[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE HIGH SCHOOL DATA TRANSPARENCY ACT

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                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 4, 2013

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to introduce the 
High School Data Transparency Act. Since the enactment of Title IX in 
1972, the number of women competing in college sports has soared by 
more than 600 percent while the number of high school girls competing 
in sports increased by over 1,000 percent. Yet, despite our incredible 
progress over the years, we still have more work to do.
  Young women in high school currently receive 1.3 million fewer 
opportunities to play sports than young men, and this gap is 
increasing. The problem stems from a lack of transparency and 
accountability in our high schools. Federal law requires colleges and 
universities to report basic information about the funding of athletic 
programs for men and women and the participation of men and women 
throughout these sports. Due in part to this public information, 
American women have unrivaled opportunity at the collegiate level.
  Unfortunately, the basic actions required of our universities are not 
required of our high schools. As a result, we are seeing fewer and 
fewer high schools realize full equality for male and female athletes, 
and more young women being denied the opportunity to realize their full 
potential both on and off the field.
  I've met with many Olympic gold medalists who have told me that Title 
IX--and the accompanying athletic scholarships it made possible--was 
the reason they were able to attend college and pursue their dreams. 
These Olympians have emphasized that the benefits of sports 
participation are not limited to their achievements on the field. 
Indeed, statistics have shown that young women thrive when they 
participate in sports and are less likely to get pregnant, drop out of 
school, do drugs, smoke, or develop mental illness. Increasing young 
students' physical activity can also help combat childhood obesity, 
which is at an all-time high.
  To address the lack of reporting at the high school level, the High 
School Data Transparency Act would require that high schools report 
basic data on the number of female and male students in their athletic 
programs and the expenditures made for their sports teams. This would 
be an easy change for our high schools to make. Several states, 
including Kentucky, Georgia, and New Mexico, have already implemented 
similar reporting requirements at the state level, and high school 
athletics directors from those states tell us that it usually takes 
just 2-6 hours of one person's time to complete each year.
  The extraordinary accomplishments we've achieved together over the 
past four decades of Title IX are a cause for celebration, but we must 
look forward and continue our steady march of progress.
  I urge my colleagues to build on our advancement and help ensure that 
young women in high school have equal opportunities to play sports by 
supporting the High School Data Transparency Act.
  Thank you.

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