The Dissemination of Information on Title Ix, Sex Equity Legislation, to Teachers
Friedman, Jo Elise
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/66076
Description
Title
The Dissemination of Information on Title Ix, Sex Equity Legislation, to Teachers
Author(s)
Friedman, Jo Elise
Issue Date
1981
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Social Sciences
Language
eng
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis has been to reconstruct and analyze the process of the dissemination of information on Title IX, the sex equity provision of the 1972 Education Amendments, to teachers in Minnesota. The study focused on describing that process, determining what conditions (political constraints, financial resources, etc.) have affected the process, and assessing the effectiveness of the dissemination process with respect to teacher awareness of the basic requirements of the Title IX law.
Three hypotheses were tested: (1) teachers in a district where there has been high personal contact in the dissemination process would have a higher awareness of Title IX requirements than teachers in a district where such contact had not occurred, (2) teachers in a district that employed a Title IX Coordinator with no responsibilities other than Title IX would have a higher awareness of Title IX requirements than teachers in a district that did not have such a Title IX Coordinator position, and (3) teachers with a more pro-feminist attitude toward the roles of women in society would have a higher awareness of Title IX requirements than teachers with a more traditional attitude toward the roles of women in society.
In order to answer the research questions and test hypotheses, interviews were conducted at the Minnesota State Department of Education in St. Paul, the Great Lakes Regional Sex Desegregation Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, and at three local Education Agencies in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. A survey instrument was designed and field-tested to assess teacher awareness of the basic requirements of Title IX. An attitude scale developed and validated by Spence and Helmreich (1972) was incorporated in the survey to assess teacher attitudes toward sex equity. Finally, the survey requested teachers to indicate their sources of information on Title IX.
The study concludes that heavy reliance on either personal contact, ormore impersonal contacts (printed communications), is not sufficient to inform teachers of all of the major requirements of the law. The thesis suggests that combining communication channels may be a more effective way of communicating all of the basic requirements of the law.
Further, it was indicated that having a Title IX Coordinator with no responsibilities other than Title IX does not necessarily create a higher awareness of Title IX requirements among teachers. However, the data also suggested that local administrators and teachers have considered such a position to be extremely valuable for expenditures and thorough implementation of the law. The study suggests that further research is needed on the value of the Title IX Coordinator position and the most effective way to assign Title IX responsibilities.
The study also found that teachers with a more pro-feminist attitude had a significantly higher awareness of Title IX requirements. The data further indicated that female teachers had a significantly higher awareness of Title IX requirements, female teachers had a significantly more pro-feminist attitude, and younger teachers (under 40) had a significantly more pro-feminist attitude.
The thesis suggests that the dissemination of information on Title IX to teachers is an important part of the implementation of the law. Further, the study indicated that local administrator support and commitment to Title IX is crucial to successful implementation. More highly committed administrators provide the amount and type of information to teachers which is needed to make changes. The thesis concludes that teachers must be aware of and understand the requirements and implications of Title IX, and how to implement Title IX, in order for the law to be successful in its goals.
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