Equality of Opportunity in Education and Training - Women's Education Equity Act - United States

Women's Education Equity Act of 1994
20 USC §7231

The Act allows the Secretary of Education to promote, coordinate, and evaluate gender equity policies, programmes, activities and initiatives in all Federal education programmes and offices, as well as developing materials and research relating to education equity for women and girls. The Secretary may also provide information and technical assistance to ensure the effective implementation of gender equity programmes and coordinate gender equity programmes and activities with other Federal agencies with jurisdiction over education and related programmes.

A number of specific support and technical assistance activities by the Secretary are referred to:

• assisting educational agencies and institutions to implement policies and practices to comply with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.);
• training for teachers, counsellors, administrators, and other school personnel, especially preschool and elementary school personnel, in gender equitable teaching and learning practices;
• leadership training for women and girls to develop professional and marketable skills to compete in the global marketplace, improve self-esteem, and benefit from exposure to positive role models;
• school-to-work transition programmes, guidance and counselling activities, and other programmes to increase opportunities for women and girls to enter a technologically demanding workplace and, in particular, to enter highly skilled, high paying careers in which women and girls have been under-represented;
• enhancing educational and career opportunities for those women and girls who suffer multiple forms of discrimination, based on sex and on race, ethnic origin, limited-English proficiency, disability, socioeconomic status, or age;
• assisting pregnant students and students rearing children to remain in or to return to secondary school, graduate, and prepare their preschool children to start school;
• evaluating exemplary model programmes to assess the ability of such programmes to advance educational equity for women and girls;
• introduction into the classroom of textbooks, curricula, and other materials designed to achieve equity for women and girls;
• programmes and policies to address sexual harassment and violence against women and girls and to ensure that educational institutions are free from threats to the safety of students and personnel;
• nondiscriminatory tests of aptitude and achievement and of alternative assessments that eliminate biased assessment instruments from use;
• programmes to increase educational opportunities, including higher education, vocational training, and other educational programmes for low-income women, including underemployed and unemployed women, and women receiving assistance under a State programmes funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• programmes to improve representation of women in educational administration at all levels;
• planning, development and initial implementation of evaluation programmes and comprehensive plans for implementation of equity programmes in State and local educational agencies and institutions of higher education; including community colleges as well as innovative approaches to school-community partnerships for educational equity.

The Act also makes provision for grants to public agencies, private nonprofit agencies, organizations, institutions, student groups, community groups, and individuals to develop model equity programmes. Provision is also made for funding the implementation of equity programmes in schools.

The Act sets out the criteria and priorities for grants and provides for the preparation of evaluation and dissemination reports. It also requires that the activities assisted under the Act are administered within the Education Department by a person who has recognized professional qualifications and experience in the field of gender equity education.