Instructions - Athletic Participation Tool

Instructions - Athletic Participation Tool

ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES: SELF-EVALUATION TOOL

INSTRUCTIONS

Purpose

Use this tool to evaluate whether each school within your district is providing equal opportunities for male and female students to participate in athletics.

Background: The three-part test

Title IX and Washington state law require public schools to provide male and female students with equal opportunities to participate in athletics. A school can meet this requirement if it can demonstrate any one of the following:

  1. The percentages of male and female athletes are substantially proportionate to the percentages of male and female students enrolled; or
  2. It has a history and continuing practice of expanding athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex; or
  3. Its athletics program fully and effectively accommodates the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.

This is called the Three-Part Test.

Gathering information

To complete this form, you will need the following information for each school, by sex:

  • Total student enrollment
  • Number of students participating in athletics (i.e., the number of athletic opportunities)
  • A list of sports and levels of competition added or dropped in the last 5 years
  • The top 3 sports requested in the most recent student athletic interest survey, and the district’s response to those requests (e.g., Does the district plan to add any sports to meet student interest? If not, why?).

You can collect this information from each school using the Data Collection Form, available online here:

Entering information

  1. Click the “Enable Content” button in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

  1. Select the “Input” tab at the bottom of the screen.

  1. Enter the information requested for each school, one at a time.

  1. Mouse over the red triangles in the form for more information about the data requested.

  1. Press the “add” button at the bottom after you have input the information for each school.

Evaluating your results

  1. Once the information for all schools has been entered, select the “Report” tab.

  1. Click the box at the top of the page to activate a dropdown menu. Use the scroll bar to select a school.
  1. Use the report to review whether each school has meet the Three-Part Test.

A school can meet this requirement if it can demonstrate any one of the following:

  1. The percentages of male and female athletes are substantially proportionate to the percentages of male and female students enrolled; or
  2. It has a history and continuing practice of expanding athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex; or
  3. Its athletics program fully and effectively accommodates the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.
  1. If the school has not met any part of the test, develop and implement a plan to bring the school into compliance. Call OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights Office (360.725.6162) for assistance.
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