What is the Civil Rights Data Collection?

The Civil Rights Data Collection is a biennial (i.e., every other school year) survey of public schools required by OCR since 1968.

The CRDC collects data on leading civil rights indicators related to access and barriers to educational opportunity from preschool through 12th grade.

Who must participate in the CRDC?

The CRDC collects data from nearly all public local educational agencies (LEA) and schools, including juvenile justice facilities, charter schools, alternative schools, and schools serving only students with disabilities.

Who is not required to participate in the CRDC?

Tribal schools operated by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity are not required to collect and submit data to the CRDC, at this time. School districts in U.S. territories are also not required to collect and submit data for the CRDC at this time. The only exception is Puerto Rico, which is treated as a state under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. Puerto Rico, for the first time, participated in the 2017-18 CRDC.

Where can I see the information reported by school districts for the CRDC?

Data from the 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16, and 2017-18 CRDC surveys are available in the CRDC reporting tool at http://ocrdata.ed.gov.

Where can a school district get help about reporting information for the CRDC?

Information about collecting and reporting data for the CRDC is available at this link.

What is the purpose of the CRDC?

The purpose of the CRDC is to obtain data authorized under the statutes and regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and under the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. § 3413). The regulations implementing these provisions can be found at 34 CFR § 100.6(b); 34 CFR § 106.71; and 34 CFR § 104.61. The Department collects data that are necessary to ensure compliance with civil rights laws within its jurisdiction. In order to do this, the CRDC collects a variety of information, including student enrollment and educational programs and services data that are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, sex, English learner (EL), and disability. The CRDC is a longstanding and important aspect of ED’s Office for Civil Rights overall strategy for administering and enforcing the civil rights statutes for which it is responsible. This information is also used by other ED offices as well as policymakers and researchers outside of ED.

Under what authority does OCR conduct the CRDC?

OCR has authority under section 203(c)(1) of the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3413(c)(1)), and the regulations implementing several of the civil rights statutes that it implements, to collect data that are necessary to ensure compliance with civil rights laws within the jurisdiction of OCR.

The civil rights laws enforced by OCR include: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. OCR’s implementing regulations for each of these statutes require recipients of the Department’s federal financial assistance to submit to OCR “complete and accurate compliance reports at such times, and in such form and containing such information” as OCR “may determine to be necessary to enable [OCR] to ascertain whether the recipient has complied or is complying” with these laws and implementing regulations. 34 CFR § 100.6(b), 34 CFR § 106.71, and 34 CFR § 104.61, located at www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/index.html. In addition, pursuant to a delegation by the Attorney General of the United States, OCR shares in the enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. OCR also has jurisdiction under the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act.

How can I find out more about the CRDC and OCR?

For more information about the CRDC and OCR, please visit:
http://www.ed.gov/ocr/data.html.

How can I Submit a CRDC Data Quality Concern with OCR?

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory biennial collection of district-and school-level data. The CRDC is administered by OCR, which uses the data to enforce civil rights statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national, origin, sex, and disability. The data are collected from public-school districts and public schools in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The CRDC collects data on civil rights indicators at the early childhood through grade 12 levels. It measures factors that impact education equity and opportunity for students, including student access to courses, programs, resources, instructional and other staff – and school climate factors, such as student discipline and harassment. The CRDC data can be accessed at https://ocrdata.ed.gov. To submit a CRDC data quality concern with OCR, please contact us by emailing ocrdata@ed.gov. Please include “CRDC Data Quality Concern” in the subject heading.

What information is being collected in the 2020-21 CRDC?

A detailed list of 2020-21 CRDC data elements is available here.

What is different in the 2020-21 CRDC?

The 2020–21 CRDC is similar to the 2017–18 CRDC previously approved by OMB in October 2017. Some changes were made to the CRDC, and those changes will have the net effect of reducing burden on school districts. For example, the CRDC will collect additional data on sexual violence and harassment or bullying, but it will no longer collect data on school finance, teacher experience, and teacher absenteeism.

OMB approved the changes to the CRDC under the Paperwork Reduction Act on December 28, 2020, under Control Number 1870-0504. All the documentation submitted to OMB can be found at this link.

The majority of the data elements that were previously collected for the 2017–18 CRDC will continue to be collected for the 2020–21 CRDC.

The following data element is new and required for the 2020–21 CRDC:

• Number of preschool students who received one or more out-of-school suspension (disaggregated by race, sex, disability-IDEA, EL).

The following data elements are new and optional for the 2020–21 CRDC:

• Number of documented incidents of offenses committed by a student that occurred at the school. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of documented incidents of offenses committed by a school staff member that occurred at the school. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of allegations made against a school staff member of offenses that occurred at the school, which were followed by a resignation or retirement prior to final discipline or termination. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of allegations made against a school staff member of offenses that occurred at the school, which were followed by a determination that the school staff member was responsible for the offense. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of allegations made against a school staff member of offenses that occurred at the school, which were followed by a determination that the school staff member was not responsible for the offense. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of allegations made against a school staff member of offenses that occurred at the school, which had a determination that remained pending. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of allegations made against a school staff member of offenses that occurred at the school, which were followed by a duty reassignment prior to final discipline or termination. Offenses categories include: rape or attempted rape, and sexual assault (other than rape).
• Number of reported allegations of harassment or bullying of K-12 students on the basis of perceived religion (disaggregated by atheism/agnosticism; Buddhist; Catholic; Eastern Orthodox; Hindu; Islamic (Muslim); Jehovah’s Witness; Jewish; Mormon; multiple religions, group; other Christian; other religion; Protestant; Sikh).
• Number of students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (disaggregated by disability-504 only).
• Number of students enrolled in at least one AP course (disaggregated by disability-504 only).

The following data elements were dropped for the 2020–21 CRDC:

• Number of EL students enrolled in EL programs (disaggregated by disability-IDEA).
• Number of preschool students who received one out-of-school suspension (disaggregated by race, sex, disability-IDEA, EL).
• Number of preschool students who received more than one out-of-school suspension (disaggregated by race, sex, disability-IDEA, EL).
• Number of documented incidents of:
• Robbery with a firearm or explosive device.
• Physical attack or fight with a firearm or explosive device.
• Threat of physical attack with a firearm or explosive device.
• Whether an LEA has a web link to policy or policies prohibiting harassment or bullying of students on the basis of all of the following: sex; race, color, or national origin; disability (LEA).
• Whether LEA’s early childhood program(s) serve non-IDEA children age birth to 2 years (LEA).
• Whether preschool is provided to: all students, students with disabilities (IDEA), students in Title I schools, students from low income families (LEA).
• Whether preschool serves non-IDEA students age 3 years; age 4 years; age 5 years (LEA).
• Whether the school’s preschool program serves non-IDEA students age 3 years; age 4 years; age 5 years.
• Preschool length offered (full-day, part-day) and cost (free, partial charge, full charge) (LEA).
• Kindergarten length offered (full-day, part-day) and cost (free, partial charge, full charge) (LEA).
• Number of students who participate in at least one credit recovery program that allows them to earn missed credit to graduate from high school.
• Number of students enrolled in at least one AP course in other AP subjects of any kind (including foreign language) (disaggregated by race, sex, disability, EL).
• Number of students who took one or more AP exams for one or more (which may include all) AP courses enrolled in (disaggregated by race, sex, disability-IDEA, EL).
• Number of students who were enrolled in one or more AP courses but who did not take any AP exams (disaggregated by race, sex, disability-IDEA, EL).
• K-12 personnel FTEs and salaries at the school level (funded with state and/or local funds):
• Number of FTE teachers and amount of their salaries.
• Number of FTE instructional aides and amount of their salaries.
• Number of FTE support services staff (for pupils and for instructional staff) and amount of their salaries.
• Number of FTE school administration staff and amount of their salaries.
• Total amount of total personnel (instructional, support services, and school administration) salaries.
• Preschool-12 personnel FTEs and salaries at the school level (funded with federal, state, and/or local funds):
• Amount of teacher salaries.
• Number of FTE instructional aides and amount of their salaries.
• Number of FTE support services staff (for pupils and for instructional staff) and amount their salaries.
• Number of FTE school administration staff and amount of their salaries.
• Total amount of total personnel (instructional, support services, and school administration) salaries.
• Total amount of non-personnel expenditures at the school level:
• Amount of non-personnel expenditures (funded with state and/or local funds).
• Amount of non-personnel expenditures (funded with federal, state, and/or local funds).
• Number of FTE first-year teachers.
• Number of FTE second-year teachers.
• Number of FTE teachers absent more than 10 school days (excluding professional development).
• Number of current school year teachers.
• Number of current and previous school year teachers.