69传媒

Federal

4 Things to Know About Ed. Dept.'s Massive Civil Rights Database

By Sarah D. Sparks 鈥 April 24, 2018 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday , the most comprehensive information to date on educational opportunity and equity in every public school and district in the country.

This year was marked by concerns over the new and existing data collections. Civil rights groups, including the NAACP, objected to the office for civil rights鈥 push to scale back the data it collects on potential disparities among students taking Advanced Placement courses and tests. Groups that use the data to provide context for school ratings, such as Great69传媒.com, also voiced concerns that the data would be delayed. So far those concerns have been allayed: The 2015-16 collection is out earlier than in previous years, and still includes detailed information on the number of students鈥攂roken out by race, sex, disability status, and English-language proficiency鈥攚ho participated in the International Baccalaureate program or Advanced Placement courses, particularly for math and science subjects.

As you dive into the data, here鈥檚 what you need to know:

What Is the Civil Rights Data Collection?

Every two years since 1968, the Education Department has collected information on demographics and educational opportunities for students of different genders, races, English-proficiency levels, and disabilities. These data are used both for enforcement of federal civil rights laws and for research to improve education for these students.

The data released Tuesday are from the 2015-16 school years; the Education Department is collecting 2017-18 data now.

Which 69传媒 Are Included in the CRDC?

For most of the collection鈥檚 history, it has included only a representative sample of districts from each state. In 2000, and then from 2011-12 onward, the Education Department collected information from every public school in the country that spends at least 50 percent of each day on educational services. This includes charter and magnet schools, juvenile justice facilities, virtual schools, and alternative schools for students with disabilities. Note, the collection does not include public schools on tribal lands and military bases, or private schools, day-care centers, or programs for children under age 2.

What鈥檚 New in the CRDC?

The collection released this year is significantly more detailed than the original 1968 survey. 69传媒 and districts must report the general demographics of their students, as well as statistics on exclusionary discipline and education behind bars, bullying, uses of restraint and seclusion, English-language learners, early-childhood education (from age 3 on), pathways to college and career, school finance, and teacher quality and equity.

The 2015-16 collection no longer includes data on students who transferred to another 鈥渞egular鈥 school for disciplinary reasons, but does provide new information on the number of students who were transferred to alternative schools for discipline, as well as the number of students participating in education programs of different lengths in juvenile justice facilities. In addition, the collection provides new details on other discipline issues, such as how many preschool students received corporal punishment and how much school students miss when they receive out-of-school suspensions.

Among other new data:

  • How many students participate in different types of distance education, dual-credit, or credit-recovery programs;
  • How many high schools have biology, physics, and chemistry teachers with science certification in those subjects;
  • What preparation schools provided students for both general educational development and state-authorized high school equivalency exams; and
  • How many 2-year-olds participated in district preschool programs.

How Accurate Are the Data?

Most of the data are broken down by race/ethnicity, sex, disability, and English-language-learner status, highlighting disparities for key indicators throughout a child鈥檚 academic career. Historically, about 95 percent of surveyed districts responded鈥攁nd that proportion is up to more than 99 percent in the most recent collection鈥攈owever, data are self-reported by schools and districts, and previous collections have been criticized for missing and inaccurate data.

In 2013-14, the Education Department added in more reviews and audits to check the data before it is made public, a practice it continued for the 2015-16 data collection. The department held precollection focus groups and training to ensure those reporting the data understood the questions being asked. Each district must review its own data and certify that they are accurate before the information is included, and any missing data will be marked in the collection鈥檚 tables.

Also, the Education Department continuously refines its definitions to dig out the information important to equity decisions. For example, the 2013-14 data included a count of students who enrolled in Algebra I classes in grades 7-8 collectively, while the 2015-16 collection separates out the number of students enrolled in the course in each grade.

The data are available at .

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Federal Video Linda McMahon: 5 Things to Know About Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former pro-wrestling CEO Linda McMahon to lead the education department.
1 min read
Federal The K-12 World Reacts to Linda McMahon, Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
Some question her lack of experience in education, while supporters say her business background is a major asset.
7 min read
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Linda McMahon speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon has been selected by President-elect Trump to serve as as the next secretary of education.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
School choice advocates鈥攁nd detractors鈥攕ee a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
8 min read
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69传媒," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69传媒," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal 5 Things to Know About Linda McMahon, Trump's Pick for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 selection, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment has long spoken favorably about school choice.
7 min read
Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018.
Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018, when she was serving as head of the Small Business Administration during President Trump's first administration. McMahon is now President-elect Trump's choice for U.S. secretary of education.
Susan Walsh/AP