Advocacy >> Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Abbreviations:
ED - US Department of Education
DOJ - US Department of Justice
GAO - US General Accounting Office
USCCR - US Commission on Civil Rights
DHHS - US Department of Health and Human Services
CRS - Congressional Research Service
DHS - US Department of Homeland Security
WH - White House
COVID-19
Education Data Snapshots
2020-21 School Year
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A First Look: Students’ Access to Educational Opportunities in U.S. Public Schools, ED 2023
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An Overview of the U.S.Department of Education’s 2020–21 Civil Rights Data Collection, ED 2023
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Referrals to Law Enforcement and School-related Arrests Snapshot, ED 2023
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Sexual Violence and Sex-based Harassment or Bullying Snapshot, ED 2023
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Student Enrollment and School Characteristics Snapshot, ED 2023
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Profile of Students with Disabilities in U.S. Public Schools During the 2020-21 School Year, ED 2024
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Referrals to Law Enforcement and School-Related Arrests 2017-18 SY, ED. 2023
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Suspensions and Expulsions 2017-18 SY, ED, 2022
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Suspensions and Expulsions of Students with Disabilities 2017-18 SY, ED 2022
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Exclusionary Discipline 2017-18 SY, ED, 2021
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Restraint and Seclusion 2017-18 SY, ED, 2020
Race and Disability
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Nationally, Black Girls Receive More Frequent and More Severe Discipline in School Than Other Girls, GAO, 2024
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Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline, ED & DOJ, 2023
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Discipline Disparities for Black Students, Boys, and Students with Disabilities, GAO, 2018
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Dear Colleague Letter: Preventing Racial Discrimination in Special Education, ED, 2016
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Addressing the Root Causes of Disparities in School Discipline: An Educator’s Action Planning Guide, produced by American Institutes for Research for the U.S. ED, 2015
Seclusion and Restraint
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The Use of Restraint and Seclusion on Children with Disabilities, ED, 2020
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Education Needs to Address Significant Quality Issues with its Restraint and Seclusion Data, GAO, 2020
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"Dear Colleague" letter and Fact Sheet on the Use of Restraint or Seclusion on Students with Disabilities,, ED, 2016
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Dangerous Use of Seclusion and Restraints in Schools Remains Widespread and Difficult to Remedy: A Review of Ten Cases, US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, 2014
Charter Schools
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Dear Colleague Letter from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education – Charter Schools, ED, [Note: Rescinded by the Trump Administration]
Early Childhood
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Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs, DHHS and ED, 2023
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Reducing Suspension and Expulsion Practices in Early Childhood Settings, DHHS
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Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension Polices in Early Childhood Settings, DHHS, U.S. ED, 2014
< Early Childhood
< Pennsylvania Early Childhood
LGBTQIA+
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Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students Toolkit, ED, 2023
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Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Protect LGBTQI+ Communities, WH, 2023
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Supporting Intersex Students, ED, 2021
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Confronting Anti-LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools, DOJ and ED, 2021
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Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools, ED, 2021
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Letter to Students, Educators, and other Stakeholders re Executive Order 14021, ED, 2021
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Examples of Policies and Emerging Practices for Supporting Transgender Students, ED, 2016
Diversity and Inclusion
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Fact Sheet: Harassment based on Race, Color, or National Origin on School Campuses, ED, 2024
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Fact Sheet: Confronting Discrimination Based on Religion in Schools, DOJ, 2024
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English Learner Family Toolkit, in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish, ED 2023
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Dear Colleague Letter: Discrimination, including Harassment, Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics, ED, November 2023
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Race and School Programming, ED, 2023
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Dear Colleague Letter on Addressing Discrimination Against Jewish Students, ED, 2023
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Fact Sheet: Diversity & Inclusion Activities Under Title VI, ED, 2023
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Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics, ED, January 2023
Civil Rights Enforcement
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Office of Civil Rights Recent Resolutions Search Resolution Agreements, US. ED
Juvenile Justice
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Correctional Education in Juvenile Justice Facilities, ED and DOJ, 2014
Immigration
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Protecting Access to Education for Unaccompanied Children, ED&DOJ, 2023
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Protecting Access to Education for Migratory Children, ED&DOJ, 2023
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Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas, DHS, 2021 Also, DHS FAQs
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Confronting Discrimination Based on National Origin and Immigration Status:A Resource for Families and Educators, ED and DOJ, 2021
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Plyler v. Doe Guidance Letter on School Enrollment and Immigration Status, ED and DOJ, 2018
Disability
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Fact Sheet: Section 504 Protections for Students with Cancer, Epilepsy, Sickle Cell Disease, Asthma, Diabetes, Food Allergies, GER or GERD, ED, 2024
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Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities, ED
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Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs, DHHS and ED, 2023
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Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of IDEA Discipline Provisions, ED, July 2022
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Questions and Answers (Q&A) on U. S. Supreme Court Case Decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1 (Free Appropriate Public Education), ED, 2017
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Dear Colleague Letter: Preventing Racial Discrimination in Special Education, ED, 2016
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The Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, ED, December 2016
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Dear Colleague Letter on Supporting Behavior of Students with Disabilities, ED, 2016
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Know Your Rights: Students with ADHD, ED, 2016
School Climate
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Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates, ED 2023
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Federal Resources on School Climate and Discipline, ED and DOJ gateway to resources, including policy and legal guidance statements, discipline data, webinars, and resources for school decision-makers.
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Department of Education Should Provide Information on Equity and Safety in School Dress Codes, GAO, 2022
School Policing and Student Arrests
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Differences in Student Arrest Rates Widen When Race, Gender, and Disability Status Overlap, GAO, 2024
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School Policing Programs: Where Have We Been and Where We Need to Go Next, National Institute of Justice, 2022
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School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools, CRS, 2013
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Safe School-based Enforcement through Collaboration, Understanding, and Respect, Local Implementation Rubric, ED/DOJ, 2016
Student Privacy
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IDEA and FERPA Crosswalk: A Side-by-side Comparison of the Privacy Provisions, ED, 2022
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Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People, White House, 2022
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When Is It Permissible to Utilize FERPA’s Health or Safety Emergency Exception for Disclosures?, ED
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FERPA and the Disclosure of Student Information Related to Emergencies and Disasters, ED, 2010
Corporal Punishment
Obama Administration Archives
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Civil Rights Data Show More Work is Needed to Reduce Inequities in K- 12 Schools, Obama White House Council of Economic Advisers, 2016
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Dear Colleague Letter on the Nondiscriminatory Administration of School Discipline, ED and DOJ, 2014 [Rescinded by the Trump Administration]
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Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline, 2014
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Federal Regulation on "Significant Disproportionailty" in the Identification, Placement, and Discipline of Students with Disabilities based on Race or Ethnicity, US ED, 2016, [Delayed by the Trump Administration, 2018]
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Obama White House: The Continuing Need To Rethink Discipline, White House Executive Office of the President, 2016