A Comparative Study of K - 12 and Higher Education Sport - Related Negligence Litigation

The liability assigned to K-12 school districts and colleges and universities for the safety of studentathletes were compared. The various elements of torts as well as common defenses used in sport-related litigation were synthesized. An examination of sportrelated litigation over the past 20 years showed that, contrary to other areas of education-related negligence, universities are held liable more often than K-12 districts. A brief examination of the culture surrounding interscholastic sport is provided, as well as recommendations for administrators to mitigate liability and increase safety for student-athletes. Practical/Social Implications School districts, colleges, and universities need to enact plans of safety to mitigate liability and better educate and protect student-athletes: this includes better instruction, guidance, and medical staff (Beach, 2003). There is also a duty to match athletes with competitors of similar size and skill, warn and educate student-athletes of risks, formulate an emergency response plan, and competently select and adequately train coaches and athletic staff (Doleschal, 2006). There also needs to be communication among school and college departments (Blanchard, 2007) and safeguards put into place to ensure that health and safety policies are followed. Citation Blanchard, J. (2012). A comparative study of K-12 and higher education sport-related negligence litigation. Journal of the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 6, 201-220. The Effects of Covert Audio Coaching on Teaching Clerical Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Authors Kyle Bennett, Florida International University Rangasamy Ramasamy, Florida Atlantic University Toby Honsberger, Florida Atlantic University Abstract Employment instruction for secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received very little attention in the professional literature. However, adults with ASD usually have difficulty maintaining employment for a variety of reasons, including problems with performing work tasks. This study used a multiple baseline design across participants to examine the effects of performance feedback on the participants' ability to independently make photocopies. Feedback was delivered privately through a two-way radio and earbud speaker. The results support the conclusion that the intervention, covert audio coaching, was effective in increasing the participants' accuracy in making photocopies. Specifically, participants demonstrated mastery of the skill within 4-5 sessions, and their improvements maintained for several weeks following intervention.Employment instruction for secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received very little attention in the professional literature. However, adults with ASD usually have difficulty maintaining employment for a variety of reasons, including problems with performing work tasks. This study used a multiple baseline design across participants to examine the effects of performance feedback on the participants' ability to independently make photocopies. Feedback was delivered privately through a two-way radio and earbud speaker. The results support the conclusion that the intervention, covert audio coaching, was effective in increasing the participants' accuracy in making photocopies. Specifically, participants demonstrated mastery of the skill within 4-5 sessions, and their improvements maintained for several weeks following intervention. Practical/Social Implications As a practical matter, traditional coaching and CAC may not be mutually exclusive and incompatible. Sideby-side coaching could be a first step that transitions to CAC to facilitate independence. It is also conceivable that a participant vacillates between both types of coaching. That is, if there are difficulties evoking the correct responses through CAC, perhaps the coach can temporarily revert to a side-by-side model until the problem is resolved. Thus, it seems that CAC has the potential to be part of an overall intervention package for students and employees with disabilities learning employment skills.