The aim of this essay is to advance understandings of current efforts to democratize disciplined approaches to educational innovation and improvement in the US and other countries, with a specific focus on the macro-level policy contexts of improvement research in education. In the US, earlier analyses examined these policy contexts from a…

George W. Bush entered the White House determined to change federal education policy. In his first year as the president, Bush forged a bipartisan consensus around the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which he signed into law on January 8, 2002. For the first time, states receiving federal K-12 education funding would be required to hold districts…

In October 2006, the U.S. Department of Education introduced the so-called "single-sex regulations," which brought the issue of single-sex education to the forefront of discussion among educators, policymakers, and parents. Anecdotal evidence suggests that single-sex education can have a positive impact on student achievement. However,…

Single-sex education describes a diverse range of situations, including individual classes, programs after school, required programs, voluntary programs, and programs to remedy gender inequities and encourage cultural and racial pride. This brief addresses the genesis and legality of single-sex classrooms, the merits and critiques of single-sex…

It is clear that women have made progress in advancing into the ranks of school administration since the passage of Title IX, and equally clear that they have not achieved parity with men. Recognizing the problems posed by the absence of reliable, comparative data, and considering the need for longitudinal studies to be able to address the…

Results of a two-year study to measure the extent of Title IX compliance in randomly selected California school districts are reported. Carried out by the California Coalition for Sex Equity in Education, the study was designed to demonstrate that districts which make an active effort to promote Title IX implementation by involving public…

A study was undertaken to discover the impact of strategies devised by the California Coalition for Sex Equity (CCSE) on reducing sex bias in schools. The strategies (referred to as power-based strategies) were based on identifying key decision makers in school districts and enlisting their support in helping staff identify and reduce gender bias…

This book examines research and public policy regarding single-sex schooling, particularly girls-only classes in public, coeducational schools. The book explains that since the passage of Title IX in 1972, which calls for equal access and participation regardless of gender, educators have attempted to address gender equity issues in schools. It…

In March, 2004, the federal Department of Education issued proposed Title IX regulations that promise to provide public school districts and charter school organizers considerable flexibility in establishing single-sex classes and schools. At the same time, however, as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, the Department has called for…

Findings of a state-by-state survey of sex equity information relevant to Title IX of the Educational Amendments and the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) are presented in two sections. The first section contains background on Title IX and WEEA and a synopsis of research findings vis-a-vis female representation in interscholastic sports,…

In this two volume set, educators explore the intersection of gender and education. Their entries deal with educational theories, research, curricula, practices, personnel, and policies, but also with variations in the gendering of education across historical and cultural contexts. The various contributors discuss gender as a social construction.…