The White House announced new measures Wednesday to help increase the number of women in the science, math and technology fields as part of a celebration for the 40-year anniversary of a law prohibiting discrimination in education based on gender.
The new guidelines are reinforcements to the law, known as Title IX.
They include the Department of Education broadening data collection in public schools for more accurate analysis of the gender and minority gaps in enrollment, graduation rates and in science classes.
New guidelines will also be issued to grant-receiving universities and colleges to help institutions comply with Title IX rules in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Obama adviser Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said more work was needed to ensure equal access in academics.
"This is an extraordinary milestone to celebrate, but it can't just be about celebration," Muñoz told a group of activists and athletes. "It must be about looking ahead."
In 1972, when Title IX was passed, 43 percent of students enrolling in degree-granting institutions were women, compared to 57 percent of new students in 2010.
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