---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 4072"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "4072"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/4072"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Education for Economic Security"
  - "Subchapter VIII — Equal Access"
---

# §4072. Definitions


As used in this subchapter—

- (1) The term “secondary school” means a public school which provides secondary education as determined by [State](/usc/20/4020.md?p=8) law.
- (2) The term “sponsorship” includes the act of promoting, leading, or participating in a [meeting](#3). The assignment of a teacher, [administrator](/usc/20/4020.md?p=7), or other school employee to a [meeting](#3) for custodial purposes does not constitute sponsorship of the [meeting](#3).
- (3) The term “meeting” includes those activities of student groups which are permitted under a school’s limited open forum and are not directly related to the school curriculum.
- (4) The term “noninstructional time” means time set aside by the school before actual classroom instruction begins or after actual classroom instruction ends.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–377, title VIII, § 803, Aug. 11, 1984, 98 Stat. 1303.)