Civil Rights Data Collection: Education

The U.S. Department of Education released data that casts much-needed light on disparities in educational resources and opportunities for students across the country. These data provide policymakers, educators and parents with critical information that will aid them in identifying inequities and targeting solutions to close the persistent educational achievement gap in America.

Known as the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the data is the first installment of a two-part biennial survey.  The survey covers approximately 7,000 school districts and more than 72,000 schools, and has also been significantly enhanced and made more accessible through improved data collection, additional data indicators, and publicly-accessible online tools for data analysis.  Part 2 of the CRDC is expected to be released this fall.

The data includes information on: access to the rigorous sequence of college and career-ready math and science courses, the number of first and second-year teachers in schools, the number of high school counselors in schools, availability of pre-K and kindergarten programs, districts operating under desegregation orders or plans, and whether districts have written policies prohibiting harassment and bullying on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability.