Title IX and Project Lead the Way: Achieving Equity through All-female Cohorts in Public School Settings

Abstract

Nationally recognized programs, such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW), have provided interventions to increase the number of students exposed to engineering principles at the K-12 level. Although numbers of participants are increasing, in many high schools PLTW is offered as an elective and attracts few female students. In an effort to understand classroom dynamics, many PLTW programs show that interest of underrepresented populations mirrors national metrics for women in engineering. Recently, specialized efforts to recruit and retain women have emerged. Partnerships between universities and K-12 educational systems have been created to provide opportunities to increase student engagement.All-female PLTW Intro to Engineering Design (IED) courses have been developed in several schools to attract more underrepresented students. Over a few short years, specific all-female cohorts have served to increase the number of women at high rates. Though programs with cohorts continue to show success, questions regarding Title IX compliance or violation emerge with single-gender courses offered within public educational settings. This paper will provide an overview of known all-female cohort efforts in Project Lead the Way, an overview of Title IX, and a discussion of whether these cohorts are compliant with gender equity legislation when offered in a public school setting.