Earlier this week, the Federal Commission on School Safety (Commission) released a report detailing 93 best practices and policy recommendations for improving safety at…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Posted by Megan E. Greulich on
On Nov. 20, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) …
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Memorial Day is the official day on which the United States (U.S.) honors and remembers those who have died in active military service. As we prepare to gather with family and friends, it’s also a good time to review supports available to military families and their children in Ohio’s schools.
About 34,000 students in Ohio are children from…
Posted by Megan E. Greulich on
On Dec. 7, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released a Q&A document clarifying the scope of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) following the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) March 2017 decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District.
The SCOTUSblog provides resources…
Posted by Sara Clark on
Earlier this week, a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education from taking action to enforce their guidance letter on the rights of transgender students under Title IX. For a summary of the federal guidance, please see our…
Posted by Jennifer Hardin on
ODE news: Every Student Succeeds Act webinars and stakeholder meetings and comment period for revisions to learning standards ending
As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is required to create a Student Success Plan. The plan will describe how local, state and federal programs are aligned. ODE is inviting school board members, district employees, teachers, parents and any other interested parties to attend one of ten stakeholder meetings to share ideas for the development of the Student…
Posted by Sara Clark on
Last Friday, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance on their interpretation of the rights of and protections for transgender students under Title IX.
The guidance document, which comes in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter, does not add requirements to existing law, but adds another voice to an ongoing conversation about whether Title IX’…
Posted by Sara Clark on
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) released a resource guide to help school districts better support undocumented youth. According to DOE, the aim of the guide is to help educators and school staff "support the academic success of undocumented youth, to debunk misconceptions by clarifying the legal rights of undocumented students as well as sharing helpful information about financial aid options open to undocumented students."
The guide includes resources aimed at high school and…
Posted by Shadya Yazback on
With the end of summer comes falling leaves, football, and OSBA’s legal hotline abuzz with enrollment questions throughout the state. One of those questions: our school district requests a student’s social security number (SSN) to enroll students. What do we do if the parent doesn’t provide one?
Under the Privacy Act of 1974, a school district may not prevent a student from enrollment for failure to provide their SSN or proof the student has an SSN.
School districts are permitted to ask for a…
Posted by Shadya Yazback on
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits gender discrimination in any education program or activity that is supported by federal monies. On April 24, the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) reminded schools receiving federal dollars that they must designate at least one employee to coordinate Title IX compliance and released a guidance package relating to Title IX compliance.
Each school district must have a designated Title IX coordinator at all times. The Title IX coordinator is responsible for coordinating their school district’s…