Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 702: School Law – Summer AB 2019
Credits - 3
Description
This course provides a foundation of the legal underpinnings of the American education system and explores how legal decisions have had an effect on schools. Specific legal principles relating to church/state issues, tort liability, teacher responsibilities, student rights and administrative concerns such as contracts and collective bargaining are examined. Participants will analyze case studies to apply their understanding and create a compendium of the laws unique to the states in which they work.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
By the completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Identify and describe the legal framework of public education including the local, state and federal governmental and judicial systems [Relates to PSEL Standard 9 (i) Manage governance processes and internal and external politics toward achieving the school’s mission and vision.]
- Describe the legal principles and details that apply to different school law topics (e.g., tort liability, church-state relations, etc.) [Relates to PSEL Standard 2 (d) Safeguard and promote the values of democracy, individual freedom and responsibility, equity, social justice, community, and diversity.]
- 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 PSEL Standard 3 (e) Confront and alter institutional biases of student marginalization, deficit-based schooling, and low expectations associated with race, class, culture and language, gender and sexual orientation, and disability or special status; Standard 5 (a) Build and maintain a safe, caring, and healthy school environment that meets that the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of each student; and Standard 5 (e) Cultivate and reinforce student engagement in school and positive student conduct.]
- Research and aggregate state laws, regulations, and case law pertaining to schools [Relates to PSEL Standard 1 (c ) Articulate, advocate, and cultivate core values that define the school’s culture and stress the imperative of child-centered education; high expectations and student support; equity, inclusiveness, and social justice; openness, caring, and trust; and continuous improvement; and Standard 2 (d) Safeguard and promote the values of democracy, individual freedom and responsibility, equity, social justice, community, and diversity.]
- Appreciate how school law principles impact ethical decisions [Relates to PSEL Standard 2 (f) Provide moral direction for the school and promote ethical and professional behavior among faculty and staff; Standard 3 (a) Ensure that each student is treated fairly, respectfully, and with an understanding of each student’s culture and context; and Standard 3 (d) Develop student policies and address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner.]
Note: The standards referenced above come from the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). The PSEL outline the “foundational principles of leadership to guide the practice of educational leaders so they can move the needle on student learning and achieve more equitable outcomes. They’re designed to ensure that educational leaders are ready to meet effectively the challenges and opportunities of the job today and in the future as education, schools and society continue to transform.” (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015)
In addition to your coursework, be sure to review the PSEL Standards (provided in the left navigation panel in the course) as they will become increasingly important in your work.
Reference: National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.
Assignments
Group Discussion – Sample Case
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 will analyze. To help with your analysis, discuss the case with your classmates in the Student Lounge (fondly known as “Starbucks” in this course). This student-led forum can be accessed under the course menu tab “Full Class Discussions.” You are encouraged to use this forum. Just like lawyers in a practice will debate a case among themselves, you can do the same. 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.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Maximum Points Possible | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Sets of Group Discussion - Sample Cases | 5 points each | 30 |
| 6 Exam Cases | 7.5 Points Each | 45 |
| 1 Compendium Notebook 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 [ET] | Topic | Assignments | Due Date |
|
5/1-5/12 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 1 Legal Framework |
Intro Class Discussion and Activity (no grade) | Within 4 days – 5/5 |
| Read Chapter 1 | Within 4 days – 5/5 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module submitted for initial review – 5/12 | ||
|
5/13-5/26 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 2 Tort Liability |
Read Chapter 2 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts due one week after module opens [see details below] – 5/19 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 5/26 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 2nd section done, but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
5/27-6/9 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 3 Church & State |
Read Chapter 3 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts end one week after module opens [see details below] – 6/2 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 6/9 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 3rd section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
6/10-6/23 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 4 Classification |
Read Chapter 4 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts due one week after module opens [see details below] – 6/16 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 6/23 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 4th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
6/24-7/7 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 5 Exceptionalities |
Read Chapter 5 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts due one week after module opens [see details below] – 6/30 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 7/7 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 5th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
7/8-7/21 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 6 Students’ Rights |
Read Chapter 6 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts due one week after module opens [see details below] – 7/14 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 7/21 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 6th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
7/22-8/4 (11:59 p.m.) |
Module 7 Teachers’ Rights |
Read Chapter 7 | Within 24 hours so you can begin to post in TD |
| Sample Case TD | All posts due one week after module opens [see details below] – 7/28 | ||
| Exam Case | By end of module – 8/4 | ||
| Compendium section | By end of module, 7th section done but do not submit until last week. | ||
|
8/5-8/18 (11:59) [Note: This class ends early to allow time to correct the Compendia] |
Module 8 Employment Law |
Read Chapter 8 | Within 24 hours |
| Reflection TD | Post initially by 8/14; respond to others by 8/18 | ||
| Compendium | Complete 8th section and finalize—Submit by FRIDAY, 8/16 | ||
|
Further deadlines concerning the Group Discussion Sample Cases:
Your instructor then will provide detail feedback so you will be ready to work on the exam case that is due by the end of the current Module. |
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Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Education Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/education/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
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.
Policies
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and 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.