Calif. parents sue school district over charter effort [AP / First Amendment Center, 2/4/11]: Six parents and their children sued the Compton Unified School District yesterday, alleging officials are trying to thwart their push to convert a failing elementary school to a charter school. The parents immediately won a temporary injunction from Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien, who blocked the district from using a complex process to verify signatures on a petition for the charter school.

Schools Tackle Legal Twists and Turns of Cyberbullying [Education Week, 2/4/11]: High-profile incidents put legal, policy issues in the spotlight but lack of clarity remains. School leaders across the country are dealing with routine cases daily and often feel they have little legal advice or precedent to guide them in their decision making.

Autism rate triples among K-12 students [California Watch, 2/4/11]: Special education students with autism in California have more than tripled in number since 2002, even as overall special education enrollment has remained relatively flat, according to an analysis of state education data released yesterday.

L.A. boy can use religious song at school talent show [AP, 2/3/11]: School district, lawyers for fifth-grader reach agreement allowing him to perform; mother had filed suit after principal said performance would violate church-state separation. Read the legal complaint.

Searches of Students Who Leave and Return to School Upheld [School Law Blog, 2/2/11]: A high school's policy of searching students who leave the campus and return during the school day does not violate the Fourth Amendment, a California state appellate court has ruled. Read the decision in In re Sean A.