Abstract
Purpose. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, designed to eliminate sex discrimination, was to be totally implemented by July 21, 1978. Variations in progress toward sex equity among local education agencies create a problem in the enforcement of regulations and tend to erode the principles of equality inherent in the statutes. This study was designed to describe the status of Title IX compliance in selected Florida public schools, as perceived by district superintendents and Title IX coordinators, and to determine whether there were any significant differences among districts according to location or size in perceived compliance.Procedure. A multi-stage, stratified, random sampling process--utilizing size and location as substrata--was employed to select a sample of twelve local education agencies to participate in the study. Two separate questionnaires addressing Title IX perspectives were completed by the superintendent and Title IX coordinator, respectively, in each district in the sample. Using cross tabulations and frequency counts, the Chi Square test was used to test the research hypotheses.Findings. The majority of the districts rated themselves "in compliance" with Title IX requirements. In response to the status of compliance in course, program, and activity offerings, medium and small districts showed a greater proportion of "in compliance"; all of the large districts were rated "partial compliance". District size appeared to have no bearing on the level of understanding of Title IX requirements. Superintendents in southern districts, however, evidenced a greater level of understanding in such critical areas as financial aid, course offerings, counseling, and athletics.Though perceptions of barriers to Title IX compliance appeared similar in north and south LEAs, significant differences according to size of district were noted by coordinators and superintendents, respectively, in the extent to which the barriers of finances and lack of administrative emphasis on compliance had been overcome. Medium-sized districts rate themselves as having overcome such barriers to a greater degree than their small and large counterparts. Sex bias and apathy were viewed as major barriers to Title IX implementation, while grievance procedures, course offerings, physical education, counseling, and self-evaluation were the least understood regulations.Title IX coordinators, the majority of whom had functioned in their positions longer than one year, assumed a wide variety of job titles and responsibilities. They closely resembled each other in their attitudes toward support systems which assisted them in making progress toward compliance. Southern districts and large districts viewed an aware student body as an extremely important facilitative factor for compliance. Southern districts were also more inclined than those in the North to give higher ranking to general support of the concept of equity as a facilitative factor for Title IX compliance.Generalizations. The following generalizations were generated from the research and based upon study findings: (1) The concept of educational equity is not yet fully embraced by school districts in Florida. (2) Size of school districts has little or no bearing on Title IX erudition. There is, however, greater Title IX sophistication in South Florida districts. (3) Federal financial support to local districts would serve as a positive incentive to Title IX implementation.