ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the way public policy can lead society toward a more equitable distribution of educational access and content. The public debate over the character of women's education began in the seventeenth century in Europe and extended to the American colonies. The odd mix of gender-neutral and gender-specific education policy on the books ensures that this debate will continue, with each side armed with gendered facts to support its pursuit of equality in education. A national Equity Resource Center was established as a clearinghouse for teacher training, developing equity curriculum materials, and conducting research related to gender equity in education. Campus sexual assault is both a crime and a violation of the Legislating Gender Equity in Education prohibition against sex discrimination. By one estimate, 67 percent of college students experience some form of sexual or gender harassment on campus, and nearly as many say they have witnessed another student being harassed on campus.
