Civil Rights

Read more about civil rights and schools, enforcement by the Education Department's office for civil rights, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and more

Explainer

The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021.
How a Federal Office Investigates and Resolves Discrimination Complaints Against Schools
What is OCR, how do you file a complaint, and what relief can it offer for students or staff whose civil rights may have been violated?
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Equity & Diversity For Advocates, New Data On Education in Juvenile Facilities Just the Beginning
For the first time, the federal civil rights data released by the Department of Education included information on the number of hours and days that students in juvenile facilities have access to educational programs. Advocates want more.
Denisa R. Superville, June 20, 2016
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7 min read
Equity & Diversity Report: Los Angeles Unified Shortchanges ELLs, Other Disadvantaged Students
The criticism centers on hundreds of millions of dollars in increased state funding designed to benefit students who traditionally struggle academically, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Corey Mitchell, June 17, 2016
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3 min read
Federal Education Dept. Releases Guidance on Gender Equity in Career and Technical Ed.
The "Dear Colleague" letter, dated Wednesday, says the persistent under-representation of girls and women in CTE programs can hinder the earning power in their careers, along with other harmful impacts.
Andrew Ujifusa, June 15, 2016
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1 min read
Standards & Accountability GreatSchools Ratings to Expand, Include U.S. Civil Rights Data
The site with more than 50 million users aims to make information on student access to educational opportunity more accessible for parents.
Corey Mitchell, June 8, 2016
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2 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Disparities Continue to Plague U.S. Schools, Federal Data Show
Student suspensions dropped by nearly 20 percent nationally, new data show, but those from traditionally disadvantaged groups still get disproportionately more punishments and fewer academic opportunities.
Evie Blad, June 7, 2016
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9 min read
Equity & Diversity Report Feeds Debate Over Racial, Economic Inequities
A new study done by the Government Accountability Office lands amid fresh calls to address the share of schools that are both economically and racially segregated.
Andrew Ujifusa, May 31, 2016
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7 min read
A federal civil rights investigation was prompted last year by video of a Spring Valley High School security officer forcibly removing a student from her chair after she refused to leave her class in Columbia, S.C.
A federal civil rights investigation was prompted last year by video of a Spring Valley High School security officer forcibly removing a student from her chair after she refused to leave her class in Columbia, S.C.
AP
Law & Courts School Civil Rights Took Spotlight Under Obama
The number of civil rights complaints and investigations spiked dramatically during the Obama administration.
Evie Blad, May 31, 2016
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9 min read
Social Studies Opinion Building Democracy in Schools: The Larger Strategy
Building democracy in schools is best thought of as a strand of a larger strategy to resist the rising authoritarian dangers of our time. Such a strategy calls for cross-partisan politics, organizing that sees the democratic potential in every kind of community, and a commitment to defending democracy and also deepening democracy.
Harry C. Boyte, May 31, 2016
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5 min read
In this image taken with a fisheye lens, the doors to public restrooms are propped open at a office complex on Monday, May 9, 2016 in Anaheim, Calif. A California lawmaker says he'll bring up for a vote Monday his proposal requiring single-stall public restrooms to be gender-neutral, hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sued the federal government to defend that state's law restricting access to restrooms based on the gender listed on a person's birth certificate.
In this image taken with a fisheye lens, the doors to public restrooms are propped open at a office complex on Monday, May 9, 2016 in Anaheim, Calif. A California lawmaker says he'll bring up for a vote Monday his proposal requiring single-stall public restrooms to be gender-neutral, hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sued the federal government to defend that state's law restricting access to restrooms based on the gender listed on a person's birth certificate.
Chris Carlson/AP
Law & Courts Schools at Center of Feud Over N.C. Transgender Law
An escalating legal fight between the Obama administration and state officials could still leave federal funds at risk for the state's K-12 schools.
Evie Blad, May 17, 2016
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5 min read
Ronald F. Ferguson, the director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, examined the systemic and structural barriers that make school success harder to achieve for black, Latino, and Native American boys.
Ronald F. Ferguson, the director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, examined the systemic and structural barriers that make school success harder to achieve for black, Latino, and Native American boys.
Equity & Diversity For Boys of Color, 'Complex Web' of Obstacles Hinder Success
A new report from the Urban Institute explains how systemic barriers that begin at birth put black, Latino, and Native American males at risk of underperformance.
Corey Mitchell, May 17, 2016
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6 min read
Equity & Diversity Share of High-Poverty, Racially Isolated Schools Rising, GAO Report Says
The percentage of schools serving students who mostly are black and Hispanic and also from low-income backgrounds has ticked up in recent years, the Government Accountability Office finds.
Andrew Ujifusa, May 17, 2016
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5 min read
Equity & Diversity A Breakdown of Resolved Federal Civil Rights Complaints From Last Year
A report from the Education Department on 2015 complaints show that language-bias cases are on the rise, and in most states, civil rights complaints related to disabilities were the most common.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 4, 2016
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1 min read
Social Studies Opinion Rethinking Elections and Assessments Can Lead to a Democratic Awakening
Focus on the "structures" of democracy brings to mind the role of elections and assessment in a democratic way of life. How do we think about elections if "we the people" are at the center? How do we avoid another "Southern strategy" like Nixon's, which divided working people by race? How do we assess civic agency?
Harry C. Boyte, May 3, 2016
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4 min read
Equity & Diversity Report: Unaccompanied Minors Blocked From Enrolling in School in 14 States
An Associated Press investigation found the migrant students were barred from enrolling in K-12 schools, kept out of class for months, or sent to alternative programs that are deemed inferior.
Corey Mitchell, May 2, 2016
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3 min read
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