Educational Policy and the Law

This comprehensive casebook presents thorough coverage of a complex and dynamic subject - educational law and policy in the elementary and secondary school setting. With an emphasis on the interplay between law and policy, legal decisions, and educational practice, the book's interdisciplinary approach provides a wide range of perspectives on the most pressing issues in the field. Cases, legislation, and articles, all of which are accompanied by notes and discussion questions, clarify the issues and bring them to life. The book draws upon a range of social science sources as well as conventional legal materials to describe and analyze how policy problems become legal matters. The authors also help students make sense of legal decisions by canvassing alternative solutions and specifying the effects of legally mandated change. The book can be covered in its entirety in a one-semester course, meeting three hours each week; particular chapters or sets of chapters have sufficient depth and detail for more focused courses. The 5th edition maintains the structure and approach of previous editions while also integrating important content updates. The document posted here includes the transition guide describing the most significant changes between the 4th edition and the 5th, a detailed table of contents, the preface, and the table of cases. For a complimentary review copy of the text, please call 800-423-0563 or e-mail higheredcs@cengage.com.