[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      STUDENT RESULTS ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 20, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2) to send 
     more dollars to the classroom and for certain other purposes:

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Chairman, today, I join my colleagues, 
Representatives Woolsey, Sanchez and Morella, in offering this 
amendment to restore the gender equity provisions in the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act.
  The Majority has argued that these equity provisions are no longer 
needed. However, girls continue to face barriers in the classroom. The 
Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) and other gender equity 
provisions are still needed to help overcome these barriers. For 
instance:
  While girls have improved in some areas, girls are still not learning 
the technology skills they need to compete in the 21st century. In 
fact, only a very small percentage of girls take computer science 
courses, even though 65% of jobs in the year 2000 will require these 
skills. The girls that do take computer classes tend to take data 
entry, while boys take advanced programming. For instance, only 17% of 
students who take the computer science Advanced Placement test are 
girls.
  Furthermore, compared with boys, girls receive fewer scores of 3 or 
higher on Advanced Placement tests, the score needed to receive college 
credit. And on high-stakes tests that determine college admissions, 
scholarships, and course credit--including the SAT and ACT--boys 
continue to score higher than girls.
  Although standardized tests, such as NAEP and TIMSS, illustrate that 
girls do score higher in reading and writing, boys still earn the 
highest scores in history, geography, math and science.
  In 1974, I authored the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) to help 
the federal government assist schools in eradicating sex discrimination 
from their programs and practices and in ensuring that a girl's future 
is determined not by her gender, but by her own interests, aspirations, 
and abilities. I consider this Act one of my finest achievements.
  Since its inception, WEEA has been critical in assisting schools to 
achieve educational equity for women and girls. It has funded research; 
it has organized training programs and provided guidance and testing 
activities to combat inequitable educational practices; and it has 
established an 800 number, e-mail, and web site, in order to make these 
materials and models widely available at low cost to teachers, 
administrators, and parents.
  WEEA provides a resource for teachers, administrators and parents 
seeking proven methods to ensure equity in their school systems and 
communities;
  WEEA provides the materials and tools to help schools comply with 
Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally 
funded education institutions;
  WEEA provides the research and model programs to back up Title IX's 
promise to American students of a non-discriminatory education;
  WEEA projects help girls to become confident, educated, and self-
sufficient women; and
  WEEA helps to prevent teen pregnancy; keep girls in schools through 
graduation; provide mentors, and steer them toward careers using math, 
science and technology.
  And that is only a glimpse of what WEEA has done for our girls. Since 
its inception, WEEA has funded over 700 programs, including:
  Programs making math and science opportunities more accessible to 
girls and young women.
  Expanding Your Horizons, which exposes girls to women in non-
traditional careers, have been replicated in communities throughout the 
country, often by AAUW branches.
  Projects developing teaching strategies to enhance girls' and 
ethnically diverse students' learning in math and science.
  The development of ``Engaging Middle School Girls in Math and 
Science'', a nine-week course for teachers and administrators which 
explores ways of creating classroom environments that are supportive of 
girls' successes in these subjects.
  A CD-ROM, called ``A Lifetime of Science, Engineering and 
Mathematics'', that showcases over 100 curricular innovations, 
professional development efforts and informal learning opportunities to 
promote gender equity in science, engineering, and mathematics.
  And the observance of Women's History Month, which has exposed 
students across the country to the important contributions women have 
made to the nation.
  Women have made great strides over the last few decades. However, 
much more needs to be done before there is true gender equity. The 
Women's Educational Equity Act and the gender equity provisions are 
essential in bringing about this change.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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