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The article reports on Great Britain's April 2007 Education and Inspections Act. Guidelines explain discipline measures covered by the legislation, including teachers use of physical force against violent students, confiscation of communication or entertainment devices in certain circumstances, and searches of students suspected of carrying weapons. The legislation also restricts certain school powers, requires schools to address bullying, and recommends use of praise to alter student behavior.

The article discusses a section in the 2006 final Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Part B regulations that focuses on discipline of students in the U.S. It stresses that the rules govern only heinous actions. Students with disabilities who have threatened to harm a fellow student or staff can not be put into an interim alternative educational setting for 45 school days. Instances that make a student liable for removal from an individualized program include carrying of weapons at school and illegal drug use.

This article reports that the Education and Inspections Act has received Royal Assent. The Education Bill includes statutory powers for schools to impose discipline to pupils, measures to ensure parents take greater responsibility for their children's behavior, measures to reduce selection by ability and the means for schools to acquire Trust status.

The article discusses an appeals court case in Alabama which dealt with the Fourth Amendment rights of a 9-year-old student. Though the court admitted it was reasonable for a school resource officer to stop the student and question her regarding her threat against a teacher, it found his handcuffing her excessively intrusive and violated the student's Fourth Amendment rights given her young age and the fact that the handcuffing was not done to protect anyone's safety.

The article stresses the need for schools in the U.S. to have a clear student conduct codes for off-campus misbehavior. It explains the legal challenges that schools might face for lack of clear policy on off-campus misconduct. The decision by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on the case Collins versus Prince William County School Board, which highlights the need for a clear school policy on off-campus misbehavior, is discussed. It also offers steps for establishing or updating student codes of conduct.

The article discusses a study of school discipline policies and practices in public schools in Florida. Findings indicated that many of the state's districts have turned away from traditional education-based disciplinary methods. Attorney Jim Freeman suggested principals try to limit the use of police to crimes that involved serious threats to students and staff. The number of out-of-school suspensions has outpaced the growth of the student population in the state.

The article presents an educational survey based on the zero-tolerance discipline policies practiced in schools in Florida. The survey indicated that policies that take a zero tolerance approach to student misbehavior are being overused in Florida, resulting in hundreds of thousands of arrests and suspensions. The survey was conducted by the Florida State Conference NAACP, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the Advancement Project. The groups concluded that an overly harsh approach to student misbehavior is a statewide problem.

The article discusses a court case involving Emory & Henry College and one of its student who claimed that he was retaliated upon by the institution. The father of the student accused the college of enforcing inappropriate disciplinary sanctions against his son. The Office for Civil Rights ruled that there was no enough evidence for the complaint.

Focuses on the efforts of Simon Blake of the Anti-Bullying Alliance in promoting the importance of peer support schemes and the revision of anti-bullying policies in schools in Great Britain. Promotion of a new zero tolerance approach and the encouragement of schools to sign anti-bullying charters; Thoughts of Blake on the anti-bullying policies.

Focuses on the implications of the Safe Schools Act zero tolerance policy for African Canadian students in Ontario. Estimated number of students who were expelled from schools in 2002 for violating the province's code of conduct legislation; Role of the legislation in the increase in the number of youth violence according to Toronto Police Services vice-chairperson Alok Mukherjee; Appointment of Lloyd McKell as executive officer of equity at the Toronto District School Board in response to the issue.

Discusses the code of conduct that is forced on students in Great Britain. Advantage of the requirement given the perceived rise in disruptive and abusive behavior of students; Shortcomings of the new rule such as the conflict of interest for teaching staff that it creates; Negative implications of applying business concepts in a university such as employee or student discipline.

Discusses the implementation of the 'Operation Safe Schools' in order to address discipline problems among students in New York, New York. Installation of surveillance cameras in schools; Creation of centers for students with serious behavior problems; Provision of support to schools on the coordinated use of disciplinary tools, prevention programs and school safety resources.

Presents education-related update in Great Britain as of September 6, 2002. Proposal made by the Conservative party on headteachers' right to deny admission to children whose parents are unwilling to sign contracts on school discipline; Features of the History.uk.com Web site.

Discusses opinion differences concerning discipline provisions of the U.S. special education law, as of May 2002. Comparison of Democrat and Republican views on approaches to disciplining disabled students who break rules; Arguments of democrats in defense of the system that bars expulsion of unruly disabled students; Impact of discipline regulations on teachers.

Discusses debate on the Committee Stage of the Education Bill in Great Britain's House of Lords. Defeat of the government in a division on school annual meetings during a debate on Clause 32 of the bill; Power of the Secretary of State to make regulations governing the conduct of school annual meetings; Debate about behavior in schools.

Focuses on the legislation of the Disabilities Education Act in the U.S. Application of the act on the discipline of special children; Confusions over the disciplinary policy; Contention over disciplinary measures of children in special schools.

Reports on proposed legislative measures to toughen discipline for special education students in public schools in the United States. Fate of previous proposals in the U.S. Congress; Arguments in favor of plans to create disciplinary systems specific for disabled students.

Reports on the British High Court ruling stating that teachers are entitled to refuse to teach violent and disruptive students. Overview of the case of a student who was taught in isolation due to his violent behavior; Human rights issues arising from the case.

Comments on the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on sanctions and punishments in classrooms in Great Britain. Safeguards against false imprisonment that are contained in the Human Rights Act 1998; Lobbying efforts seeking to outlaw the detention of pupils without parental consent.

Reports developments related to law in the United States as of September 2000. Decision of the Court of Appeals on the Virginia state law mandating students to observe a minute of silence each day; Support of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on a bill lifting the speaking fees ban of judges; Lawsuit filed by lawyer Richard Scruggs against manufacturers of Ritalin drug.

Reports on a law pushed by Louisiana Governor Mike Foster requiring the state's K-5 public school students to address teachers by ma'am and sir. Comparison with the governor's `Respect' bill; Punishment for rudeness.

Reports on the proposed legislation of Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci that would require all students to wear uniforms as part of school discipline, unless local parent councils decide otherwise. Opposition to the proposal; Plan of New York City for its school students; Findings of a survey by the nonprofit Educational Testing Service on the use of school uniforms.

Reports that the Massachusetts Education Department has proposed a state policy that would allow teachers and administrators to restrain students physically, chemically or mechanically if the students pose a serious threat of injury to self, others and property.

Discusses British legislation regulating school discipline. Mention of the Education Act 1997 and the School Standards and Framework Bill; Previous views of discipline held by school governors; Unique features of new laws; Need to consult in discipline with teachers and parents; Unclear role of teachers and pupils in law; Drawbacks of law regarding to parental involvement and community relations; Concerns about exclusions.

Reports on the dropping of charges against David Sims, head teacher of Moat House Special School in Essex, England, and members of his staff. Allegations of using corporal punishment; Essex County Council's concerns over leadership of the school.

Criticizes the terms on discipline in the British Education Bill. Unanimous acceptance of bill by major political parties; Fixed-term exclusion; Contracts with parents; Detention of pupils without parents' permission; Schools' publication of their discipline policies.

Reports on general secretary David Hart's call for changing the law to give schools more power to deal with violent and disruptive pupils, in behalf of the National Association of Head Teachers in Great Britain. Hart's comment on the need for not allowing parents to `ride roughshod' over any school sanction; Hart's thoughts regarding the Government's decision to review the operation of fixed term exclusions.

Shares information about bills for education among American states. Approval of school reform effort by the Kentucky Senate; Teaching of sex education in public schools in Virginia; Bill on suspending misbehaving students in Massachusetts.

The article reports on the disciplinary action for Karen J. Collins, a part-time teacher in a Montgomery County public school in Maryland, due to an expressed annoyance when she was assigned to prepare a special program that will commemorate the birthday of U.S. Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. A parent said that Collins complained regarding King's being a Communist.

The article reports on the consideration of a law by the legislature that abolish corporeal punishment in Michigan. The law allows school employees to use reasonable physical force to discipline students. Such force could only be used by school employees to protect themselves, other students or property from injury or damage to obtain possession of a weapon or to escort an unwilling student to the principal's office.

The article reports on the decline of the crime rate in Dade County Public Schools in Florida after the enforcement of a disciplinary policy in 1981. According to Fred Young of the district's special investigative unit, a quarterly report issued in April 1983 shows a drop rate on crime incidents compared to the previous year's figure.

The article reports on the law signed by West Virginia Governor John D. Rokefeller IV that enables principals or their designated representatives to paddle students. According to the author, the law will allow school officials to spank a student on the buttocks with a hand or a paddle under certain conditions which include the suitability of the pupil's age, notification of the parents, and it must be applied without discrimination.

The article reports on Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer's comments on funds provided for the education system in Maryland. As the state faces a projected $423-million shortfall in 1991's $11.5-billion budget, so Schaefer stressed that a major change in the state's tax system is necessary. Schaefer approved a proposed college-scholarship program that would replace existing state loans with Free State grants. The grants would be given to any student from a family with an income below the poverty line who had participated in a proposed early-intervention program for disadvantaged students.

The article reports that stiff penalties are now being imposed on parents for failing to check their children's behavior in school and in the community by new "get tough" policies in a number of states and localities in the United States. Everything from school attendance to criminal activity is addressed by the controversial measures. In 1989, under a new California law that allows parents to be charged with a misdemeanor if their children become involved with gangs, more than 150 parents in Los Angeles have been arrested.

The article presents news briefs related to education in the U.S. Oklahoma legislators have scheduled a statewide referendum on four constitutional amendments on school finance and other related issues. Ohio Governor Richard F. Celeste has opposed a school-discipline bill that increases criminal penalty for misconduct and other related penalty issues. An alternative-teacher-certification bill was approved by the legislature in Colorado.