EDAD 5050
EDUCATION
LAW
Course
Description
Educators must know the laws that govern the operation and
conduct of their organizations as they face a highly litigious society. EDAD
505 is a study of the relevant legal principles that affect the operation, organization,
and administration of American schools. In EDAD 505, practicing teachers,
prospective teachers, as well as practicing and prospective administrators will
gain knowledge about legal issues that will help them in effectively performing
their professional duties within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory,
and case law.
Course
Objectives
Student
Outcomes
Prerequisites
Admission to the student's home institution's graduate school
and acceptance into the Tennessee Board of Regents' Online Degree Program.
Course
Topics
It is expected that students complete the eight modules in
sequence. Please see the attached Appendix for a detailed description of course
topics in each module.
MODULE 1: Forms of
Law - Topics include: sources of law
and the American judicial system
MODULE 2: Schools
and the State - Topics include: compulsory attendance; religion in the
schools; use of facilities; aid to nonpublic schools; school fees; and health
services
MODULE 3: Students
and the Law - Topics include: freedom of expression; Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment); suspension,
expulsion, and disciplinary transfer; corporal punishment; search of students
and lockers; dress, grooming, and uniforms; pregnancy, parenthood, and
marriage; participation in extracurricular activities; and school punishment
for out-of-school offenses
MODULE 4: Teachers
and the Law - Topics include:
nonrenewal and dismissal; freedom of expression; academic freedom; drug
testing; personal appearance; teacher as exemplar; employment discrimination;
teacher bargaining; and political activities
MODULE 5: School Desegregation - Topics include:
historical perspective; early desegregation in the South; desegregation in the
non-South; and current desegregation issues
MODULE 6: Individuals
with Disabilities and the Law - Topics include: The Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act; The Rehabilitation Act - Section 504; and The
Americans with Disabilities Act
module 7: School Finance and School Choice Issues - Topics include:
school finance reform; and choice issues such as voucher plans, charter schools
and tuition tax credits
Module 8: Educator and School District
Liability - Topics include: school district immunity; educator
liability; and duties of supervision
Required
Textbook
Hardware
Requirements
The following is a list
of the basic minimum requirements for the course.
PC
users.
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A
minimum computer system that will help you access all the tools in the
courses is a Pentium 166 or better |
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64
Megabytes of RAM or better |
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Windows
98 (or higher if possible) |
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A modem
(56k minimum; Cable or DSL will give you best performance) |
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And a
dependable internet service provider (ISP). Any provider will do as long as
you get an email account, have access to the World Wide Web, and don't have
serious problems connecting. |
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For a
list of ISPs in your area see www.thelist.com |
For Mac
users.
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Minimum
system requirements for Mac users are a 604 PowerPC processor Preferably a G3
(iMac are included) or G4 processor computer running Mac OS 9.x or
above |
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Your
Macintosh should have a minimum or 64 MB RAM, preferably 128 with at least 25
MB assigned to your browser. If you need assistance in adjusting memory
please refer to your Apple Help file searching under the header Memory -
Adjusting your memory usage. It is advised that you not have multiple
applications open while working in your browser within the Online Degree
Program. This requires more RAM and will cause the browser to run very
slowly. |
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A modem
(56k minimum; Cable or DSL will give you best performance) |
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And a
dependable internet service provider (ISP). Any provider will do as long as
you get an email account, have access to the World Wide Web, and don't have
serious problems connecting or maintaining a connection. For a list of ISPs
in your area see The List |
Remember!
The above specifications are minimal, and you'll get by with them, but more
sophisticated systems are better.
Browser
Recommendations
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Software
Requirements
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Microsoft Word is the software program that must be used
for all for papers and assignments. This program offers the greatest common
denominator in terms of sending documents across different platforms. Research NavigatorTM is provided at no charge
to students who purchase a new textbook. It takes the student step-by-step
through the research process. It provides the student access to some of the
most respected databases available and shows the students sample research
papers and guidelines on how to prepare endnotes and bibliographies. |
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Testing
Procedures
The two quizzes will be timed. The details on the quizzes
will be provided during the first week of class.
Students will have one week to complete the final exam..
The final exam items require essay responses. Students are expected to write a
five-paragraph essay for each item. Check the website for help in developing
the essay. The exam will be scored using a rubric that evaluates the quality of
detail in the response, correctness and completeness of the response, and the
students' use of grammar and style.
Grading
Procedure
The final
grade will be calculated using the following procedure:
Assignment Point Value
Participation/Discussion board activities
·
Leading
a discussion board activity 10%
·
Participating
in other students' discussion board
activity 10%
Assignment 1: Introductory activity 5%
Assignment 2:Written in-basket activities 10%
Assignment 3: Written briefs of eight seminal
cases 10%
Assignment 4: Research paper 15%
Assignment 5: Attorney interview (field
experience) 10%
Quiz 1 - over Module 1 and 2 5%
Quiz 2 - over Modules 3 - 5
5%
Final
exam 20%
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS 100%
Grading
Scale
A |
90-100 points |
Excellent:
work of exceptional quality which indicates the highest level of attainment
in the course |
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B |
80-89 points |
Good: work is
above average, which indicates a high level of achievement |
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C |
70-79 points |
Work of average quality
representing substantial fulfillment of the course's minimum essentials |
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D F |
60-69 points 59 points and below |
Poor: represents passing work
but below the standards of quality Failure:
represents unacceptable performance in the course |
Assignments
and Participation
Participation
in Leading a Discussion Board Activity and Postings on the Discussion Board
Each student is required to respond to discussion
questions at least twice weekly, and post at least one discussion
question per month using the in-basket activities at the end of each chapter. A
roster of when each student is to post a question to lead an online discussion will
be developed. Leading a discussion on
the Discussion Board accounts for 10% of the final grade and postings on the
discussion board account for 10% of the final grade.
Assignment
1: Setting the stage for School Law
For the initial stage of the course, students should
familiarize themselves with: how to navigate WebCT; the syllabus and other
navigation tools that are specific to this course; and the course requirements
For this assignment, each student is to submit a one page biographical sketch. The
purpose of this activity is for students to introduce themselves. The
biographical sketch should include but is not limited to your professional
experience, your expectations from this course, your level of expertise with
WebCT, and any other information that you want to share. This assignment accounts for 5% of the final grade.
ASSIGNMENT 2: In-basket Exercises
At the end of each chapter in the text, in-basket exercises
are provided that are short, hypothetical cases with discussion questions.
Students are asked to apply their knowledge of school law in each situation to
resolve the legal issues involved. The assignments should be submitted through
WebCT site according to the posted schedule. The in-basket exercises account for 10% of the final grade.
ASSIGNMENT 3: BRIEFS
OF SEMINAL CASES
Each student will be assigned specific briefs for eight
cases from Modules 2 through 8. The cases will be selected by the professor to
complement each module. After the briefs have been reviewed by the professor,
they will be posted on the WebCT site for other class members to read. Assignment 3 accounts for 10% of the final
grade. The briefs should be no more than five double-spaced pages in length
and should include the following 10 items:
The cases listed
below are the leading cases in educational law that students will be assigned to
read and develop briefs.
Compulsory
Attendance
Religion
in the Schools
Use of
Facilities
School
Fees
Health
Services
Freedom
of Expression
Suspension,
Expulsion, and Disciplinary Transfer
Corporal
Punishment
Search of
Students and Lockers
Participation
in Extracurricular Activities
Nonrenewal
and Dismissal
Freedom
of Expression
Academic
Freedom
§
Fowler v. Board of Education of
§
Wilson v. Chancellor, See website
Personal
Appearance
Teacher
as Exemplar
Employment
Discrimination
§
§
Eckmann v. Board of Education of
Teacher
Bargaining
Assignment
4: Research Paper on a Topic Related to School Law
Students
are to select a topic on school law, research the topic, and write a six-page,
double-spaced paper. Topics for the paper may be selected from the following
list:
Assignment
5: Interview an Attorney for the School Board
in Your Community or for the Local School System
Develop a set of 20 questions to use in an interview with
an attorney in your community that handles education law. This individual may
work for the department of education, the local school board, or local school
system. Write a report of the interview and be sure to write the questions and
the answers. Add a section at the end of the report with your reflections on
this activity. The report on the
interview with the attorney accounts for 10% of the final grade.
Quizzes
and Final Exam
The two quizzes will be timed. The details on the quizzes
will be provided during the first week of class. Each quiz represents 5% of the
final grade.
Students will have one week to complete the final exam..
The final exam items require essay responses. Students are expected to write a
five-paragraph essay for each item. Check the website for help in developing
the essay. The exam will be scored using a rubric that evaluates the quality of
detail in the response, correctness and completeness of the response, and the
students' use of grammar and style. The final exam accounts for 20% of the
final exam.
Class
Participation
Active participation is an important element in learning. Students
must participate in all interactive aspects of the course. Students must
communicate with other students on the discussion board and communicate with
the instructor as a learning resource. Participating
in the Discussion Board activities and leading the class participation in the
Discussion Board activities represents 20% of the final grade.
Punctuality
All assignments must be submitted by the due dates. Late
assignments will be subjected to two penalty points for each day that the
assignment is late unless justified by a medical emergency or technical
difficulties with the server. This includes weekends and holidays.
Course
Ground Rules
Participation is required. Students are expected to
communicate with other students and the instructor in the discussion board.
Learn how to navigate in WebCT. Keep abreast of course announcements. Use the
assigned college or university email address as opposed to personal email
addresses. Address technical problems immediately. Observe course netiquette at
all times.
Policy
on Academic Honesty
As members of an academic community that places a
high value on truth and the pursuit of knowledge, students are expected to be
honest in every phase of their academic life and to present as their own work
only that which is genuinely theirs. Each student has the responsibility to
maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and to refrain from
cheating, plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty. Academic
dishonesty is representing another's work as one's own or using the work of
another without crediting the source. The sanctions for academic dishonesty
(including cheating on an examination, plagiarism and similar offenses) are
severe.
Guidelines
for Communication
Email:
Discussion
Groups:
Chat:
Web
Resources:
Library
The
Tennessee Virtual
Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree
Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases,
interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and
librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online
assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses.
Three
databases will be most helpful to students as they research case law. The
databases include: ERIC, Wilson Web, and Lexus-Nexus.
Students
With Disabilities
Qualified students with disabilities will be provided
reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the
appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to
granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive
written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations
from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's
responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability
services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the
accommodation notice sent to the instructor.
Syllabus
Changes
The
instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If
changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will
immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email
communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the
course bulletin board.
Technical
Support
Telephone Support:
If you
are having problems logging into your course, timing out of your course, using
your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the
AskRODP Help Desk by calling
1-866-550-7637 (toll free)
or go to the AskRODP
website at: