Printer FriendlyOffice of Equity & Access
Office of Equity & Access |
| Text Index |
Custom Search
|
Equity News, June 2002
TITLE IX: 30 YEARS OF PROGRESS
Title IX celebrates its 30th anniversary in June 2002. There has been much media attention to the role of Title IX in expanding opportunities for women in sports. But in many other areas of education, Title IX gains are equally dramatic. Consider the following data.
Percentage of Professional
Degrees Awarded to Women
|
1972
|
1998
|
|
| Medical degrees |
9%
|
38%
|
| Law degrees |
7%`
|
44%
|
| Dental degrees |
1%
|
38%
|
| Business degrees |
8%
|
47% (1992)
|
Percentage of Athletes Who
Are Women
|
1972
|
2000
|
|
| High School |
7%
|
42%
|
| College |
15%`
|
41%
|
Percentage of Degrees Awarded
to Women
|
1972
|
2000
|
|
| Associate decrees |
43%
|
60%
|
| Bachelor's degrees |
44%`
|
57%
|
| Masters degrees |
41%
|
58%
|
Completion Rates for Women
|
1972
|
2000
|
|
| Completed High School |
79%
|
89%
|
| Ages 25-29 with Bachelor's |
16%`
|
31%
|
Percentage of Women Who Took Selected Courses
|
1982
|
1992
|
|
| Geometry |
40%
|
72%
|
| Algebra 2 |
36%`
|
58%
|
| Trigonometry |
11%
|
21%
|
| Calculus |
4%
|
10%
|
| Chemistry |
31%
|
57%
|
| Physics |
9%
|
21%
|
READING RESOURCES
The National Urban League and Scholastic, Inc. have partnered in developing “Read and Rise: Preparing Our Children for a Lifetime of Success.”
Read and Rise is a resource guide offering research-based
information and suggestions to engage children in reading and literacy-building
activities. It is divided by age and grade and includes literacy
goals for each age group. It targets parents, family members and
caregivers. You can download a free copy of Read and Rise at
http://www.nul.org/readandrise
PAPERLESS COMMUNICATIONS
This is the last copy of Equity News
that will be mailed to you. If you haven’t already signed up
for DOE’s paperless communication system, do it immediately.
To receive Equity News and other Department of Education publications in the future, you must do the following:
1. Go to the DOE Home Page (http://www.fldoe.org/)
2. Select “Official Communications”
3. Select “Sign Up for E-mail Notices”
4. Follow on-screen instructions
You can sign up for multiple interest groups such as K-12, postsecondary and workforce development. Be sure to include “Equity” among your selections in each interest area.
LEGAL UPDATE
Athletics. The
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing a city in Oregon
for not providing the same resources to the girls’ recreational
softball league as it does to boys’ teams. This is an unusual
case since most sports-access suits have been filed under Title
IX and are school or college oriented.
“This is a new wave of sports equity litigation,” said
Lenora Lapidus, director of the Women’s Rights Project at ACLU.
Cities are not subject to Title IX. This suit against city recreation
athletic programs contends that the city is violating equal protection
rights under the state and U. S. constitutions.
Athletics and ADA. A paraplegic baseball coach at Westminster
High School in California won a suit allowing him to resume his on-field
duties. During a game, an umpire informed the coach that he was
not permitted on the field in his wheelchair for safety reasons
and because it would “slow the game down” .
ADA and §504. The U. S. Supreme Court ruled on June
17 that courts cannot assess punitive damages against governmental
agencies under Section 504 and ADA. Barnes v. Gorman does not alter
the requirements for governmental agencies to pay compensatory damages.
PREGNANCY REDUCTION
A program developed by the Social Development
Research Group at the University of Wisconsin to help school children
earn good grades and get along with others, unexpectedly led to
fewer pregnancies even through the project involved no sex education.
The program involved students, teachers and
parents at 18 Seattle schools in high-crime areas. Teachers were
trained to show children how to control their impulses, get what
they want without aggressive behavior and recognize the feelings
of others.
By the time the young women were 21, the pregnancy
rate among them was 38% compared to 56% among those who got no training.
The participants also had significantly fewer sexual partners and
were more likely to use a condom.
J. David Hawkins, director of the Social Development Research Group, stated “these results fit with our theory that if children become bonded to school and committed to achieving in school during the elementary grades, they are less likely to risk that bond by engaging in behavior that puts their future success at risk.”
WELCOMING CUSTOMERS WITH
DISABILITIES
The Southeastern Disability &
Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) has produced a self-paced
webcourse designed to help service center employees develop a better
understanding of accessibility and accommodation issues for customers
with disabilities.
Although the course is oriented toward One-Stop Employment Centers, the course would be useful for employees who work in customer contact facilities such as admissions or enrollment centers. The course offers an introduction to disability service concepts and provides links to related online resources.
The webcourse is free and can be accessed at www.wiawebcourse.org
THE BLACK GENDER GAP
Black Issues in Higher Education reports:
- 45% of African American female faculty hold the rank of untenured assistant professor compared to 29% of African American male faculty
- African American women often earn less than their male peers; e.g. median salary of political scientist is $45,000 for African American women and $71,000 for African American men.