Title IX’s legislation has been in place since 1972 and has affected female participation in a positive form towards gender equity. However many institution sill have difficulty complying with the standards mandated by Title IX. Gender equity is established by meeting substantial proportionality, continued expansion, or full accommodations prongs mandated by Title IX for an institution to be in compliance. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of the athletic directors of the 15 public community and junior colleges in Mississippi regarding Title IX compliance and determine if their respective institutions are in compliance with the substantial proportionality (SP) prong of Title IX. The study identified the perceptions of the athletic directors regarding their institutions’ Title IX compliance, as well as the effective strategies and barriers toward meeting the requirements to comply with Title IX within their programs. In addition, the study revealed whether or not the institutions complied with the SP prong of Title IX. Athletic directors (N=15; 53% response rate) from the public community and junior colleges from Mississippi completed the Two-Year College Title IX Survey. Results revealed that overall the athletic directors perceived that their institutions were in compliance with Title IX. However, the athletic directors perceived that the listed strategies were not effective and the barriers listed were not perceived barriers to Title IX compliance. However, the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act data revealed that none of the institutions complied with the SP prong of Title IX. From a practical perspective, the study revealed that while the athletic directors perceived that their institutions met the SP prong, EADA data revealed that none of the institutions in the state met that prong. Consequently, this finding indicates that there is a need for more education regarding Title IX compliance at the institutions. This information could serve as a starting point for an in-depth institutional study on Title IX. From a theoretical perspective, the study provided information that gives leaders at the public community and junior colleges in Mississippi a unique look at diversity within their athletic departments.

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The purpose of this study was to trace the development of case law regarding sexual harassment in elementary and secondary public schools through a survey of state, circuit, and federal court districts, and United States Supreme Court decisions. To trace these laws, the study examined nationwide sexual harassment court decisions from 1988 to present. Sexual harassment is a critical problem in the school environment. Recent surveys indicate that sexual harassment has reached epidemic proportions in our schools and classrooms. Sexual harassment occurs daily on buses, in hallways, gymnasiums, classrooms, and on the playgrounds. Oftentimes, sexual harassment goes unreported by students. More importantly, when sexual harassment is reported, the school does virtually nothing to assure studetns that their complaints will be taken seriously. Sexual harassment can contribute to serious harm to the victim, their families, other classmates, the school, and the school district. A review of related literature reveals that students who are sexually harassed suffer from behavioral, emotional, academic, and physical consequences. Without the support and intervention of school officials, students may not be able to overcome the impact of sexual harassment. Several therories and models were reviewed in the study to examine possible explanations for incidence of sexual harassment in public schools. It should be noted that no single theory or model offered a precise explanation of the reasons students are harassed in schools. Several landmark and key court cases regarding sexual harassment in public school were reviewed. Also, key federal legislative statutes and guidelines that provide the framework for judicial decisions on sexual harassment in public schools were reviewed. It was determined that four U. S. Supreme Court cases set precedence for lower courts to follow in adjudicating decisions of sexual harassment in public schools. The judicial decrees protect students in the school environment and are specific about the roles and responsiblities of the school district, administrators, and teachers. Additionally, the courts have taken important and significant steps towards making school districts officials liable for not effectively addressing sexual harassment in the schools. Based on the broad scope of the study and the conclusions, several educational, prevention, and intervention strategies were recommended for students, parents, teachers, administrators, school districts, the community, and stakeholders. If these recommendations are implemented in school districts nationwide, the incidence and prevalence of sexual harassment in public school should decrease significantly.

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Title IX establishes in law equal opportunity for women in educational programs that receive financial support from the federal government. In higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the misapplication of Title IX in college athletics is believed to have caused the termination of college wrestling programs that were otherwise successful programs. A review of the literature suggests an absence of research on Title IX and men’s varsity wrestling. This novel study included the perceptions of wrestling coaches and athletic administrators on Title IX in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which is nationally known for its participation in the sport of wrestling. A quantitative approach was selected because it afforded the opportunity to include a greater number of subjects than a qualitative study, and the opportunity to generalize the results to other states. The descriptive survey approach allowed subjects to respond to questions administered through an online survey, using the SurveyMonkey® platform and a new instrument called the Title IX Inventory (TIXI). The subjects for this study included college wrestling coaches, institution presidents, and athletic administrators. The data from 49 electronic SurveyMonkey® surveys completed by participants were analyzed. Findings from Pearson correlations revealed that coaches with more years of experience with wrestling are more negative in their perceptions of the impact of Title IX. A one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests showed that athletic administrators have a consistently more supportive attitude about the impact of Title IX. Suggestions for future research include studies on institutional presidents’ perceptions; college athletes’ perceptions; and various forms of Title IX compliance pursued by U.S. colleges and universities, specifically as it is applied to varsity athletics. / Educational Administration

Doctor of Philosophy / Most often, we encounter our first definitions of violence, abuse, and harm when we enter the work force, through some form of training or maybe posters. All of these definitions are created by other humans. Most of these definitions are created by lawyers or specialists. Most people take these definitions for granted – that they are accurate, never change, and act as a "cover-all". For example, if an action does not fit that specific definition, then the action is not violent or abusive. But, these ways of thinking do not line up with how people who have lived through violence and abuse define their experiences. Also, technology is rarely included in these definitions, despite our phones, computers, and other devices being constantly used to create and maintain relationships with others. Using stories told on Reddit, I create different definitions of harm, violence, and abuse that incorporate technology and capture these experiences more accurately. I then discuss additional ways of thinking about violence and abuse from other fields that offer different ways of understanding. I provide an example of this new kind of violence called follower weaponization, created through and with social media, before suggesting a few new ways of addressing violence and abuse beyond online training models that focuses on affordable housing, living wages, noncarceral response teams, and increasing access to childcare, transportation, community care, and mental health resources.

Federal law requires institutions to designate campus-based administrators to oversee Title IX processes and investigations, but little is known about how these have been professionally prepared for their roles. The purpose of this study was to understand the professional preparation, educational experiences, and professional training of Title IX administrators and to understand their independence in decision-making in those roles. This study utilized qualitative content analysis and a social constructionist approach to analyze data generated from interviews and document analysis. Sixteen current and former Title IX administrators (investigators, deputy coordinators, coordinators) provided their perspectives on their professional training and development. Using frameworks of work/professional socialization and professions theory, findings illustrated complex systems for knowledge acquisition, professional preparation, and professional socialization based on factors including resources, institutional context, and role prioritization. Participants' formal education, formative experiences, position-specific training, and professional organizations training all served as preparation for their roles. Discussion focused on implications for graduate programs, training and trainers, institutions and supervisors, the field of higher education, and current Title IX practitioners regarding professional preparation for these roles.

Using a survey and case study formats, this study focused on the level of understanding and implementation of Title IX relating to Texas public school students. The survey focused on the degrees of principal understanding and the compliance with the statute. Additional areas of study analyzed the impact of such factors as principal gender and school level on understanding and implementation. The case study examined the degrees of implementation for a district that had experienced civil rights action and one that had not.

The purpose of this study was to compare the Title IX compliance trends of high school sports in Florida over the past two decades (1985-2005) against national trends. The literature review discusses: the historical events leading to Title IX, the administrative implementation of Title IX, the legal perspective of Title IX, and the impact of Title IX on gender equity in sports. The study was conducted between January and June, 2007. The data focused on: male and female participants in high school sports in Florida, the numbers of male and female participants in high school sports across the nation, and enrollment figures of high schools in both Florida and the nation. The results indicate there was no significant difference between national Title IX compliance trends and Florida Title IX compliance trends in high school sports during 1985 through 2005. In fact, there was widespread non-compliance with the substantial proportionality of Title IX, with some improvements in compliance over time. Future research should focus on other strategies to comply with Title IX.