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As of October 15, 2015,
content updates for this page are no longer available.
Please visit our current News Room location at:
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/newsroom.html
New Additions, Revised Publications, and Recent Items of Interest
| 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 |
2015-
April 30, 2015: Report on OCR’s FY 13-14 Activities. Report to the President, Secretary of Education, and Congress | Protecting Civil Rights, Advancing Equity
PDF (4.15M)
- April 24, 2015: (Press Release) Dear Colleague Letter PDF (351K) | En español PDF (56K), from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon to school districts, colleges, and universities reminding them of their obligation to designate a Title IX coordinator. The Dear Colleague Letter is accompanied by a letter to Title IX coordinators that provides them with more information about their role and a Title IX resource guide that includes an overview of Title IX’s requirements with respect to several key issues. The Dear Colleague Letter PDF (351K) | En español PDF (56K), the letter to Title IX coordinators PDF (298K) | En español PDF (25K) and the Title IX Resource Guide PDF (501K) | En español PDF (285K) are available at www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/title-ix-coordinators.html.
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March 18, 2015: OCR Fact Sheet entitled “Addressing the Risk of Measles in Schools while Protecting the Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities.”
PDF (146K). The Fact Sheet addresses how school officials can implement recommendations and resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to protecting children and their families from measles without discriminating on the basis of disability, particularly in the case of students who are medically unable to receive a vaccine because of a disability, and explains what school officials must do to ensure continuity of learning if a student is legitimately excluded from school. Other resources on measles can be found at rems.ed.gov/KeepSchoolsSafeFromDiseases.aspx.
- February 19, 2015: Notice –OCR is now posting its updated Case Processing Manual (CPM)
PDF (429K), which replaces the January 2010 version of the CPM.
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January 7, 2015: (Press Release) Dear Colleague Letter
PDF (499K)
| En español PDF (809K)
from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, and Vanita Gupta Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, regarding schools’ obligations to ensure that English Learner (EL) students can participate meaningfully and equally in school and to communicate information to limited English proficient (LEP) parents in a language they can understand. The guidance, fact sheets, and other resources (including translated versions of the guidance and fact sheets) are available on OCR’s EL Students and LEP Parents web page.
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December 16, 2014: OCR Fact Sheet entitled “Implementing CDC’s Ebola Guidance for Schools while Protecting the Civil Rights of Students and Others”
PDF (158K). The Fact Sheet addresses how school officials can implement Ebola guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, or disability; explains what school officials must do to ensure a continuity of learning if a student is legitimately excluded from school; and reminds school officials of their responsibility to respond to bullying and harassment. Other resources on Ebola can be found at www.ed.gov/ebola-response.
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December 8, 2014: Dear Colleague Letter
PDF (676K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon and Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Vanita Gupta, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning the applicability of Federal civil rights laws to juvenile justice residential facilities. The letter provides a reminder that juvenile justice residential facilities receiving Federal funds are subject to the same Federal civil rights obligations as all other public schools, and highlights some of the legal requirements related to access to academic coursework and career and vocational training, students with disabilities, English language learners, and the administration of discipline.
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December 1, 2014: (Press Release) Questions and Answers on Title IX and Single-Sex Elementary and Secondary Classes and Extracurricular Activities
PDF (544K). These questions and answers clarify the legal requirements under the Department’s Title IX regulations governing single-sex elementary and secondary classes and extracurricular activities. -
November 12, 2014: Dear Colleague letter
PDF (159K) and accompanying Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQ) PDF (418K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Michael K. Yudin, and Vanita Gupta, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning effective communication for students with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities in public elementary and secondary schools. Dear Colleague Letter
PDF (159K) | En español PDF (159K)FAQ
PDF (418K)
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October 21, 2014: (Press Release) Dear Colleague letter
PDF (363K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, concerning the obligation of elementary and secondary schools to respond to the bullying of students with disabilities, including those students who are not eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act but are entitled to services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The guidance discusses the actions schools must take when bullying interferes with the education of a student with a disability who is bullied on any basis, and provides insight into how OCR analyzes complaints involving bullying of students with disabilities.
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October 1, 2014: (Press Release) Dear Colleague letter
PDF (469K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon about ensuring students have equal access to educational resources without regard to race, color, or national origin. The guidance, fact sheet, and resources for technical assistance are also available on the Resource Comparability Materials homepage.Dear Colleague Letter
PDF (469K) | En español PDF (308K)Fact Sheet
PDF (179K) | En español PDF (510K)
| Chinese simplified PDF (299K)
| Chinese traditional PDF (431K)
| Korean PDF (352K)
| Russian PDF (254K)
| Tagalog PDF (180K)
| Vietnamese PDF (233K)
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May 14, 2014: (Press Release) Dear Colleague Letter
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (179K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, concerning the applicability of Federal civil rights laws to charter schools. The letter provides a reminder that charter schools are subject to the same Federal civil rights obligations as all other public schools, and highlights some of the legal requirements related to admissions, student discipline, students with disabilities, and English language learners. PDF (179K)
| En español PDF (186K)
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May 8, 2014: (Press Release) "Dear Colleague" letter
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (172K) (May 8, 2014) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, Deputy General Counsel Philip H. Rosenfelt, U.S. Department of Education, and Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, regarding schools' enrollment procedures and the obligation to enroll all residents of school age regardless of their race, color, national origin, immigration, or citizenship status. PDF (172K)
| En español PDF (177K)
| Arabic PDF (269K)
| Chinese PDF (230K) | Korean PDF (244K)
| Tagalog PDF (155K)
| Vietnamese PDF (214K)
Questions and Answers about Dear Colleague
Fact Sheet about Dear Colleague PDF (326K)
| En español PDF (196K) | Arabic PDF (234K) | Chinese PDF (259K) | Korean PDF (386K) | Tagalog PDF (185K) | Vietnamese PDF (314K) PDF (569K)
| En español PDF (237K)
| Arabic PDF (203K)
| Chinese PDF (253K) | Korean PDF (289K)
| Tagalog PDF (156K)
| Vietnamese PDF (248K)
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May 6, 2014: Dear Colleague Letter
PDF (99K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, Philip H. Rosenfelt, Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. The letter provides information about the Schuette decision and reiterates the Departments’ support for the voluntary use of race and ethnicity to achieve diversity in education.
- April 29, 2014: (Press Release) Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence PDF (867K). These questions and answers further clarify the legal requirements under Title IX articulated in the April 4, 2011 Dear Colleague letter on Sexual Violence and the January 19, 2001 Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance PDF (181K) and provide recommendations for addressing allegations of sexual violence.
Questions and Answers
PDF (867K)Know Your Rights about Title IX and Sexual Violence
PDF (551K) | En español PDF (551K) | Chinese PDF (338K) | Korean PDF (272K) | Vietnamese PDF (236K)
- March 21, 2014: (Press Release) The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released today the data from the 2011-12 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The data are available to the public at http://ocrdata.ed.gov in a privacy-protected format. The CRDC for the 2011-12 school year was collected from every public school and school district in the country.
OCR has issued four documents analyzing key aspects of the 2011-12 data:
The OCR data is self-reported by districts. Any data updates will be made available at http://ocrdata.ed.gov
Information on the collection is available below:
- 2011-12 CRDC Table Layouts with Definitions MS WORD (695K)
- 2011-12 CRDC Questions and Answers
- January 8, 2014: (Press Release) “Dear Colleague” letter
PDF (587K) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, U.S. Department of Education, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning the nondiscriminatory administration of school discipline. The letter provides information describing how schools can meet their obligations under federal law to administer student discipline without discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The letter is part of the Departments’ school discipline guidance package that will assist states, districts and schools in developing practices and strategies to enhance school climate, and ensure those policies and practices comply with federal law. For more information on the Departments’ school discipline guidance package please use link at http://www.ed.gov/school-discipline/.
"Dear Colleague" letter | En español PDF (644K)
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December 23, 2013: Posting of state and national estimations for the 2009-10 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) on the CRDC website at http://ocrdata.ed.gov. On December 23, 2013 the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) posted files containing state and national estimations based on the 2009-10 school year CRDC data from a sample of our nation’s public schools on OCR’s website for the CRDC.
The 2009-10 school year CRDC surveyed a sample of approximately 7,000 public school districts and over 72,000 public schools, representing about 85% of the country’s public school students. OCR developed the state and national estimates to approximate what the results of this survey might have been at the state and national level if every public school had been surveyed. The school and district level data for the 2009-10 CRDC has been available on http://ocrdata.ed.gov since March 2012.
The technical notes available at http://ocrdata.ed.gov provide some caveats and considerations that users should take into account when using the state and national estimations, particularly for items collected for the first time in the 2009-10 school year.
- September 27, 2013: (Press Release) “Dear Colleague” letter from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, U.S. Department of Education, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The letter and accompanying Questions and Answers provides information about the Fisher decision and reiterates the Departments’ support for the voluntary use of race and ethnicity to achieve diversity in education.
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (282K) | En español PDF (253K)
Questions and Answers PDF (305K) | En español PDF (334K)
- June 25, 2013 (Press Release) “Dear Colleague” Letter and Pamphlet: Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (June 25, 2013) from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Seth Galanter. This pamphlet clarifies the specific requirements of Title IX applicable to pregnant and parenting students. The pamphlet contains a FAQ section that explains the Title IX requirements and provides examples to ensure that schools understand their obligations and pregnant and parenting students understand their rights under Title IX. The pamphlet also provides information on strategies that educators may use and programs schools can develop to address the educational needs of students who become pregnant or have children. It also provides examples of promising practices designed to support pregnant and parenting students that schools may choose to implement.
"Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (297K)
Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
PDF (251K)
Know Your Rights PDF (412K) | En español PDF (410K) about Dear Colleague and Pamphlet
- June 12, 2013: (Press Release) Joint OCR/DOJ/HHS "Dear Colleague" Letter (June 12, 2013), addressing the rights of students with hepatitis B in postsecondary medical, dental, nursing, and other health-related programs. The letter discusses the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the participation of students with hepatitis B in health-related schools, and how the CDC recommendations relate to the federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, color, and national origin.
"Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (108K)
- April 24, 2013: ("Dear Colleague" Letter) from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Seth Galanter, concerning the prohibition against retaliation under Federal civil rights laws. The letter clarifies the basic principles of retaliation law and describes OCR’s methods of enforcement.
"Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (64K)
- January 25, 2013: (Press Release) ("Dear Colleague" Letter) (January 25, 2013) from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Seth Galanter, addressing equal access to extracurricular athletics for students with disabilities. The Dear Colleague letter provides an overview of the obligations of public elementary and secondary schools under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and the Department’s Section 504 regulations; cautions against making decisions based on presumptions and stereotypes; details the specific Section 504 regulations that require students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity for participation in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities; and discusses the provision of separate or different athletic opportunities.
"Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (485K)'Fast Facts' about Dear Colleague Letter Fact Sheet
PDF (245K) | En español PDF (241K)
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March 14, 2012: The Department of Education has published in the Federal Register a Notice of Interpretation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for new construction and alterations in light of recent revisions, by the Department of Justice, of regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
PDF (237K) TEXT (36K)
- March 6, 2012: (Press Release) The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released today the Part 2 data from the 2009-2010 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The data are available to the public at http://ocrdata.ed.gov in a privacy-protected format. The 2009-10 sample had approximately 7,000 school districts and 72,000 schools.
Data Summary PDF (805K) The OCR data is self-reported by districts. Any data updates will be made available at http://ocrdata.ed.gov
2009-10 CRDC Table Layouts with Definitions MS WORD (687K)
2009-10 CRDC Questions and Answers
About the CRDC
MS WORD (34K)
- January 19, 2012: (Press Release) ("Dear Colleague" Letter) (January 19, 2012) to elementary and secondary education officials with attached Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQ), from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali. The Dear Colleague letter and FAQ discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (Amendments Act), Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) in the context of students with disabilities attending public elementary and secondary schools. The FAQ addresses the broadened definition of disability and the changes made by the Amendments Act; explores how the Amendments Act affects Section 504; discusses various obligations of school districts, including the requirement to evaluate students to determine eligibility for regular or special education and related aids and services; and addresses how OCR evaluates compliance with Title II of the ADA and Section 504 in light of the Amendments Act.
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (247K)
FAQ PDF (396K)
- December 2, 2011: (Press Release, En español PDF (83K),
Chinese PDF (178K), Korean PDF (149K), Tagalog PDF (26K), Vietnamese PDF (153K))
("Dear Colleague" Letter) (K-12 Guidance) (Postsecondary Guidance) (December 2, 2011) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlynn Ali, and U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant Attorney General, Thomas E. Perez. The letter explains that the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice are jointly issuing guidance to help schools, colleges, and universities lawfully achieve compelling interests in diversity, and for K-12 schools, the additional compelling interest in avoiding racial isolation. The guidance is presented in two documents, one for elementary and secondary schools and the other for postsecondary institutions.
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June 30, 2011: (Press Release, En español) The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released today the Part 1 data from the 2009-2010 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The data are available to the public at http://ocrdata.ed.gov in a privacy-protected format. The 2009-10 sample had approximately 7,000 school districts and 72,000 schools. The 2009-2010 CRDC was conducted in two parts. The data from Part 2 will be released in the fall.
2009-10 CRDC Table Layouts with Definitions MS WORD (687K)
2009-10 CRDC Questions and Answers
About the CRDC MS WORD (48K)
May 26, 2011: (Press Release) "Dear Colleague" letters (May 26, 2011) to elementary and secondary education officials and postsecondary education officials, with attached Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQ), from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali. The Dear Colleague letters and FAQ follow-up on a June 29, 2010 letter, sent by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice to college and university presidents, regarding the use of electronic book readers and other emerging technologies in compliance with civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. The May 26, 2011 Dear Colleague letters and FAQ answer questions about the obligations of educational institutions that provide benefits to students by means of these technologies.
"Dear Colleague" letter to elementary and secondary education officials
PDF (79K)
"Dear Colleague" letter to postsecondary education officials PDF (79K)
FAQ PDF (181K)
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May 6, 2011: "Dear Colleague" letter (May 6, 2011) (Archived) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali, General Counsel Charles P. Rose, U.S. Department of Education, and Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, regarding schools' enrollment procedures.
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (130K)
| En español PDF (131K)
| Arabic PDF (161K)
| Chinese PDF (315K)
| Korean PDF (327K)
| Tagalog PDF (126K)
| Vietnamese PDF (165K)
Fact Sheet about Dear Colleague PDF (145K)
| En español PDF (142K)
| Arabic PDF (292K)
| Chinese PDF (279K)
| Korean PDF (249K)
| Tagalog PDF (113K)
| Vietnamese PDF (154K)
Questions and Answers about Dear Colleague
PDF (87K)
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April 4, 2011: (Press Release) "Dear colleague" letter (April 4, 2011) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlynn Ali. The letter provides guidance and examples about Title IX requirements and how they relate to sexual harassment and sexual violence, discusses proactive efforts schools can take to prevent sexual violence and educate employees and students, and provides examples of the types of remedies schools and OCR may use to respond to sexual violence.
"Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (245K)
| En español PDF (515K)
Fact Sheet about Dear Colleague
PDF (121K)
| En español PDF (364K)
| Chinese PDF (370K)
| Korean PDF (427K)
| Tagalog PDF (155K)
| Vietnamese PDF (156K)
Know Your Rights about Dear Colleague
PDF (138K)
| En español PDF (174K)
| Chinese PDF (488K)
| Korean PDF (430K)
| Tagalog PDF (182K)
| Vietnamese PDF (170K)
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October 26, 2010: (Press Release, En español, Arabic
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (81K),
Chinese PDF (167K),
Korean PDF (197K),
Punjabi PDF (67K), Tagalog PDF (30K),
Vietnamese PDF (74K))
"Dear
Colleague" letter (October 26, 2010) from Assistant Secretary
for Civil Rights, Russlynn Ali, concerning recipients' obligations
to protect students from student-on-student harassment on the basis
of sex; race, color and national origin; and disability. The letter
clarifies the relationship between bullying and discriminatory harassment,
provides examples of harassment, and illustrates how a school should
respond in each case. PDF (296K) |
En español PDF (318K)
Fact Sheet about Dear Colleague
PDF (117K)
| En español PDF (162K)
| Arabic PDF (96K)
| Chinese PDF (252K)
| Korean PDF (259K)
| Punjabi PDF (133K)
| Tagalog PDF (94K)
| Vietnamese PDF (174K) -
August 6, 2010: The Department of Education submitted notices for publication within the Federal Register announcing the Secretary's creation of a new commission to address fiscal inequities in K-12 schools. The Equity and Excellence Commission will be housed within the Office for Civil Rights and will collect information, analyze issues, and obtain broad public input regarding how the Federal government can increase educational opportunity by improving school funding equity. The Department is also calling for nominations for the 15-member commission.
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June 29, 2010: (Press Release) "Dear Colleague" letter (June 29, 2010) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Department of Justice, concerning the obligation of colleges and universities to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to emerging technologies in education. The letter, a joint guidance from the Departments of Justice and Education, reminds colleges and universities of the legal standards in regard to accessibility, and applies those standards to electronic book readers. The letter states that it is impermissible under federal law for colleges and universities to use electronic book readers or similar technology in a teaching or classroom environment as long as the device remains inaccessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision and reasonable accommodation or modification for this type of technology do not exist or are not available.
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (150K)
Questions and Answers about Dear Colleague
PDF (300K) -
April 20, 2010: (Press Release) "Dear Colleague" letter (April 20, 2010) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali providing recipients with information about the standards OCR uses to assess compliance with Part Three of the "three-part test." The test is used to determine whether institutions are meeting the Title IX regulatory requirement to accommodate students' athletic interests and abilities. The Dear Colleague letter withdraws the following documents issued by OCR in 2005: Additional Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy: Three Part Test – Part Three; User's Guide to Student Interest Surveys under Title IX, including the prototype survey; and the technical report. The Dear Colleague letter reaffirms, and provides clarification of, the multiple indicators OCR evaluates to determine whether an institution is in compliance with Part Three. The letter also provides technical assistance on the nondiscriminatory design and implementation of a survey as one method to assess student interest under Part Three.
"Dear Colleague" letter PDF (4.2M)
Fact Sheet PDF (100K)
Questions and Answers about Dear Colleague
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March 16, 2010: Important Changes to the Civil Rights Data Collection. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has made important changes to the 2009-10 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). New CRDC data items will enhance OCR's ability to ensure equal educational opportunity for the Nation's students, and provide a valuable resource for school administrators, policymakers, researchers, and parents.
The new data items cover critical topics such as students' participation in algebra and other college-preparatory subjects, retention, teacher experience/absenteeism, school counselors, school funding, harassment, restraint/seclusion, SAT/ACT participation, desegregations plans, access to kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs, and additional information related to discipline. Most of the student data collected by the CRDC will be disaggregated by race, sex, disability, and limited English proficient status. Along with these changes, OCR streamlined the survey by removing several other data items. For 2009-10, the CRDC sample will expand from 6,000 to 7,000 school districts, which includes all districts with over 3,000 students. The survey, which will be conducted in two parts (Spring and Fall 2010), will collect data for the 2009-10 school year.
OCR has also launched a new website, http://ocrdata.ed.gov, to display the CRDC data. The new website will make the data more accessible to a wide variety of users. The website contains CRDC data from 2000, 2004 and 2006, and will, in the future, include the 2009-10 CRDC data. The website enhancement was undertaken as part of the Department's on-going commitment to transparency and accessibility.
Civil Rights Data Collection Part 1 and Part 2
MS
Word (707K) 2009-10 -
January 8, 2010: Notice -- OCR is now posting its updated
Case Processing Manual (CPM), which replaces the May 2008 version of the CPM.
March 27, 2009: Protecting Students With Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities (Revised March 2009). OCR posted a revised version of this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on its website. The primary purpose of these revisions is to incorporate information about The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (Amendments Act), effective January 1, 2009, which amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and includes a conforming amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) that affects the meaning of the term disability in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). The Amendments Act broadens the interpretation of disability.
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January 16, 2009:
PDF (3.39M) Office
for Civil Rights Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Years 2007-08 -
January 13, 2009: "Dear Colleague" letter (January 13, 2009) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe, concerning the obligation of recipients of federal financial assistance from, or funds made available through, the Department to submit a signed assurance of compliance with the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act and the other laws OCR enforces. This letter is a subsequent request to recipients for whom OCR has no record of receiving a signed assurance. The letter contains instructions for completion, and encloses a blank copy of the Assurance of Compliance – Civil Rights Certificate for submission to OCR.
PDF (1.7M)
Revised Assurance of Compliance -- Civil Rights Certificate PDF (106K) -
January 8, 2009: "Dear Colleague" letter (January 8, 2009) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe providing Chief State School Officers, State educational agencies, and local educational agencies with information to ensure the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, regarding access to, participation in, and administration of, public school choice, are implemented in a nondiscriminatory manner that is consistent with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations.
PDF (4.8M)
December 29, 2008: The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (Amendments Act), effective January 1, 2009, amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and includes a conforming amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) that affects the meaning of the term disability in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). The Amendments Act retains the definition of disability under Section 504 and the ADA but emphasizes that the definition should be interpreted broadly. Among other things, the Amendments Act directs that the ameliorating effects of mitigating measures (other than ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses) not be considered in determining whether an individual has a disability; expands the scope of "major life activities" by providing a non-exhaustive list of general activities and a non-exhaustive list of major bodily functions; clarifies that an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active; and clarifies the meaning of "regarded as" having a disability, including that individuals "regarded as" having a disability are not entitled to reasonable accommodations or reasonable modifications.
OCR is evaluating the impact of the Amendments Act on OCR's enforcement responsibilities under Section 504 and under Title II of the ADA, including whether any changes in regulations, guidance, or other publications are appropriate.
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December 01, 2008: Sexual Harassment: It's Not Academic (September 2008) This revised pamphlet contains information for students, parents, school administrators, school employees, and others on recognizing and addressing sexual harassment under Title IX as it is interpreted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
PDF (10M) -
October 17 , 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter
(October 17, 2008) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe providing State education agencies and local education agencies with information regarding disclosure of disability on report cards and transcripts for students with disabilities attending public elementary and secondary schools. The purpose of this guidance is to clarify how federal laws apply to statements on report cards and transcripts when these statements identify students as students with disabilities.
PDF (7M) -
September 17 , 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter
(September 17, 2008) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe providing postsecondary institutions, State educational agencies, and local educational agencies with information about how OCR determines which athletic activities can be counted under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. The purpose of this guidance is to ensure that male and female students are provided equal opportunities to participate in intercollegiate and interscholastic athletics programs consistent with Title IX and its implementing regulations in 34 CFR Part 106.
PDF (2.4M) -
August 28, 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter (August 28, 2008) (Withdrawn) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe addressing Title VI and how OCR assesses the use of race in assigning students to elementary and secondary schools.
PDF (124K) -
August 28, 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter (August 28, 2008) (Withdrawn) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe addressing Title VI and how OCR assesses the use of race in the context of postsecondary student admissions.
PDF (124K) -
July 25, 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter (July 25, 2008) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe commemorating the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This letter discusses the broad impact that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the ADA have had on aspects of education. The linked pamphlet “So You Want to Go Back to School” (July 2008) provides information for wounded veterans who are qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 504 and ADA with an overview of their rights and responsibilities regarding academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and reasonable modifications to school policies and practices at postsecondary institutions.
PDF (1.61M) -
June 4, 2008: "Dear Colleague" letter (May 22, 2008) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe providing State educational agencies and local educational agencies with information regarding access to, admission into, and the administration of Advanced Placement and other challenging academic courses, on a nondiscriminatory basis consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 100.
PDF (3.6M) -
May 9 ,2008: Notice - OCR is now posting its revised Case Processing Manual (CPM), which replaces the Case Resolution and Investigation Manual (CRIM).
Case Processing Manual (CPM) (March 2008)
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December 26, 2007: "Dear Colleague" letter (December 26, 2007) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe addressing the rights of students with disabilities to participate in schools' and school districts' accelerated programs, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes or programs.
PDF (2.8M)
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August 2, 2007: Office for Civil Rights Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2006
PDF (6.1M) -
June 25, 2007: "Dear Colleague" letter (June 25, 2007) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe addressing the Title IX regulatory requirements related to nondiscriminatory treatment of pregnant students in the context of athletic scholarships.
PDF (191K) -
June 22, 2007: "Dear Colleague" letter (June 22, 2007) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe commemorating the 35th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 on June 23, 2007. This letter discusses the broad impact that Title IX has had on aspects of education.
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March 16, 2007: "Dear Colleague" letter and "Dear Parent" letter (March 16, 2007) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe, providing information about the legal rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities as they transition from high school to institutions of postsecondary education. Distributed with the letters is a question and answer document, Transition of Students with Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators (March 16, 2007) and Revised Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (Revised March 2007).
PDF (568K) "Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (306K) "Dear Parent " letter -
January 31, 2007: "Dear Colleague" letter (January 31, 2007) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe, notifying recipients of the new single-sex regulations, published in the Federal Register on October 25, 2006, that provides additional flexibility to recipients to offer non-vocational elementary and secondary education on a single-sex basis while ensuring that non-vocational single-sex education is provided consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. It also informs recipients of a dedicated email address established by OCR to receive questions and requests for technical assistance in connection with these new requirements.
PDF (3.8M) "Dear Colleague" letter and new regulatory provisions
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October 31, 2006: Office for Civil Rights Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2005
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October 25, 2006: Final regulatory amendments to the Department's regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 to permit additional options for single-sex classes, extracurricular activities, and schools at the elementary and secondary education levels are published in the Federal Register. These amendments take effect November 24, 2006.
PDF (167K) Final
regulatory amendments to the Department's regulations implementing Title IX of
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July 26,2006: "Dear Colleague" letter (July 21, 2006) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe providing information about the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, part of No Child Left Behind, and the requirement to provide assurances of compliance with this law. The letter encloses a blank copy of OCR's revised Assurance of Compliance -- Civil Rights Certificate.
PDF (1.18M) "Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (106K) Revised Assurance of Compliance -- Civil Rights Certificate -
July 13, 2006: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities This pamphlet contains information for high school students with disabilities who plan to continue their education in postsecondary schools. Revised June 2006.
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March 24, 2006: Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act - Final Regulations. The final regulations for the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, part of No Child Left Behind, were published in the Federal Register.
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January 26, 2006: "Dear Colleague" letter (January 25, 2006) from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe, reminding recipients of the standards applicable to OCR's enforcement of compliance in cases raising sexual harassment issues. Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance: Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students, or Third Parties (January 19, 2001).
PDF (1.36M) "Dear Colleague" letter
PDF (181K) Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance: Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students, or Third Parties (January, 2001).
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July 5, 2005: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities This pamphlet contains information for high school students with disabilities who plan to continue their education in postsecondary schools. Revised May 2005.
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May 17, 2005: Case Resolution and Investigation Manual
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April 14, 2005: Joint "Dear Colleague" Letter to Chief State School Officers concerning the document "Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel," co-authored by the Office for Civil Rights and published in 2003 under the auspices of the National Institutes for Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
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January 5, 2005: Office for Civil Rights Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2003
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October 13, 2004: The Department forwarded to the Federal Register the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Once the proposed regulations are published, a 45-day public comment period will begin.
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September 20, 2004: "Dear Colleague" letter addressing the issue of civil rights violations inherent in allocation of extracurricular awards or honors on the basis of race, or violations inherent in racially separate proms or dances.
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September 13, 2004: "Dear Colleague" letter addressing the right of all students, including students of faith, to be free from discrimination in our schools and colleges under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, in cases where such discrimination may be commingled with religious discrimination.
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August 4, 2004: "Dear Colleague" letter reminding postsecondary institutions of Title IX responsibilities.
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July 1, 2004: Realignment of States: OCR announces a realignment of several states between enforcement offices.
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April 26, 2004: "Dear Colleague" letter reminding chief state school officers and state and local educational agencies of Title IX responsibilities.
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March 3, 2004: Draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding single-sex schools and classes.
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July 28, 2003 First Amendment: "Dear Colleague" letter reaffirming that OCR's regulations and policies do not require or prescribe speech, conduct or harassment codes that impair the exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment.
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July 11, 2003: Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel, co-authored by the Office for Civil Rights, this guide was published under the auspices of the National Institutes for Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
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July 11, 2003: Further Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Guidance Regarding Title IX Compliance. Dear Colleague letter from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Gerald Reynolds
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11-15-2002 An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act was published in the Federal Register, pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The ANPRM requests comments from the public, within 30 days, on issues to be considered in developing any proposed regulations.
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10-22-2002 No Child Left Behind: Providing Educational Opportunity for American Indian and Alaska Native Students . This OCR-sponsored conference, developed in collaboration with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), took place on October 22-23, 2002, in the Washington DC area. The conference focused on the sharing of good educational practices in areas such as reading; standards, assessment, and accountability; parental options; and teacher quality with a focus on American Indian and Alaska Native students.
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7-30-2002 Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities This pamphlet contains information for high school students with disabilities who plan to continue their education in postsecondary schools.
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5-24-2002 2000 Elementary and Secondary School Survey This Survey provides information about the enrollment of - and educational services to - students in public schools in every state by race/ethnicity, sex, and disability.
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5-8-2002 A Notice of Intent to Regulate and Guidelines regarding single-sex schools and classes was published in the Federal Register, pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The NOIR requests input from the public, within 60 days, on the circumstances under which single-sex education in elementary and secondary schools should be permitted.
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5-6-2002 OCR is charged with enforcing the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act. A "Dear Colleague letter" has been issued.
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3-29-2002 Gerald Reynolds appointed Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
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11-01-2001 OCR's New York Office has relocated following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Please see our Contact Us page for new contact information.
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10-25-2001 Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions about Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities. This set of FAQs was prepared by OCR in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services.
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10-5-2001 Office for Civil Rights Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2000
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9-19-2001 "Dear Colleague" letter regarding the prevention of harassment of students perceived to be Muslim or Arab American issued by Secretary Paige
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6-22-2001 Government Performance Results Act: 2000 Performance Report and 2002 Program Annual Plan
Additional documents and publications can be found in the Reading Room.
Archived documents from previous administrations may be found in the OCR Archives.
Civil Rights Posters Available
Free posters commemorating the 40th & 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education are available at ED PUBS, Education Publications Center, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398; or call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS); or email your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov be sure to include your name and mailing address. This offer is available while supplies last.
