The Civil Rights Data Collection is a Vital Tool to Close Equity Gaps
Statement from Denise Forte, interim CEO of The Education Trust, on the upcoming Civil Rights Data Collection
WASHINGTON (August 13, 2021) – “We are pleased the U.S. Department of Education has announced its plan to initiate the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for the 2021-2022 school year. As articulated in Ed Trust’s previous comments, the CRDC is a vital mechanism to measure, identify, and address inequities in education for the nation’s most underserved students. The importance of collecting this type of data has grown exponentially during the pandemic. As research has shown, COVID-19 has exacerbated racial and economic inequities. Policymakers need updated data on racial and health disparities to develop policy solutions to address these inequities.
“We urge the U.S. Department of Education to be bold on behalf of students who our nation’s schools have underserved for far too long. To that end, we look forward to working with the Department to obtain, learn from, and share this essential data. This data, along with the billions of dollars of relief in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act – if used appropriately to identify inequities and spur systemic change – can finally allow our nation to be an equitable and just place where high-quality learning is afforded to all students.”
“We anticipate reviewing the Department’s draft survey closely when it is released and will work with the Office for Civil Rights to ensure that all of the critical data elements are meaningfully included.”
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