Patricia A. Schmuck

Continuing the Journey Toward Gender Equity

Many contributors to this article started their journey to increase gender equity in education around 1972, when federal Title IX legislation was passed. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. This article discusses progress and future possibilities for additional useful research. After reviewing relevant goals, we address equity issues in the areas of the education workforce; student educational attainment and career achievement; formal curricula (including content and testing); and informal curricula (including classroom interaction, single-sex environments, sexuality, and family and child care issues). Although there has been progress in attaining equity goals in some of these areas, we conclude that there are many continuing inequities that merit exploration and resolution by educational researchers and practitioners. Additionally, there is a need for more systematic development of a comprehensive research and development agenda and a supportive national infrastructure to fund, promote, deliver, and achieve gender equity in education.

Women’s Place in Educational Administration: Past, Present, and Future

Women’s place in educational administration today grows out of a history of beliefs, events, and expectations about women’s right and ability to lead in schools and society. Although today women represent about 30 percent of public school administrators in the United States, and contentious debate about whether women should be administrators has subsided, new questions are being raised. Do women administrators in the educational hierarchy make a difference in the practice of leadership in schools? Do women bring different leadership to school management than men, individually or collectively?

Democratic Participation in Small-Town Schools

To study democratic participation in small-town schools, over 5 months the authors interviewed and observed local educators, policymakers, and students from 25 districts in 21 states. The article presents data on citizen involvement, administrator-teacher collaboration, teacher collegiality, student voice, and cooperative learning. The democracy that was found had little to do with academic life. The authors conclude with recommendations to enhance democratic participation about academic matters in small-town schools.

Gender Equity: A Critical Democratic Component of America's High Schools:

These writers share their concerns about the treatment of girls in U. S. high schools and make some recommenda tions about what principals can do to address the problem.