New Civil Rights Data Released by Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released new civil rights data from the 2021-22 school year. This data provides critical insight into the extent to which students have equal educational opportunities in the nation's public schools.

Key Findings

• High schools with high enrollments of Black and Latino students offered fewer courses in mathematics, science, and computer science than schools with low enrollments of Black and Latino students.
• A majority of students who attended public schools where fewer than half of the teachers met all state certification requirements were Black and Latino.
• Black students and Native American or Alaska Native students were more likely than White students to attend a school with a sworn law enforcement officer or security guard but no school counselor.
• Black boys and girls, Hispanic boys, White boys, boys of two or more races, and students with disabilities were overrepresented in suspensions and expulsions.
  

OCR's Proposal for Future Data Collections

OCR also issued a proposal for a second round of public comment on what should be collected in the CRDC for the 2025-26 and 2027-28 school years. The proposal includes collecting new data on:

• The number of incidents of informal removal and the number of students who were informally removed from their education programs.
• The presence of threat assessment teams in schools and the number of students referred to such teams.
• The number of full-time equivalency (FTE) teachers who hold a bilingual certification, licensure, or endorsement.
• The number of students placed by their school districts in private schools, including the number of those students who are subjected to restraint or seclusion in those private schools.
  

Importance of This Data

This data is critical for identifying and addressing racial and other disparities in education. It can be used to inform policy decisions and interventions aimed at ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed in school.

Call to Action

The Department of Education is calling on all states, districts, and schools to recommit to ensuring fair and equal educational opportunity for every student. This includes ensuring that all students have access to qualified teachers, rigorous coursework, and a safe and supportive learning environment.

What are your thoughts on the data released by OCR? What can we do to ensure that all students have access to a quality education?