Although Title IX is a law of the land, there is still much resistance to full, and even partial, compliance. Discrimination on the basis of sex has been and continues to be a crucial and significant issue in American society. The purpose of this study encompassed two foci. The first was to analyze and investigate attitudes and beliefs of superintendents and Title IX coordinators in two Massachusetts regions regarding Title IX, current, and problematic global equity issues. The second concern was the measure of the extent to which the feminist/political perspectives of superintendents may influence the implementation of Title IX in a given system. A review of the literature indicated "woefully laggard" Title IX implementation, and gender inequities in nearly every aspect of education, including language, texts, guidance, and administrative positions. A questionnaire developed by the researcher and educational consultants was mailed to 161 superintendents and Title IX coordinators from two Massachusetts regions. The questionnaire was comprised of 48 statements which represented issues of equity, education, working women, gender differences, prayer, the military, and change. Participants were asked to respond on a Likert-type scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Neutral; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly Agree. The superintendents were also asked to respond to questions concerning Title IX compliance, demographic and personal data. From this information, the researcher hoped to match responses to Levels of belief, according to another instrument, the Quality of Education Index. A synthesis of the evidence indicated variance in response on statements concerning equity and gender differences particularly between the men and women. Statements directly related to Title IX often prompted neutral responses from the superintendents and male coordinators. It was impossible to assign a correlation between feminist/political perspectives and Title IX implementation, as most systems reported full compliance under the law. The questionnaire proved to be an effective instrument with which to gather information concerning equity and other current problems. Continued research should be directed toward the applicability of the questionnaire to other populations and a comprehensive assessment of Title IX implementation, including the process by which a coordinator is chosen.

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Principals are assuming more responsibility and are becoming accountable to a greater extent for the success of students. This has become particularly the case in Massachusetts since passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993 which expanded the principal's role and powers at the building level. Knowledge of how change can be led in the elementary building is an essential skill for principals. The purpose of this research was to study Massachusetts elementary principal's knowledge and attitudes regarding change in educational settings, adults' response to change, leadership style, and building climate issues. This information was compared to research regarding how change is effectively led in schools. It was also studied in regard to several demographic indicators such as, gender, size of school and community, educational background, and years of experience. To gather this information, a random sample of elementary principals in Massachusetts was stratified by gender and size of community and then surveyed using an instrument composed of a five point Likert scale. The results indicated that elementary principals in Massachusetts describe their leadership style as primarily collaborative. The Directive model of leadership was rejected. Their knowledge and attitudes toward change in schools indicates a thorough understanding of change principles, adult learning styles and life cycle issues. They see little difference between working with men and women and differently experienced staff. They understand that the principal's role in this process is essential and take much responsibility for the success of their schools. The skills of empowerment of staff, consensus building, participatory decision making, vision and goal setting and creating a professional and stimulating climate in their buildings are all valued. Male and female principals differed in regards to age, and experience with female principals being three years younger and having more teaching yet less administrative experience. There were few areas of differences in Leadership style between the genders. Women ranked coaching, modeling, and empowering staff higher than men. Men ranked consensus making, and managerial skills higher.

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