21-22 Data Collection on Equal Educational Opportunity in Public Schools

The United States Department of Education (U.S. DOE) has been collecting performance data from public schools since 1968 through the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). Even more so than in prior years, the 2021-2022 CRDC will focus on obtaining data specifically relevant to the requirement that public school districts and public schools provide equal educational opportunity. Recipients of federal financial assistance are prohibited from discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, national origin, race, and color. The U.S. DOE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigates complaints alleging discrimination.

Proposed changes by OCR for the current school year include the following new data elements-

  • the amount of virtual instruction that students received per day;

  • the percentage of students who received virtual instruction;

  • number of students who needed Wi-Fi enabled devices or a Wi-Fi hotspot for virtual learning versus the number of students who actually received Wi-Fi enabled devices and a Wi-Fi hotspot;

  • additional information on harassment or bullying in schools;

  • full-time equivalent counts of teachers certified to teach in special education, English as a second language, math, and science;

  • disaggregated data on students with disabilities who have Section 504 Plans and not IEPs;

  • more specific definitions of seclusion and restraints; and

  • the addition of a non-binary sex category.

The purpose of these new proposed data elements is to help the U.S. DOE identify and address inequities in students’ access to educational opportunities.

If you feel like your child has been denied an equal educational opportunity during the pandemic, complete our Contact Form at https://www.msrlegal.org/book-your-consultation for an initial consultation by email. Follow us on Instagram (@MSRLegalConsulting ), Twitter (@MSRLegalOroma ), and YouTube (MSR Legal Oroma) for analyses of the latest updates in educational policy impacting special needs students.

Happy Friday, and have a good weekend,

Oroma

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Oroma Mpi-Reynolds, Esq.MSR Legal & Consulting Services, PLLCequal educational opportunity, performance data, public schools, Local educational agencies (LEA), Office of Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, special education attorney, special education law firm, special education advocate, special education lawyer, Oroma Mpi-Reynolds, MSR Legal & Consulting Services, U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts, disability inclusion, disability justice, disability rights, disability discrimination, disability awareness, Section 504 Plan, seclusion and restraints, equity in education