailed description of the laws and women's rights follows. In addition, major agencies that enforce the laws discussed, legal offices in the major counties of California, and various women's rights organizations are listed. (Author/EB)…

Hobbs, Nancy D. (1979). A Handbook for Parents of Handicapped Children. Second Edition. The handbook details the rights of parents and children according to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) and the California Master Plan for Special Education of 1977 (AB 1250). Under the heading "Rights and Responsibilities" are discussed such aspects as basic regulations according to P.L. 94-142, individuals with exceptional needs, the community advisory commmittee, parents' rights, children's rights, due process protection, the school appraisal team, school records, the concept of least restrictive environment, the educational assessment service, and private placement. Referral and due process procedures covered include fair hearing procedures, individual education programs (IEPs), step by step procedures for parents, and placement. A separate section is devoted to special help for parents and covers such topics as preparing for the IEP meeting, giving consent to the final IEP, following the child's program, and special pointers and answers…

PEYSER, MINNA P.; And Others (1963). SEMINAR ON SCHOOL CURRICULA FOR INSTRUCTION IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS. TO DETERMINE A COMPREHENSIVE AND CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE AS A BASIS FOR AN IMPROVED CURRICULUM IN STUDYING THE BILL OF RIGHTS, A SEMINAR OF LEADING SCHOLARS WAS CONVENED. PRIOR TO THE SEMINAR, POSITION PAPERS WERE SUBMITTED BY THE HISTORIANS, LAW PROFESSORS, AND EDUCATORS WHO PARTICIPATED. IN TRYING TO PROVIDE A MORE COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING FOR STUDENTS THE CONCEPTS OF LIBERTY, EQUALITY, AND JUSTICE PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT PRESENTATION BY CASE STUDY WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD AND THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE PRESENTED WITH VITAL AND CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE BILL OF RIGHTS. FURTHER SEMINARS WERE RECOMMENDED TO CONSIDER THE PRODUCTION OF TEXTUAL MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. (PM)…

(1980). Promoting Sex Equity in the Classroom. Module 2, Sex Equity Guidelines. Revised, 1980. This second in a series of twelve modules presents sex equity guidelines for use in evaluating vocational and technical education print and non-print instructional media. The guidelines are separated into three categories: art, language, and content. The specific guidelines included within each category are illustrated using examples from various vocational education disciplines. A companion sex equity guidelines check sheet is designed to facilitate media evaluation. (LRA)…

Froning, Mary L. (1976). Employment Opportunity in the Schools; Job Patterns of Minorities and Women in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1974. Research Report No. 51. This report summarizes, through narrative and statistical tables, data collected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in its 1974 elementary and secondary staff information survey. Statistics from approximately 6,900 school systems responding to the survey were the basis for the national employment estimates in this report. Statistical tables summarize various levels of the data for the nation and for 49 of the 50 states. Because of the different race/ethnic make-up of its population, school systems in the state of Hawaii were surveyed in a unique way, and the results are incompatible with the data in this volume. Also excluded are data for the District of Columbia, which has only one school system; because of Title VII prohibitions against disclosure of information submitted to EEOC for individual employers, that data cannot be shown separately. The statistics in this report are designed to highlight various aspects of the employment status of persons by six…

Burd, Gene (1977). Aged and Handicapped Seek Human Quality and Public Service in Media: Mass Communications Patterns of the New Minorities. A similarity exists in the way minority groups in the sixties and in the seventies used media coverage to achieve recognition. The poor and the blacks in the 1960s and the aged and the handicapped in the 1970s turned to the media as they sought freedom to move, rejected separation and isolation, and sought access and independence by breaking the barriers of accommodations and architecture. The results of a year-long sampling of stories in major big-city daily newspapers point out that the new minorities of the aged and the handicapped are accumulating media coverage in the areas of community development, economics, human and group relations, power and resources, and environment and ecology. Minority stereotypes are being rejected in books and on television, and a new position of respect for the aged and the handicapped is being promoted by politicians. In the future, other fragmented minorities, particularly those with physical limitations, will also insist that their needs be… [PDF]

Wright, Helen M. (1979). The Rights of Women in Church and Society. The document examines the rights of women in the church and in society, with emphasis on attitudes of the American Catholic Church. Christian educators should acknowledge the issue as a reality in today's world, and examine it with the following question in mind; "What is God's call for women at this moment in the history of the American Church and American society?" Historically, the Church and society were in opposing camps. Women were criticized by the clergy for speaking publicly on abolition and suffrage. Before and during World War I, militarization made the women's movements difficult, as many of the women were pacifists. Catholic women did not identify with the pacifist stance, reflecting Church attitudes of the time. The founding of the United Nations in 1946 saw women's rights become a global issue with increased gains in political rights by law. By the 1960s, women discovered that equal rights by law did not insure equality in fact. Factors still needing…

Frank, Steven (1974). After "DeFunis": Affirmative Action and the Jewish Community. Analysis, No. 46. The problems raised by the development of affirmative action and by the Jewish community's response to the complex social and legal issue are analyzed. The analysis focuses upon: initiation of affirmative action by presidential decree and its interpretation and implementation by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in the areas of college admission and hiring; the response of various segments of the Jewish community toward affirmative action's questionable turn toward preferential treatment and quotas, including the form of the response, its effectiveness, and what it reveals about being Jewish in America today; and the future of affirmative action and the role group interests should play in society. The analysis also attempts to draw attention to current circumstances that seem to provide an unusual opportunity for constructive action in the near future. Although the major Jewish organizations were firm backers of affirmative action in its neutral non-discrimination…

Hart, Elinor (1976). Desegregation Without Turmoil; The Role of the Multi-Racial Community Coalition in Preparing for Smooth Transition. This report of a conference on \Desegration without Turmoil\ describes the community organization and public information efforts that preceded the implementation of government ordered school integration in cities where this transition was accomplished peacefully. It is the position of the participants in the conference that peaceful desegration in such communities, e.g., Detroit, Memphis, and Prince George's County, Maryland, could be directly attributed to these efforts. In cities where there was turmoil, the report maintains, the communities themselves were at fault, failing to adequately prepare the parents and children for the desegration process. The first part of this report describes the forming of coalitions, the participation of various community sectors, and the activities undertaken to facilitate peaceful integration. The second part of the report consists of the conference program schedule, texts of conference speeches by Ben Holman and George Meany, and an extensive…

Friendly, Fred W. (1975). The Good Guys, the Bad Guys and the First Amendment: Free Speech vs. Fairness in Broadcasting. This book, an account of the "Red Lion" Supreme Court case and similar cases that arose after that decision, discusses the implications and problems inherent in enforcing the Federal Communications Commission's "Fairness Doctrine." After a detailed chronicle of the Red Lion case, the book relates applications of the Fairness Doctrine to commercial announcements, presidential use of television, and network distortion of the news. The book emphasizes that, in many of the cases and issues, it is difficult "to tell the good guys from the bad guys." (RL)…

Nyka, James J. (1976). Censorship of Illinois High School Newspapers. Following an historical review of court decisions regarding students' rights, this paper discusses the 1969 Tinker case in which high school students' rights of free expression were established for the first time, examines the 1974 Kennedy Commission findings that the First Amendment rights of high school journalists were being ignored in most areas of the country, and cites published doubts regarding the accuracy of the Commission's findings. The paper then reports on a survey in which newpaper advisers or principals at 123 Illinois high schools (72% response rate) gave opinions on such issues as the rights of high school journalists, prior review of controversial material by school administrators, maturity of student journalists, distribution of controversial material, the need of school newspapers for guidance from administrators, and the role of adviser. The paper concludes that, on the basis of the survey results and a review of related literature, high school students still…

Epstein, Cynthia Fuchs (1975). Reflections on the Women's Movement: An Assessment of Change and Its Limits. Recent changes in the social and economic roles of women are examined. These changes affect the lives of the largest single group in the United States and have resulted from a movement aimed not only at increased access to society's resources and power, but also at a redefinition of the identity of American women. Topics reviewed include women in the labor force, entry into male-dominated occupations and professions, competence and criteria, consequences of women's movement on professional and occupational practice, apprenticeship, minority women, women and education, women and money, women and politics, changes in the family structure, fertility, changing living arrangements, pressures on the family, and child care. The emphasis of this report is on economic changes because it is an important area in defining women's equality. Access to occupational opportunities has given women significant leverage in politics, as well as in the home. Their attitudes toward work have stimulated… [PDF]

(1975). The Equal Employment Opportunity Program for Federal Nonconstruction Contractors Can Be Improved. A Report Prepared for the Use of the Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy of the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, Ninety-Fourth Congress, First Session. The report reviews the effectiveness of management of the Federal contract compliance program in the nonconstruction industry. The following areas were evaluated: (1) Department of Labor guidance to and control over the 13 other Federal agencies assigned compliance review responsibility for nonconstruction contractors, (2) compliance agencies' efforts in implementing the Department guidelines for conducting compliance reviews and complaint investigations, (3) application of enforcement measures available to the compliance agencies, and (4) coordination of compliance review and complaint investigation activities between the Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Several areas that need improvement in the Department's administration of the program and weaknesses found in the compliance agencies' implementation of the nonconstruction program are discussed. The problems of coordination between the Department, the compliance agencies, and EEOC were due to lack… [PDF]

Connors, Mary M. (1975). Prejudicial Publicity: An Assessment. Journalism Monographs No. 41. Findings from the behavioral sciences suggest that prejudicial publicity can in some cases influence the outcome of a trial. Studies directed at the jury trial situation yield amibiguous results but provide some evidence that potential jurors can be prejudiced by pretrial publicity. However, the question "Does pretrial publicity bias the verdict?" has only begun to be addressed. In the jury situation, in order to influence the verdict, prejudicial information must survive a series of steps in the trial process: from the initial call as a juror, when the individual's role changes from that of private citizen to that of impartial observer, through diliberation and decision. Each step in the proceeding should make bias less likely to survive. The likelihood that prejudicial information will survive the trial and deliberation process is unknown, although evidence now exists to indicate that it can survive both. (RB)… [PDF]