Educational Administration 5093
Public School Law
Spring 2004
Mark Littleton, Ed. D. 404 Education Building
Tarleton State University Office: 254/968-9804
Dept. of Ed. Admin. Coun., & Psychology Email: Mlittleton@tarleton.edu
Course Description: Constitutional provisions, statutory laws, court decisions, and regulations governing public schools with special reference to Texas and federal relationships.
Kemerer, F., and J. W. (2000). The educator’s guide to Texas school law, Fifth Edition. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Alexander, K., and Alexander, M. D. (2001). American public school law, Fifth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Texas Education Agency. (2002). 2002 Texas school law bulletin. Charlottesville, VA: Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.
Other Useful Texts:
Frels, K., Horner, J., Camp, B. and Robinson, V.L. (1996). Texas school law: A practical guide. Topeka, KS: National Organization on Legal Problems of Education.
Gomez, F.C. and Craycraft, K.R. (1998). The legal handbook for Texas teachers. Bulverde, TX: OMNI Publishers.
Littleton, M. (2001). Legal issues for Texas teachers. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Redfield, S. (2002). Thinking like a lawyer: An educator’s guide to legal analysis and research. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press.
Major objectives of the course:
Students
with Disabilities
It is the policy of Tarleton State University to comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal, state, and local laws relative to the provision of disability services. Students with disabilities attending classes at Tarleton State University may contact the TSU Disability Services Office at (254) 968-9480 to request appropriate accommodations. Furthermore, formal accommodation requests cannot be made until the student has been officially admitted to Tarleton State University.
Examinations of student progress will come in three forms--written examinations, case studies, and class participation. All work will be must be typewritten and double-spaced. Please refer to the APA manual for the appropriate style and format.
Examinations:
Two comprehensive examinations will be administered. The examinations will cover all content covered during the seminar days, and will include information located in the Kemerer & Walsh and Alexander & Alexander books. The exam will include the following types of questions: multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay.
In addition, on the final exam the student will be expected to know the significance of the following cases:
Brown v. Board of Education San Antonio ISD v. Rodriguez
Wisconsin v. Yoder Goss v. Lopez
Ingraham v. Wright Baker v. Owen
Pierce v. Society of Sisters West Virginia v. Barnette
Bd. of Educ. of Island Trees v. Pico Tinker v. Des Moines
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier Irving ISD v. Tatro
New Jersey v. TLO Doe v. Taylor
Gebser v. Lago Vista ISD Abington School District v. Schempp
Honig v. Doe Keyes v. School District No. 1
Lemon v. Kurtzman Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg BOE
Lau v. Nichols Santa Fe ISD v. Doe
Legal Case Study:
The student will respond the legal case study provided by the instructor. The response will be typed, and double-spaced. Students are awarded the grade based upon the final product of the group.
Class Participation:
Class participation and interaction is essential to the success of any graduate course. Class participation is based upon student attendance, student participation in class discussions, and student readiness for class discussions. Student readiness will be determined by the student’s a) ability to provide input related to previous class discussions, b) ability to answer questions and participate in discussions on assigned readings, and c) willingness and ability to include current issues related to school law into class discussions.
Extra Credit: Extra credit options are not available.
Grades for the course will be distributed according to the following charts:
Exam 1 200 points A = 900 – 1,000 points
Final Exam 400 points B = 800 – 899 points
Legal Case Study 200 points C = 700 – 799 points
Class Participation 200 points D = 600 – 699 points
F = Below 600 points
Total Points Available 1,000 points
Students are expected to maintain academic integrity at all times. Cheating, plagiarism, or doing work for another person who will receive academic credit are impermissible. This includes the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student’s own work. Academic dishonesty will be handled as outlined in the Student Handbook, and may result in a severe academic penalty administered by the instructor.
1/13 Legal Research Ch. 1 Appendix A
Sources of Law Ch. 1
1/20 Library-Legal Research
1/27 Governance Ch. 2-4 pp. 292-308
2/3 Church & State Ch. 5 Ch. 7
2/10 Finance Ch. 19
2/17 Attendance Ch.
6, 10
2/24 School Activities Ch. 7 Ch. 2
3/2 Exam 1
3/9 Special Programs Ch. 9 Ch. 3
3/16 Spring Break
3/23 Special Programs
3/30 Students’ Rights Ch. 8, 12 pp. 315-330
4/6 Student Discipline Ch. 8
4/13 Employment Ch. 14, 17 Ch. 4
Legal Case Study Due
4/20 Teachers’ Rights Ch. 15, 16 Ch. 5, 6
pp. 308-315
4/27 Liability
& Sex. Har. Ch. 11, 13 Ch. 10
Case Exam
5/4 Final Exam