Subpart 21 – Women’s Educational Equity Act

SEC. 5611. SHORT TITLE AND FINDINGS.

(a) SHORT TITLE- This subpart may be cited as the ‘Women’s Educational Equity Act of 2001’.

(b) FINDINGS- Congress finds that —

(1) since the enactment of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, women and girls have made strides in educational achievement and in their ability to avail themselves of educational opportunities;

(2) because of funding provided under the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 2001, more curricula, training, and other educational materials concerning educational equity for women and girls are available for national dissemination;

(3) teaching and learning practices in the United States are frequently inequitable as such practices relate to women and girls, for example —

(A) sexual harassment, particularly that experienced by girls, undermines the ability of schools to provide a safe and equitable learning or workplace environment;

(B) classroom textbooks and other educational materials do not sufficiently reflect the experiences, achievements, or concerns of women and, in most cases, are not written by women or persons of color;

(C) girls do not take as many mathematics and science courses as boys, girls lose confidence in their mathematics and science ability as girls move through adolescence, and there are few women role models in the sciences; and

(D) pregnant and parenting teenagers are at high risk for dropping out of school and existing dropout prevention programs do not adequately address the needs of such teenagers;

(4) efforts to improve the quality of public education also must include efforts to ensure equal access to quality education programs for all women and girls;

(5) Federal support should address not only research and development of innovative model curricula and teaching and learning strategies to promote gender equity, but should also assist schools and local communities implement gender equitable practices;

(6) Federal assistance for gender equity must be tied to systemic reform, involve collaborative efforts to implement effective gender practices at the local level, and encourage parental participation; and

(7) excellence in education, high educational achievements and standards, and the full participation of women and girls in American society, cannot be achieved without educational equity for women and girls.

SEC. 5612. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this subpart —

(1) to promote gender equity in education in the United States;

(2) to provide financial assistance to enable educational agencies and institutions to meet the requirements of title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and

(3) to promote equity in education for women and girls who suffer from multiple forms of discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, limited English proficiency, disability, or age.

SEC. 5613. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized —

(1) to promote, coordinate, and evaluate gender equity policies, programs, activities, and initiatives in all Federal education programs and offices;

(2) to develop, maintain, and disseminate materials, resources, analyses, and research relating to education equity for women and girls;

(3) to provide information and technical assistance to assure the effective implementation of gender equity programs;

(4) to coordinate gender equity programs and activities with other Federal agencies with jurisdiction over education and related programs;

(5) to assist the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in identifying research priorities related to education equity for women and girls; and

(6) to perform any other activities consistent with achieving the purposes of this subpart.

(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public agencies, private nonprofit agencies, organizations, institutions, student groups, community groups, and individuals, for a period not to exceed 4 years, to —

(A) provide grants to develop model equity programs; and

(B) provide funds for the implementation of equity programs in schools throughout the Nation.

(2) SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- To achieve the purposes of this subpart, the Secretary is authorized to provide support and technical assistance —

(A) to implement effective gender-equity policies and programs at all educational levels, including —

(i) assisting educational agencies and institutions to implement policies and practices to comply with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

(ii) training for teachers, counselors, administrators, and other school personnel, especially preschool and elementary school personnel, in gender equitable teaching and learning practices;

(iii) 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;

(iv) school-to-work transition programs, guidance and counseling activities, and other programs 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 underrepresented;

(v) 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;

(vi) 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;

(vii) evaluating exemplary model programs to assess the ability of such programs to advance educational equity for women and girls;

(viii) introduction into the classroom of textbooks, curricula, and other materials designed to achieve equity for women and girls;

(ix) programs 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;

(x) nondiscriminatory tests of aptitude and achievement and of alternative assessments that eliminate biased assessment instruments from use;

(xi) programs to increase educational opportunities, including higher education, vocational training, and other educational programs for low-income women, including underemployed and unemployed women, and women receiving assistance under a State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act;

(xii) programs to improve representation of women in educational administration at all levels; and

(xiii) planning, development, and initial implementation of —

(I) comprehensive institutionwide or districtwide evaluation to assess the presence or absence of gender equity in educational settings;

(II) comprehensive plans for implementation of equity programs in State educational agencies and local educational agencies and institutions of higher education, including community colleges; and

(III) innovative approaches to school-community partnerships for educational equity; and

(B) for research and development, which shall be coordinated with each of the research institutes of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement to avoid duplication of research efforts, designed to advance gender equity nationwide and to help make policies and practices in educational agencies and institutions, and local communities, gender equitable, including —

(i) research and development of innovative strategies and model training programs for teachers and other education personnel;

(ii) the development of high-quality and challenging assessment instruments that are nondiscriminatory;

(iii) the development and evaluation of model curricula, textbooks, software, and other educational materials to ensure the absence of gender stereotyping and bias;

(iv) the development of instruments and procedures that employ new and innovative strategies to assess whether diverse educational settings are gender equitable;

(v) the development of instruments and strategies for evaluation, dissemination, and replication of promising or exemplary programs designed to assist local educational agencies in integrating gender equity in their educational policies and practices;

(vi) updating high-quality educational materials previously developed through awards made under this subpart;

(vii) the development of policies and programs to address and prevent sexual harassment and violence to ensure that educational institutions are free from threats to safety of students and personnel;

(viii) the development and improvement of programs and activities to increase opportunity for women, including continuing educational activities, vocational education, and programs for low-income women, including underemployed and unemployed women, and women receiving assistance under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act; and

(ix) the development of guidance and counseling activities, including career education programs, designed to ensure gender equity.

SEC. 5614. APPLICATIONS.

An application under this subpart shall —

(1) set forth policies and procedures that will ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the activities assisted under this subpart, including an evaluation of the practices, policies, and materials used by the applicant and an evaluation or estimate of the continued significance of the work of the project following completion of the award period;

(2) demonstrate how the applicant will address perceptions of gender roles based on cultural differences or stereotypes;

(3) for applications for assistance under section 5613(b)(1), demonstrate how the applicant will foster partnerships and, where applicable, share resources with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, community-based organizations (including organizations serving women), parent, teacher, and student groups, businesses, or other recipients of Federal educational funding which may include State literacy resource centers;

(4) for applications for assistance under section 5613(b)(1), demonstrate how parental involvement in the project will be encouraged; and

(5) for applications for assistance under section 5613(b)(1), describe plans for continuation of the activities assisted under this subpart with local support following completion of the grant period and termination of Federal support under this subpart.

SEC. 5615. CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES.

(a) CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish separate criteria and priorities for awards under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 5613(b) to ensure that funds under this subpart are used for programs that most effectively will achieve the purposes of this subpart.

(2) CRITERIA- The criteria described in paragraph (1) may include the extent to which the activities assisted under this subpart —

(A) address the needs of women and girls of color and women and girls with disabilities;

(B) meet locally defined and documented educational equity needs and priorities, including compliance with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

(C) are a significant component of a comprehensive plan for educational equity and compliance with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in the particular school district, institution of higher education, vocational-technical institution, or other educational agency or institution; and

(D) implement an institutional change strategy with long-term impact that will continue as a central activity of the applicant after the grant under this subpart has terminated.

(b) PRIORITIES- In awarding grants under this subpart, the Secretary may give special consideration to applications —

(1) submitted by applicants that have not received assistance under this subpart or this subpart’s predecessor authorities;

(2) for projects that will contribute significantly to directly improving teaching and learning practices in the local community; and

(3) for projects that will —

(A) provide for a comprehensive approach to enhancing gender equity in educational institutions and agencies;

(B) draw on a variety of resources, including the resources of local educational agencies, community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and private organizations;

(C) implement a strategy with long-term impact that will continue as a central activity of the applicant after the grant under this subpart has terminated;

(D) address issues of national significance that can be duplicated; and

(E) address the educational needs of women and girls who suffer multiple or compound discrimination based on sex and on race, ethnic origin, disability, or age.

(c) SPECIAL RULE- To the extent feasible, the Secretary shall ensure that grants awarded under this subpart for each fiscal year address —

(1) all levels of education, including preschool, elementary and secondary education, higher education, vocational education, and adult education;

(2) all regions of the United States; and

(3) urban, rural, and suburban educational institutions.

(d) COORDINATION- Research activities supported under this subpart —

(1) shall be carried out in consultation with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement to ensure that such activities are coordinated with and enhance the research and development activities supported by the Office; and

(2) may include collaborative research activities which are jointly funded and carried out with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

(e) LIMITATION- Nothing in this subpart shall be construed as prohibiting men and boys from participating in any programs or activities assisted with funds under this subpart.

SEC. 5616. REPORT.

Not later than January 1, 2006, the Secretary shall submit to the President and Congress a report on the status of educational equity for girls and women in the Nation.

SEC. 5617. ADMINISTRATION.

(a) EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION- Not later than January 1, 2005, the Secretary shall evaluate and disseminate materials and programs developed under this subpart and shall report to Congress regarding such evaluation materials and programs.

(b) PROGRAM OPERATIONS- The Secretary shall ensure that the activities assisted under this subpart are administered within the Department by a person who has recognized professional qualifications and experience in the field of gender equity education.

SEC. 5618. AMOUNT.

From amounts made available to carry out this subpart for a fiscal year, not less than two-thirds of such amount shall be used to carry out the activities described in section 5613(b)(1).’.

SEC. 502. CONTINUATION OF AWARDS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), in the case of any agency or consortium that was awarded a grant under section 5111 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7211) or any person or agency that was awarded a contract or grant under part B, D, or E of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8031 et seq., 8091 et seq., 8131 et seq.), prior to the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall continue to provide funds in accordance with the terms of such award until the date on which the award period terminates under such terms.

(b) SPECIAL RULE- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, any person or agency that was awarded or entered into a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under part B of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7231 et seq.), prior to the date of enactment of this Act shall continue to receive funds in accordance with the terms of such grant, contract, or agreement until the date on which the grant, contract, or agreement period terminates under such terms.

-###-

Previous	Table of Contents	Next