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The U.S. Department of Educations(Department) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today releasednew civil rights datafrom the 202021 school year, offering critical insight regarding civil rights indicators during that coronavirus pandemic year. OCR also released seven data reports and snapshots, including A First Look: Students Access to Educational Opportunities in the Nations Public Schools, which provides an overview of these data and information.

In America, talent and creativity can come from anywhere, but only if we provide equitable educational opportunities to students everywhere, said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. We cannot be complacent when the data repeatedly tells us that the race, sex, or disability of students continue to dramatically impact everything from access to advanced placement courses to the availability of school counselors to the use of exclusionary and traumatic disciplinary practices. The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized equity for underserved students throughout our historic investments in education, and we will continue to partner with states, districts, and schools to Raise the Bar and provide all students with access to an academically rigorous education in safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.

OCRs Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory survey of public schools serving students from preschool to grade 12. The purpose of the CRDC is to provide the federal government and members of the public with vital data about the extent to which students have equal educational opportunities required by federal civil rights laws. While OCR generally collects the CRDC biennially, the 2020-21 CRDC is the first published since the 2017-18 collection (which was released in 2020), because OCR paused the collection due to the pandemic. OCRs 2020-21 CRDC contains information collected from over 17,000 school districts and over 97,000 schools. These data include student enrollment; access to courses, teachers, other school staff, and the Internet and devices; and school climate factors, such as student discipline, harassment or bullying, and school offenses.

The 2020-21 CRDC reflects stark inequities in education access throughout the nation. For example, 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. English learner students and students with disabilities, who received services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, had a lower rate of enrollment in mathematics and science courses when compared to enrollment rates of all high school students.

These new CRDC data reflect troubling differences in students experiences in our nations schools, said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. We remain committed to working with school communities to ensure the full civil rights protections that federal law demands.

As part of todays release of the 2020-21 CRDC, OCR launched a redesigned CRDC website that now includes an archival tool with access to historical civil rights data from 1968 to 1998 which can be found here. The 2020-21 CRDC public-use data file, reports, and snapshots are available on the Departments redesigned CRDC website. Additional reports and snapshots will be posted periodically on the website.

Key data points from the 202021 CRDC are below and highlighted in one or more of the data reports or snapshots.

School Offenses

Student Discipline

Restraint and Seclusion

The Departments data reports and snapshots are available here and listedbelow.

The Department will release additional data reports and snapshots on key topics such as student access to courses and programs and data specific to English learner students and to students with disabilities.

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U.S. Education Departments Office for Civil Rights Releases New ... - US Department of Education