Assessment of Sex Equity in Athletics in Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools Wayne C
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1992 Assessment of Sex Equity in Athletics in Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools Wayne C. Scarlett This research is a product of the graduate program in Educational Administration at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Scarlett, Wayne C., "Assessment of Sex Equity in Athletics in Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools" (1992). Masters Theses. 2153. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2153 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS ~EPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates who have written formal theses. SUBJECT: Permission to reproduce theses. The University Library is receiving a number of requests from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library hold~ngs. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow theses to be copied. Please sign one of the following statements: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. 7' cf)' -- --•1< 'I" Date Author I respectfully. request Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University not allow my thesis be rep!l"oduced because------~------"-- _______ Date Author Assessmellt 0£ Sex Equity In Athletics Tu Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools (TITLE) BY Wayne C. Scarlett FIELD EXPERIENCE SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Specialist In Education IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILUNOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1992 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE v -,- - - DATE UC,,,llTI nc./"\U L_ Assessment of Sex Equity in Athletics in Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools Wayne C. Scarlett Eastern Illinois University 2 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine sex equity compliance and sex equity achievement in athletic programs in grades 5-8 and 9-12 attendance centers in the eight county area served by Illinois Educational Service Center #13. Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Piatt, and Vermilion Counties were included in the study. An 18 question survey instrument, keyed to the 1990 Illinois ---5!;.:x Equity Rules, was sent to building administrators in all attendance centers in the eight county area that contained grades 5-8 and/or 9-12. The survey asked administrators to provide, by grade and gender, numerical information on student participation, number of sports offered, and the number of assistant coaches available to boys and girls in athletic programs offered in their schools. Administrators were also asked to provide information on athletic budgets, the conducting of student athletic interest surveys, coaches' salaries, availability of facilities and equipment, and the scheduling of practices and competitions. Results of the survey were analyzed to descriptively assess the status of sex equity in boy's and girl's athletic programs in the schools surveyed. The study concludes that sex equity has generally been achieved in athletic programs at schools surveyed. However, social attitudes and administrative complacency may be impeding full compliance with sex equity mandates. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter I. Ir1trodl.lctior1. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Overview of the Problem........... 6 Statement of the Problem .......... 12 Limitations of the Study .......... 13 Definitions of Terms .............. 16 Chapter II. Rationale, Related Literature and Research. 18 Rationale. 18 Review of the Literature .......... 24 Research Review ................... 40 Uniqueness of the Study ........... 43 Chapter III. Design of the Study .................. 45 General Design of the Study ....... 45 Sample and Population ............. 47 Data Collection and Instrumentation ................... 48 Data Analysis ..................... 51 Chapter IV. Results. 53 Survey Returns .................... 53 Survey Results .................... 57 Chapter V. Summary, Findings, Conclusions , and Recommendations ............... 69 Summary ........................... 69 Findings. 70 Conclusions ....................... 74 4 Recommendations ................... 76 References. 80 Appendixes. 85 A: Illinois E.S.C. #13 Schools Surveyed ....... 86 B: Sex Equity Athletic Program Survey for Schools in Illinois E.S.C. #13 ............. 92 C: Letter to Administrators in Illinois E.S.C. #13 Attendance Centers .............. 98 D: Student Sports Interest Survey ............. 99 5 List of Tables Table 1: Sex Equity Survey Empirical Results ... 56 Table 2: Total Gender Population By Grade ...... 57 Table 3: Mean Participation in All Boy's and Girl's Athletic Programs in All Grades 5-8 and 9-12 Buildings in E.S.C. #13 Schools ................. 58 Table 4: Comparison of Mean Percent Participation in Grades 9-12 Boy's and Girl's Athletic Programs .......... 62 Table 5: Athletic Budgets All Buildings ........ 64 Table 6: Total and Mean Number of Athletic All Schools. 66 Table 7: Assistant Coaches All Schools ......... 68 6 CHAPTER I Introduction Overview of the Problem With the passage of Title IX of the educational amendments of 1972, girl's athletic programs in Illinois and across the United States changed rapidly and dramatically. Once relegated to limited competitions in physical education classes or intramural competition in girl's athletic . associations (G.A.A.), girl's athletics rode an upswell of assertive activity. Boosted by women's rights activists, state athletic associations, and the courts, girl's athletics spilled onto the school gymnasium floors and playing fields (Appenzeller, Engler, Mathews, Riekes, and Ross, 1984). Girl's and women's athletics clamored for an equal share of the athletic pie (Federbush, 1973). Faced with shrinking budgets and inadequate facilities to support girl's athletic programs, school boards, athletic directors, and administrators did not welcome the passage of Title IX (Sewall, 1975). Some complained that a "crisis of unprecedented proportions" (Underwood, 1979, p. 18) had been dumped on them by the federal government. However, girl's athletics had been mandated and as Bundy (1974) stated, "Dolly won't never go away again" (p. 6). Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 was an antidiscriminatory law that provided that "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected 7 to discrimination under any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other education program or activity which receives benefits from federal assistance" (Federal Register, 1980, p. 30960). This Law expanded upon the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited discrimination in any federal program on the basis of race, color, or national origin (Aquila, 1981). While Title IX did not specifically mention athletics, athletics had long been recognized as a part of the educational program of elementary and secondary schools; hence athletics were subject to the provisions of Title IX (Wade, 1988). Following the passage of Title IX in 1972, and its implementing rules( 34 CFR, Part 106) in 1974, Illinois acted quickly to implement the provisions of Title IX in its schools (Bundy, 1974). In 1975, PA 79-597, a bill that provided for sex equity in education in Illinois was passed by the Illinois legislature. Implementing rules were passed in 1977. Athletic rules promulgated by the Illinois High School Athletic Association and the Illinois Elementary School Athletic Association were recodified to reflect Title IX provisions. In response to federal and state laws prohibiting sex discrimination in athletics, girl's athletic teams rose rapidly in Illinois. In the 1972-73 school year, 175 schools fielded basketball teams. Two hundred twenty schools fielded volleyball teams. In the 1974-75 school 8 year 252 schools fielded basketball teams and 324 fielded volleyball teams. In the 1990-91 school year, 654 and 704 schools fielded basketball teams and volleyball teams respectively (The Illinois Interscholastic, 1991). While the number of participants and athletic opportunities in girl's sports programs rose rapidly, many of the negative attitudes toward girl's athletics did not change as rapidly (Wendt, 1983). Northrup (1979) pointed out that many school districts were not willing to commit comparable resources to girl's and boy's athletics. Consequently, many girl's athletic programs were relegated to " taking a back seat" to boy's programs. Girl's facilities, equipment, practice time and game schedules, coaching and athletic budgets were not comparable to boy's athletic programs. The Illinois Educational Reform Act of 1985 required that all students be afforded equal access to all educational programs, including athletics, on a comparable basis. The Illinois State Board of Education (I.S.B.E.) was mandated by the Illinois legislature to issue new rules to replace the sex equity implementing guidelines of 1977. The .5.ex Equity Rules were issued on October 3, 1986. The .5.ex