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Educational Administration

Dalrymple decision (from Ed Dept. Rpts)

Education Department Reports, or "whatever does 5 Educ. Dept. Rpts 113 mean?"

Under NYS Law, The NYS Commissioner of Education is permitted to adjudicate certain appeals, such as, but not limited to, actions taken by boards of education or school administrators.   This happens through an appeals process, and the decisions rendered in these appeals by the Commissioner are then recorded in the official "reporter" of the NYS Commissioner of Education. (Why more ""s?  Because when researchers see the word "reporter" they often think case law, but this isn't a case!)

The Reporter is officially called 

Decisions of the Commissioner of Education of the State of New York and other recent miscellaneous court decisions.

It might also be referred to as 

  • NYS Commissioner of Education Decisions
  • Education Department Reports (which is why the citation gets a "Educ Dept Rpts")

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE THE DECISIONS ARE IN THE LIBRARY CATALOG

 

The Matter/decision/appeal report for Dalrymple may be found at 5 Educ Dept Rpts 113. 

  • The "5" refers to volume 5, or the 5th book in that series
  • "113" means that the decision begins on page 113 of volume 5.

 

"Where is this 'Case' at the library?"

The Decisions of the Commissioner of Education are available in the Reference collection of the library --- Main Floor, just steps away from the main entrance.  The call number is  LB2529 .N45 N37

 

LINK to LIBRARY HOURS

 

How to find them

  1. From the library's main entrance, walk straight until you pass the security gate and then just before you reach the Front Desk, make a right.  You'll see the REFERENCE COLLECTION on your left
  2.  Find the row that includes Call Number LB2529 .N45 N37.  Look for the series of RED BOOKS
  3. Once you've got the decision, remember you can scan the pages if you would like.  There are several scanners on the Main Floor, adjacent to the Front Desk.

 

 

 

 

"If it's not a case, what is it"?

Matters held before the Commissioner of Education may be referred to as "matters" or "appeals", or sometimes just called "decisions".  Sometimes a matter/appeal/decision may be referred to by its chronological decision number or reporter citation.  So DALRYMPLE may be referred to as

  1. 5 Educ Dept Rpts 113 (1966)
  2. Matter of Dalrymple
  3. Appeal of Dalrymple
  4. Dalrymple Decision
  5. Decision Number 7594
  6. The Matter of the Appeal of Patricia Dalrymple and Sharon Ann Dalrymple, from and Action of the Board of Education, City of Saratoga Springs....(i.e., its official name)... 1966

"Is this online?"

As of this writing, The Decisions of the Commissioner of Education [Catalog Entry link]  are only online from 1991 - present.  They are available at the NYSED Office of Counsel Website [Link] and in Lexis Nexis Academic [database link].   

The Dalrymple Matter was decided in 1966, therefore it is not online at the Office of Counsel site, nor in any database our library has access to.  

We have this decision in the print version of the reporter

 

"So, [SPOILER ALERT] the decision is about dress code. How do I find more appeals and court cases about school dress code decisions??"

Glad you asked!  To find more Commissioner's Decisions that use the phrase "dress code" use the search tool at the NYSED OFFICE OF COUNSEL Decisions page [Link].  This will find decisions from 1991 - present, but to find ones between 1966 and 1991, you will need to use the indexes in the back of each print volume!

Because "dress code" can also result in judicial (COURT) matters, it would be useful to search Lexis Nexis Academic for court cases, too.

What is "The Dalrymple Case"?

Great Question!  While Copyright Law will not permit us to simply post the "case" here, the "case" is an interesting one for several reasons.  It also provides us with several teachable moments to discuss NYS Education law and our library's resources.

First, why all the quotation marks ("" "" "")?  Well, because the Dalyrymple "case" isn't a case at all -- the term "case" is usually reserved for matters adjudicated by the judicial branch of government, by a judge.  When researchers see the word "case" they often go to case law reporters, or their electronic equivalent in Lexis Nexis or a similar online resource. But...

  1. Dalrymple isn't a court case
  2. The decision wasn't rendered by a judge

Why else might we find this decision interesting?  It suggests some First Amendment issues, and so it may be worthwhile to look for Case Law on that subject.  It also renders a check on what school boards can do viz. students' rights, so it suggests that the decision will (and it has) inform current school and school board policies; as well as later Regulations of the Commissioner and Commissioner's decisions.