ADMIN/555 - School Policy and Law for Principals

Course Description

This course allows students to examine legal theory and practice in the context of the educational setting. The constitutional framework, court systems, legal issues, and their subsequent impact on schools are discussed, analyzed, and applied to current educational practices.

This graduate course is 6 weeks.

This course has a prerequisite. Please see details in the Prerequisite section below.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for enrollment to residents of Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and individuals who reside outside the United States.

Course Objectives

Week 1

• Examine the administrative structure of public education, including state and local-level agencies.
• Examine the role of the school board.
• Apply selected provisions of the United States Constitution to the educational setting.
• Examine the framework of the state and federal court systems.
• Analyze professional and ethical behavior required of school principals.
• Define the primary and secondary resources available to research legal issues in education.
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Week 2

• Differentiate between individual and organizational liability.
• Compare and contrast the elements of intentional and unintentional torts.
• Identify the elements of negligence and school/district procedures for responding.

Week 3

• Analyze the influence of federal and state court decisions on schools in relation to students’ rights, due process, and discipline policies and procedures.
• Review the major past and current federal legislation related to serving special populations.

Week 4

• Examine teachers' rights and how they have been impacted by court decisions.
• Apply current law to human resource practices in schools.
• Examine the legal foundations of workplace harassment legislation.

Week 5

• Analyze the application of the First Amendment establishment clause on public education.
• Review related court decisions.

Week 6

• Evaluate the legislation related to school safety and violence.
• Analyze the influence of federal and state court decisions on schools in relation to parental rights.
• Review laws related to student records and confidentiality.

Notes

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing education for teacher’s courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing education for teachers’ courses is not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. More information about eligibility requirements, policies, and procedures can be found in the catalog or please check with a University Enrollment Representative.