Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 702 School Law – Fall A 2015
Credits - 3
Description
In today’s complex society, educational administrators must possess a working knowledge of federal and state statutory and case law impacting education. This course will provide a foundation of the legal underpinnings of the American education system and how the “law” has had an effect on schools and will impact schools in the future. Specific legal principles relating to church/state issues, tort liability, student classification, special education, students’ rights, teachers’ rights, and employment law will be covered. Students will be required to apply these legal principles to analyze real-life case scenarios. Assignments will be included to acquaint students to their state’s statutory and case law that will affect them as future educational leaders in their local settings.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
By the completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Identify and describe the legal framework of public education including the local, state and federal governmental and judicial systems [Relates to the ILLSC standard 6 as well as the Education Department’s principle, Rigorous of Mind]
2. Describe the legal principles and details that apply to different school law topics (e.g., tort liability, church-state relations, etc.) [Relates to the ILLSC standards 3c (Tort liability and safety) and all of 6 as well as the Education Department’s principle, Rigorous of Mind]
3. Analyze case scenarios by accurately applying legal principles that provide solid and substantive arguments for both the plaintiff/s and defendant/s (thereby applying legal principles to current school functioning) [Relates to the ILLSC standards 4B, 5C, 5E in terms of the module on Student Classification; Standard 5B (ethical behavior), and overall 5D and all of 6 as well as the Education Department’s principles, Rigorous of Mind and Competent Demonstration]
4. Research and aggregate state laws, regulations, and case law pertaining to schools [Relates to the ILLSC standard 6 and includes state issues relating to 4B, 5C, 5E as well as the Education Department’s principles, Rigorous of Mind and Competent Demonstration]
5. Appreciate how school law principles impact ethical decisions [Relates to the ILLSC standards 5 (B, C, D, E) and 6 as well as the Education Department’s principles, Compassionate of Heart and Reflective Stance]
Assignments
Quizzes
Modules 1 through 7 will have an open-book quiz that covers the “nuts and bolts” of that area of law. Multiple-choice, true-false, and matching items will be included. Each quiz can be retaken as often as possible since mastery learning is emphasized. Each quiz is worth 3% of the total course for a total of 21% of your final grade.
There is an introductory quiz to review course requirements, and although this quiz must be passed it is not figured into the overall grade. HOWEVER, a student who fails to complete this quiz will be deemed to have not completed the course materials. This introductory quiz forces you to become familiar with the entire course structure right from the beginning of the course.
Sample Case Threaded Discussions
Modules 2 through 7 have threaded discussions that feature 2 sample cases per module. You will be assigned to a small group in which you will take turns leading and facilitating the analysis. These cases allow you to practice analyzing case law in preparation for your exam case AND to prepare you as a school administrator to not just regurgitate legal tests or principles, but apply them. Please note how these threaded discussions DO NOT require you to conduct additional research beyond the textbook. The Rubric that is used for assessment is below. The goal is to have a substantive discussion with ongoing interaction among group members to the point of developing a coherent and effective case analysis.
Exam Case Analysis
Modules 2 through 7 include an exam case that you initially can discuss among your classmates in the Student Lounge (“Starbucks”) that can be accessed under the course menu tab “Full Class Discussions.” We encourage you to use this forum—just like lawyers in a practice will debate a case among themselves, you can do the same. However, before the module is over, you must submit your own analysis of the case for the Exam within the appropriate module. Remember that if you attach a file, the file must be in word or in rich text format.
Compendium of Your State’s unique Laws and Cases Relating to Education
There are school law areas in which states vary. Therefore, you will need to research your state and provide overviews as well as direct links to the body of law pertinent to your state, for instance, your state’s court system, child abuse and neglect law, bullying regulations, teacher termination law, and much more. You will find more detailed instructions about this assignment by clicking on the Compendium Notebook option within the course menu tab, “Modules and Compendium.”
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Maximum Points Possible | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Quizzes | 3 points each | 21 |
| 6 Sets of Sample Threaded Discussions | 4 points each | 24 |
| 6 Exam Cases | 5 Points Each | 30 |
| 1 Compendium Project | 25 Points | 25 |
| TOTAL POINTS | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
| [Note: See additional time details for the sample case threaded discussions at end of chart] | |||
| Dates/Time [EST] | Topic | Assignments | Due Date |
| September 2 to September 13 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 1 Legal Framework |
Intro TD (no grade) | Within 2 days |
| Intro Quiz (no grade) | Within 3 days | ||
| Read Chapter 1 | Within 4 days | ||
| Quiz on reading | Take first time Within 5 days | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module submitted for initial review | ||
| September 14 (11:59 p.m.) to September 27 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 2 Tort Liability |
Read Chapter 2 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 2nd section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| September 28 (11:59 p.m.) to October 11 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 3 Church & State |
Read Chapter 3 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 3rd section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| October 12 (11:59 p.m.) to October 25 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 4 Classification |
Read Chapter 4 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 4th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| October 26 (11:59 p.m.) to November 8 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 5 Exceptionalities |
Read Chapter 5 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 5th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| November 9 (11:59 p.m.) to November 22 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 6 Students’ Rights |
Read Chapter 6 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 6th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| November 23 (11:59 p.m.) to December 6 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 7 Teachers’ Rights |
Read Chapter 7 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Quiz on reading | By end of module | ||
| Sample Case TD | All postings end one week after module opens [see details below] | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 7th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
| December (11:59 p.m.) to December 16 (midnight)[Note: This class ends early to allow time to correct the Compendiums] |
Module 8 Employment Law |
Read Chapter 8 | Within 24 hours |
| Reflection TD | Post initially by December 12; return to respond to others by December 16 | ||
| Compendium | Complete 8th section and finalize—Submit by December 16(midnight) | ||
| Further deadlines concerning the Sample Case Threaded Discussions1. With Modules 2 through 7, you have 2 sample cases to analyze and discuss within a small group.2. If you are a lead facilitator of one of the cases you must post the initial analysis no later than noon on Sunday EST and continue to monitor the discussion, providing feedback often and encouraging deeper conversations and analysis throughout the week. Meanwhile you still will post as a participant in the other sample case.3. If you are not a facilitator for either case that week, you need to post your initial reaction to both facilitators’ analyses by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. and then return to respond to others with postings closing by Saturday at 11:59 p.m.
Your professor then will provide detail feedback so you will be ready to work on the exam case that is due by noon the following week. |
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Student Resources
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
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ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
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Policies
Attendance Policy
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.