Earlier this week, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education issued new guidance documents on Section 504 (Sec. 504) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Sec. 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by public schools and other institutions receiving federal funds. The four new guidance documents provide assistance to school districts on Sec. 504 rights of students with specific conditions.
…Posted by Sara C. Clark on
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division jointly released two fact sheets: …
Posted by John R. Price on
On May 15, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released an updated guidance document on districts’ obligations related to school prayer and religious expression at school by students and school employees. The guidance provides an overview of the constitutional landscape of school prayer and religious expression and reminds districts as to some of their administrative and…
Posted by John R. Price on
Late yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new proposed regulation on Title IX and a related fact sheet. The proposed rule would affect the rights of transgender students to participate on athletic teams that align with their gender…
Posted by Sara C. Clark on
Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. On Oct. 4, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (DOE) released …
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Late on Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Education (USDOE) release updated guidance to support school districts as they continue the return to in-person instruction.
CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation is intended to assist schools to open safely and soon. The Operational Strategy, based on available science and data on COVID-19, describes a pathway to in-person instruction using an “…
Posted by Van D. Keating on
On July 20, the Ohio Controlling Board approved requests to appropriate $100 million additional CARES Act funding for K-12 schools. This funding comes from the Coronavirus Relief Fund of the CARES Act and is separate from the $440 million recently allocated from the Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ESSER) Fund. These funds are allocated to districts using a base amount established by fiscal year 2019 enrollment data from the State Report Card, with additional money provided to districts to support economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and…
Posted by Sara C. Clark on
School districts across the country are increasingly using computer software, mobile apps and other web-based tools to foster and enhance the learning process. The widespread adoption and use of online technologies have the potential to positively transform the educational process, but they also have called attention to possible risks. In particular, the information sharing, web-hosting and…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education released the Parent and Educator Guide to School Climate Resources…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
In December, the Legal Ledger reported that the Federal Commission on School Safety, formed by President Trump after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, had released its report and recommendations. In…