“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 is the landmark legislation that bans sex discrimination in schools, whether it be in academics or athletics. Title IX states: "No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid."

It means gender equity for females and males in all educational programs that receive federal money.

It applies only to athletics. There are ten areas addressed under Title IX Higher Education Athletics Career Education Education for pregnant and parenting students Employment Learning Environment Math and Science Sexual Harassment Standardized Testing Technology

Many colleges and universities refused to admit women. It was believed that women were more concerned about marriage and children than higher education. The primary physical activities for girls were cheerleading and square-dancing. Only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports. There were virtually no college scholarships for female athletes. And female college athletes received only two percent of overall athletic budgets.

In vocational courses in high schools, most girls could only take "home ec" (cooking, sewing), while most boys could only take "shop" (woodworking, metalworking). Schools were allowed to deny women training in fields that society considered "inappropriate" for them. Therefore, women trained primarily for low-wage, traditional female jobs. If a teenager became pregnant, she usually lost her chance to get an education. Most schools expelled pregnant students and wouldn't let them return to school if they chose to continue the pregnancy.

The majority of women working in education taught in elementary and secondary schools. Those who did teach in colleges were primarily at women's colleges, usually weren't awarded tenure, and earned smaller salaries than their male counterparts. Only a few women were hired in high-level administrative positions throughout all of educational institutions.

Popular and harmful gender stereotypes were common and were mirrored in schoolbooks: males were seen as active, inventive, and brave; the few females portrayed were presented as dependent, nurturing, and accommodating.

The stereotype was that girls didn't like math and science and therefore couldn't be good at it. Girls were sometimes steered away from higher-level classes in these subjects and discouraged from joining math and science clubs.

Making sexual innuendos, calling people sexually charged names, spreading rumors about sexual activity, or touching someone inappropriately used to be dismissed as "boys will be boys" type of behavior at best, and rude or crude at worst.

Girls consistently scored lower than boys on standardized tests. No one even considered that scores could be affected by the kinds of questions asked, how they were asked or that gender influenced test scores.

The old stereotype that girls cannot achieve in math and science took on a new dimension when we entered the technology revolution. Computer programming was considered male territory, and computer games were designed as boys' toys. If a woman used a computer, it was for data entry.

The unfairness in admissions, financial aid, and other areas of higher education is less common than it used to be. In addition, the increased access to higher education provided by Title IX has fueled women's economic progress.

There's been real growth in the number of women who participate in sports, receive scholarships, and benefit from increased budgets. There are more opportunities to compete at elite levels through competitions like the Olympics, World Championships and professional leagues. Even more importantly, we know that playing sports makes women healthier. They're less likely to smoke, drink, use drugs and experience unwanted pregnancies. Studies also link sports participation to reduced incidences of breast cancer and osteoporosis later in life.

Schools can no longer legally shut doors to certain courses or training on the basis of sex. The law says girls must be free to pursue career training in courses like aviation, automotive repair, and architectural drafting, while boys can choose to pursue cooking, nursing, and cosmetology. Career training must be by choice not by gender. Academia's doors are opening to women faculty, especially at the lecturer, instructor and assistant professor levels. The wage gap has narrowed. And some women can be found in top administrative positions.

Pregnant teenagers, their children, and their futures are protected. Under Title IX, schools are not allowed to treat pregnant or parenting students like second- hand citizens. The law recognizes how important it is for all young people to have access to education, not just for their future economic independence and self-sufficiency, but also for the health and development of their children. Schools can have separate programs for pregnant moms, but enrollment in these programs must be voluntary and they must be of comparable quality to the other programs the school offers.

Gender stereotypes are changing in society, texts, and classrooms. Equal attention and a supportive learning environment in all subject areas have been recognized as important safeguards to ensure that girls get the most from their education. Girls now take upper-level math and science courses required for math and science majors in college at the same rate as boys.

Sexual harassment in education includes any unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that significantly interferes with a student's access to educational opportunities. The Supreme Court has confirmed that schools have an obligation under Title IX to prevent and address harassment against students, whether perpetrated by peers or by employees of the school system Tests must be valid predictors of success in the areas being tested and that they measure what they say they measure. If a test doesn't meet this standard, and if it results in a lower score for a significant number of members of one sex, it may be unlawful.

Girls and boys spend equal amounts of time on the computer both at home and at school.

Interview with a Title IX Coordinator for HCS : In addition to the district level coordinators each school has two persons that are trained to handle gender equity issues, administrators and/or guidance counselor. Of the ten Title IX areas, sexual harassment is the one he deals with the most. Why? Probably because of the state of the society in which we live.

Trainings: All employees are exposed to Title IX through the Safe School Trainings on issues such as sexual harassment prior to the start of each school term. Investigators (admin., guidance) receive detailed online training through a nationally known program.

Periodically there are lawsuits. Principals should know that Title IX exists and you never know when or how it will show up. When it surface make it a priority, don’t wait, deal with it and treat it with the strictest confidentiality. Protect the victim.

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