Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 702: School Law Spring A 2024
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 an educational system that covers lifelong learning. 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 [PSEL 9]
- Describe the legal principles and details that apply to different school law topics (e.g., tort liability, church-state relations, etc.) [PSEL 2]
- 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) [PSEL 3, 5]
- Research and aggregate state laws, regulations, and case law pertaining to schools [PSEL 1]
- Identify how school law principles impact ethical decisions [PSEL 2, 3]
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 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Discussions | 5.75 points each | 46 |
| 5 Exam Cases | 6 points each | 30 |
| 1 Compendium Notebook Project | 24 points | 24 |
| 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
Week 2: Jan 22 – Jan 28
Week 3: Jan 29 – Feb 4
Week 4: Feb 5 – Feb 11
Week 5: Feb 12 – Feb 18
Week 6: Feb 19 – Feb 25
Week 7: Feb 26 – Mar 3
Week 8: Mar 4 – Mar 10
|
Week |
Topics |
Assignments |
|
Week 1 |
Introduction to School Law |
Discussion: Initial post due Friday, responses due Sunday First section of compendium due Sunday |
|
Week 2 |
Introduction to Torts |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Complete second and third section of compendium |
|
Week 3 |
Torts “R” Us |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Exam case due Sunday Complete “torts” section of the compendium |
|
Week 4 |
Church, State and the Law |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Exam case due Sunday Complete fourth section of compendium |
|
Week 5 |
Classification (with a brief overview of special education) |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Exam case due Sunday Complete fifth section of compendium |
|
Week 6 |
Student Rights |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Exam case due Sunday Complete sixth section of compendium |
|
Week 7 |
Teacher Rights |
Discussion: Initial post due Wednesday, responses due Sunday Exam case due Sunday Complete seventh section of compendium |
|
Week 8 |
Employment Issues and Wrapping Up the Class |
Reflection Discussion Final compendium submission |
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.