Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 702: School Law – Fall A/B 2021

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:

1. 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.]
2. 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.]
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 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.]
4. 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.]
5. 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 Course Resources in Brightspace) 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 group discussions that feature 2 sample cases per unit.  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 that these discussions DO NOT require you to conduct additional research beyond the textbook. 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 in the Community Forum in 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 Resources page.

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