O F F I C E F O R C I V I L R I G H T S

THE TRANSFORMED

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION (CRDC)

Revealing New Truths 

About Our Nation’s Schools

The New CRDC is:

Bigger Than Before: The CRDC, from school 

year 2009-10, is a representative sample covering 

approximately 85% of the nation’s students. 

More Detailed: Data are disaggregated by race 

and ethnicity, English learner status, sex, and by 

disability under the IDEA and Section 504 

statutes.

More Comprehensive: New data on access to 

and success in college- and career-ready courses, 

teacher equity, retention, access to pre-K 

programs, bullying and harassment, discipline, 

and more.

More Accessible: The new CRDC features new 

web tools and school-and district-level reports. 

http://ocrdata.ed.gov/

The CRDC allows us to shine a 

spotlight on K-12 schools and districts that are 

defying trends in pursuit of excellence. 

Throughout this document, you’ll see examples 

of success stories illuminated by the CRDC 

data—schools and districts that are making real 

progress in specific areas to close opportunity 

gaps.

Answering Questions About Fundamental Fairness

The Civil Rights Data Collection is the first-of-its-kind national data tool for analyzing 

equity and educational opportunities. 

It reveals new truths about the journey America’s young people take from prekindergarten through high school graduation. And it shines a new spotlight on 

whether our schools are providing the opportunity for all our students to be prepared to 

compete in the 21st Century global economy.

The CRDC database, with hundreds of data elements, is fully accessible to the public. 

The following pages show the kinds of powerful analyses anyone can do using a few of 

the new key indicators: discipline, seclusion and restraint, college and career 

readiness, student retention and teacher equity.

To access the new website visit

www.ocrdata.ed.gov

A Snapshot of Opportunity Gap Data*

Resource Equity: College and 

Career 

Readiness: 

Discipline: 

Teachers in elementary 

schools serving the most 

Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students are 

paid on average $2250 

less per year than their 

colleagues in the same 

district working at 

schools serving the fewest 

Hispanic and African 

American Students.

Less than a third 

of high schools 

serving the most 

Hispanic and 

African-American 

students offer 

Calculus and only 

40% offer physics. 

African-American students 

are over 31⁄2 times more 

likely to be suspended or 

expelled than their peers 

who are white.

*The data in this document, while 

covering about 85% of the nation’s 

public school students, are not 

intended to be an estimation of 

national data. All data in the 

CRDC are self-reported. Wee

Updated: Week of March 12, 2012
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

2

Discipline

The transformed CRDC makes public long-hidden data about which students are suspended, 

expelled, and arrested in school.

Disparate Discipline Rates

African-American students represent 18% of students in the CRDC sample, but 35% of students 

suspended once, 46% of those suspended more than once, and 39% of students expelled.

Arrests and 

Referrals to 

Law Enforcement

Over 70% of students involved 

in school-related arrests or 

referred to law enforcement are 

Hispanic or African-American.

CRDC also reveals: 

 Across all districts, African-American students are over 31⁄2 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white 

peers.

 In districts that reported expulsions under zero-tolerance policies, Hispanic and African-American students represent 45% of 

the student body, but 56% of the students expelled under such policies.

6% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 3% 1% 2%

18%

35% 35%

46% 39%

24%

23% 25%

22%

24%

51%

39% 36%

29% 33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Overall Enrollment 

(sample)

In-School Suspensions Out-of-School 

Suspensions (single) 

Out-of-School 

Suspensions (multiple) 

Expulsions

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

3% 1% 5% 1%

42% 35%

29% 37%

25% 21%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Referrals to Law Enforcement School-Related Arrests 

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

(Data for districts with more than 50,000 students)
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

3

Discipline

Boys vs. Girls

While male and female 

students each represent about 

half the student population, 

males made up 74% of the 

students expelled. 

A Look at Race and Gender:

Out-of-School Suspensions

African-American boys and girls 

have higher suspension rates 

than any of their peers. One in 

five African-American boys and 

more than one in ten AfricanAmerican girls received an outof-school suspension. 

Students with Disabilities

Students covered under IDEA 

are over twice as likely to receive 

one or more out-of-school 

suspensions.

CRDC also reveals: 

 1 out of 8 students in the CRDC sample (12%) has a disability—4.7 million served by IDEA and over 400,000 are served by 

Section 504 only. Nearly 18% of them are African-American males.

49%

64% 66% 69% 74%

51%

36% 34% 31% 26%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Overall 

Enrollment 

(sample)

In-School 

Suspensions

Out-of-School 

Suspensions 

(single) 

Out-of-School 

Suspensions 

(multiple) 

Expulsions 

Female

Male

7%

3%

9%

4%

20%

11%

3%

1%

12%

6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Males Females

White

Hispanic

Black 

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

6%

13%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

Non-IDEA Students IDEA Students
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

4

Discipline in the 20 Largest Districts 

Students Suspended Compared to Student Enrollment 

(Students without disabilities receiving one or more out of school suspensions)

DISTRICT STATE Students 

Suspended &

Student Enrollment

White African 

American

Hispanic Asian/ 

Pacific 

Islander

American 

Indian

1 NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NY Suspensions 8% 46% 42 % 2% 1%

1 NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NY Enrollment 14% 30% 40% 15% 0.4%

2 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA Suspensions 4% 26% 67% 3% 0.4%

2 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA Enrollment 9% 9% 75% 7% 0.3%

3 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IL Suspensions 3% 76% 20% 0.3% 0.3%

3 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IL Enrollment 9% 45% 42% 4% 0.2%

4 DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 4% 50% 46% 0.3% 0.1%

4 DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 9% 25% 65% 1% 0.1%

5 CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NV Suspensions 25% 25% 45% 5% 1%

5 CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NV Enrollment 34% 14% 42% 10% 1%

6 BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 17% 59% 23% 1% 0.3%

6 BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 28% 39% 29% 4% 0.3%

7 HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX Suspensions 3% 45% 51% 1% 0.4%

7 HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX Enrollment 8% 26% 63% 3% 0.3%

8 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 25% 46% 28% 1% 0.2%

8 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 44% 23% 30% 3% 0.3%

9 FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VA Suspensions 28% 27% 31% 13% 0.3%

9 FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VA Enrollment 48% 11% 20% 22% 0.3%

10 PHILADELPHIA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PA Suspensions 7% 78% 14% 1% 0.1%

10 PHILADELPHIA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PA Enrollment 13% 62% 17% 7% 0.2%

11 PALM BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 20% 57% 22% 1% 1%

11 PALM BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 38% 29% 29% 3% 1%

12 ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 16% 54% 29% 1% 0.2%

12 ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 34% 28% 33% 5% 0.5%

13 GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GA Suspensions 16% 43% 32% 4% 1%

13 GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GA Enrollment 34% 28% 26% 11% 0.5%

14 DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX Suspensions 3% 48% 48% 0.3% 0.5%

14 DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX Enrollment 4% 25% 69% 1% 0.4%

15 MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD Suspensions 17% 52% 27% 5% 0.1%

15 MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD Enrollment 38% 23% 23% 17% 0.3%

16 WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NC Suspensions 25% 57% 17% 2% 0.3%

16 WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NC Enrollment 57% 24% 12% 7% 0.3%

17 SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA Suspensions 12% 24% 57% 7% 0.5%

17 SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA Enrollment 24% 11% 48% 17% 0.4%

18 CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS NC Suspensions 14% 75% 10% 0.5% 0.5%

18 CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS NC Enrollment 33% 44% 17% 5% 0.4%

19 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD Suspensions 2% 87% 10% 1% 0.4%

19 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD Enrollment 4% 71% 20% 3% 0.4%

20 DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Suspensions 22% 72% 6% 1% 0.1%

20 DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL Enrollment 42% 46% 8% 4% 0.2%

Closing the Opportunity Gap

At Andrew Jackson, nearly 70% of students are 

Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black or 

Hispanic. Yet, there is almost no achievement gap between groups of 

students in reading and math at Andrew Jackson.

 Andrew Jackson reports a very different pattern around school suspension 

rates than the rest of Chicago Public Schools (K-8) – fewer than 1% of 

African-American and Hispanic students received an out-of-school 

suspension. (NOTE: These rates are for students without disabilities.)

 Additionally, of the African-American and Hispanic students who took 

Algebra I in grades 7 or 8 in Chicago Public Schools, 78% passed. At 

Andrew Jackson, all of the African-American and Hispanic students 

taking Algebra I in grades 7 or 8 passed. 

17%

3%

0%

10%

20%

Chicago Public Schools (K-8) Andrew Jackson (K-8)

Black and Hispanic Students 

Receiving Suspensions Black students

Hispanic students 

<1% <1%
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

5

Seclusion & Restraint

The transformed CRDC makes public long-hidden data about which students are 

subject to seclusion and to physical and mechanical restraint in school. 

Students with Disabilities: 

Physical Restraint

Students with disabilities (under the IDEA and 

Section 504 statutes) represent 12% of students in 

the sample, but nearly 70% of the students who 

are physically restrained by adults in their 

schools.

Students without 

Disabilities: Seclusion 

Hispanic students represent 24% 

of students without disabilities, 

but 42% of students without 

disabilities who are subject to 

seclusion. 

Students with 

Disabilities: 

Mechanical Restraint

African-American students 

represent 21% of students with 

disabilities (under the IDEA), 

but 44% of students with 

disabilities who are subject to 

mechanical restraint. 

CRDC also reveals: 

 Males represent about half of students without disabilities, but are 70% of those students subjected to restraint or seclusion.

1% 1% 6% 2%

18%

16%

24% 42%

51%

38%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Students without Disabilities--

Overall Enrollment (sample)

Students without Disabilities--

Subject to Seclusion

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

*(N=25,053)

1% 2%

3% 1%

21%

44%

20%

18%

54%

34%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Students with Disabilities--

Overall Enrollment (sample)

Students with Disabilities--

Subjected to Mechanical 

Restraint*

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

*(N=2,526)
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

6

College and Career Readiness

The transformed CRDC shows which students have access to the courses they need 

to succeed in college and careers.

The good news...

Over 80% of the high 

schools in the CRDC 

sample offer their students 

Algebra I, Geometry and 

Biology. 

But we have further 

to go...

Only about 50% offer 

calculus.

Unequal Access to Rigor 

The CRDC reveals disparity in 

access to high-level math and 

science courses. While 82% of the 

schools (in diverse districts) serving 

the fewest Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students offer Algebra 

II, only 65% of the schools serving 

the most African-American and 

Hispanic students offer students 

the same course.

CRDC also reveals disparities in access: 

 Hispanic students make up 20% of the student body at high schools offering calculus, but only 10% of the students taking 

calculus.

86% 84% 84% 79%

73%

62%

50%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Algebra I Geometry Biology Algebra II Chemistry Physics Calculus

High Schools Offering Select Math and Science Courses

65% 82%

0%

50%

100%

High Schools with Highest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools with Lowest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools offering Algebra II

40% 66%

0%

50%

100%

High Schools with Highest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools with Lowest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools offering Physics

29% 55%

0%

50%

100%

High Schools with Highest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools with Lowest Black & 

Hispanic Enrollment

High Schools offering Calculus
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

7

College and Career Readiness in the 20 Largest Districts

Differences in Access to Algebra II 

DISTRICT STATE % of high 

schools 

offering 

Algebra II

% of high schools with Highest 

Latino/Black enrollment 

offering Algebra II

% of high schools with Lowest

Latino/Black enrollment 

offering Algebra II 

1 NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NY 22% 10% 35%

2 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA 59% 67% 64%

3 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IL 84% 82% 85%

4 DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 82% 82% 67%

5 CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NV 81% 67% 94%

6 BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 88% 94% 100%

7 HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX 69% 71% 75%

8 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL FL 65% 57% 100%

9 FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VA 82% 81% 71%

10 PHILADELPHIA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PA 89% 100% 100%

11 PALM BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 81% 95% 78%

12 ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 52% 38% 62%

13 GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GA 91% 100% 75%

14 DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX 81% 100% 70%

15 MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD 87% 86% 100%

16 WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NC 96% 89% 100%

17 SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA 82% 93% 71%

18 CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS NC 91% 91% 100%

19 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD 76% 60% 57%

20 DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 75% 83% 86%

Closing the Opportunity Gap 

Albert Einstein High School in 

Montgomery County Public Schools in 

Maryland is enrolling students in Physics at 

high rates. 

 Albert Einstein H.S. has a greater 

percentage of African-American and 

Hispanic students (68%) than either 

the overall CRDC sample population 

(40%) or Montgomery County (46%).

 And yet, a high percentage of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students, 

relative to their population in the 

school, are enrolled in Physics (72%).

40%

46%

68%

30%

44%

72%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

CRDC sample District Albert Einstein 

African-American and Hispanic Students 

Physics Enrollment

Black/Hispanic 

Enrollment

Black/Hispanic 

Physics 

Enrollment
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

8

Algebra: The Doorway to College and Career Readiness

Mastery of Algebra early is critical to preparing students for the coursework they’ll need to graduate from high 

school ready for college and careers. The transformed CRDC reveals which students have access to algebra, 

when they take it, and whether they are succeeding.

Early Access 

About a quarter of students taking 

Algebra I do so in grades 7-8. Most 

students take Algebra I in high school. 

Early Success 

86% of white students taking Algebra I 

in middle school passed the course, as 

did 79% of Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students. 

Across the sample, white students 

represent:

 51% of CRDC students enrolled in 

grades 7 and 8; 

 57% of the students taking Algebra I 

in those grades; and

 59% of students passing it.

While Hispanic and African-American students represent:

 39% of CRDC students enrolled in grades 7 and 8; 

 32% of the students taking Algebra in those grades; and

 30% of students passing it.

Closing the Opportunity Gap 

Some districts are working hard to 

get all kids into Algebra early. In Elizabeth, NJ, 

for example, African-American and Hispanic 

students represent 89% of students in the district. 

In Elizabeth, all students take Algebra I by the 8th

grade.

 Hispanic and African-American students 

represent 92% of the students taking Algebra I 

in grades 7 or 8, and 92% of those passing 

Algebra I in grades 7 or 8. Nearly all students 

who take Algebra I in grades 7 or 8 pass the 

course (95%).

28%

65%

7%

Algebra I Enrollment by grade level

Grades 7 or 8

Grades 9 or 10

Grades 11 or 12

1% 1% 1% 7% 9% 9%

15% 11% 10%

24% 21% 20%

51% 57% 59%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Enrolled Taking Algebra I Passing Algebra I

Middle School Algebra I

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

22% 0% 2% 2% 25% 26%

67% 67% 66%

9% 6% 6%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Enrolled Taking Algebra I Passing Algebra I

Middle School Algebra in ELIZABETH, NJ 

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

9

Pathways to Success

The transformed CRDC provides new insight into which students get access to Pre-Kindergarten and 

Gifted and Talented (GATE) Programs, and which students are not promoted to the next grade level. 

Access to Gifted and 

Talented Education 

(GATE) Programs 

White and Asian students make up 

nearly three-fourths of students 

enrolled in GATE. On the other 

hand, Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students are 

disproportionately underrepresented in these educational

opportunities.

Retention Rates

 African-American students represent 

16% of 6th-8th graders, but 42% of 

students in those grades held back a 

year. 

 English Language Learners make up 

6% of high school enrollment, 

but12% of high school students held 

back a year.

Closing the Opportunity Gap

Some schools are providing greater access 

to GATE programs, enrolling African-American and 

Hispanic students at greater rates. Fulford Elementary in 

Dade County, Florida, for example, has over 600 

students, 96% of them Black and Hispanic and more than 

90% growing up in poverty. 

 While only 4% of the African-American and 5% of the 

Hispanic students in the CRDC sample overall is 

enrolled in a GATE program, at Fulford, the rates are 

16% and 17% respectively, outpacing the district as well.

On Early Learning Programs, CRDC also reveals:

 A fifth of the school districts with pre-K programs target those programs to low-income children. Half offer full-day pre-kindergarten

1% 1%

5% 10%

19% 10%

25%

16%

49%

62%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Overall Enrollment (in districts 

offering GATE) 

Enrollment in GATE

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

1% 1%

7% 2%

16%

42%

22%

22%

52%

33%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Enrollment (grades 6-8) Students Retained(grades 6-8)

White

Hispanic

Black

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian

6%

12%

0%

20%

ELLs Enrolled in High School ELLs Retained in High School 

4%

6%

16%

5%

8%

17%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

CRDC Sample Dade Fulford

African-American and Hispanic Students 

Enrolling in GATE at Fulford Elementary

African 

American 

students in 

GATE

Hispanic 

students in 

GATE
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

10

Teacher Equity

The transformed CRDC provides new insight into which schools employ the most novice teachers, pay 

the highest (or lowest) salaries, and have the highest rates of teacher absenteeism. 

Teacher Assignments: 

First and Second Year 

Teachers

Schools serving the most AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students are 

nearly twice as likely to employ 

teachers who are newest to the 

profession.

*For more information about the teacher salary differences and the sample’s diverse 

districts see the data notes on page 13.

Teacher Salary 

Differences

Teachers in elementary schools 

(in the sample’s diverse 

districts*) serving the most 

Hispanic and African-American 

students are paid on average 

$2,251 less per year than their 

colleagues in other schools in the 

same district who serve the 

fewest Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students. 

Teacher Absenteeism

37% of teachers (approximately 900,000 teachers) in the CRDC sample were absent for 10 

or more days of school, for non-school-related reasons. (Note: The data showed no differences 

associated with the racial enrollment of the schools or districts with these teacher absences.) 

CRDC also reveals:

 15% of high schools in the sample have no guidance counselors.

8%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Schools with the Lowest 

Black/Hispanic Enrollment

Schools with the Highest 

Black/Hispanic Enrollment
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

11

Teacher Equity in the 20 Largest Districts—Novice Teachers 

Differences in Percentage of 1st and 2nd year teachers

DISTRICT STATE District

Average

Schools with 

highest 

Hispanic/Black 

Enrollment

Schools with lowest

Hispanic/Black

Enrollment

1 NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NY 21% 24% 17%

2 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA 4% 5% 2%

3 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IL 17% 17% 16%

4 DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 17% 18% 17%

5 CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NV 9% 12% 6%

6 BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 11% 13% 7%

7 HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX 19% 19% 18%

8 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL FL 23% 28% 20%

9 FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VA 10% 11% 9%

10 PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT PA 20% 25% 13%

11 PALM BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 21% 23% 17%

12 ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 20% 24% 17%

13 GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GA 4% 5% 3%

14 DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TX 10% 9% 9%

15 MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD 12% 14% 9%

16 WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS NC 8% 9% 7%

17 SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CA 7% 9% 4%

18 CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS NC 11% 15% 7%

19 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MD 9% 13% 7%

20 DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FL 29% 41% 18%

Closing the Opportunity Gap

Many districts, including some in 

the above chart, are working to make sure that 

some groups of students are not more likely than 

others to be taught by the least experienced 

teachers. Take Long Beach Unified, in California, 

for example, a large and diverse district with 68% 

Black and Hispanic students, and 67% eligible for 

free and reduced price lunch. 

 In Long Beach, schools with the highest Black 

and Hispanic enrollment have a teaching staff 

made up of 4% first and second year teachers 

compared to schools with the lowest Black and 

Hispanic enrollment, which have a teaching 

staff with 3% of these least experienced teachers. 

3% 4%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Schools with the Lowest 

Black/Hispanic enrollment

Schools with the Highest 

Black/Hispanic enrollment

Percent 1st and 2nd Year Teachers

Long Beach Unified 
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

12

Teacher Equity in the 20 Largest School Districts: Teacher Salaries

Differences in High School Teacher Salaries between Schools with the 

Highest and Lowest Hispanic and African-American Enrollment

 

Reading this Chart: When a district spends less on teacher salaries in their high schools 

with the most Hispanic and African-American students, that amount is indicated in the 

above chart in blue, with a negative number of dollars. When a district spends more in 

those schools, that amount is indicated above in green.

-$5,947

$3,820

-$1,686

-$8,310

-$3,541

-$4,474

$1,660

-$2,858

-$743

-$4,589

-$14,699

-$3,274

-$4,486

$2,549

-$3,021

-$3,512

-$2,497

-$5,619

-$950

-$8,222

-$30,000 -$25,000 -$20,000 -$15,000 -$10,000 -$5,000 $0 $5,000 $10,000

New York City Public Schools

Los Angeles Unified School District

Clark County School District

Philadelphia School District

Houston Independent School District

Broward County Public Schools

Dade County Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools

Fairfax County Public Schools

Hillsborough County Public Schools

Duval County Schools

Palm Beach County Public Schools

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Dallas Independent School District

Montgomery County Public Schools

San Diego Unified School District

Orange County Public Schools

Wake County Public Schools

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Prince George’s County Public Schools
Data Notes and Methodology

13

Since 1968, the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) has collected 

data on key education and civil rights issues in our nation's public 

schools for use by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil 

Rights (OCR), other Department offices, other federal agencies, 

and by policymakers and researchers outside of the Department. 

Sample Size

The CRDC has generally been collected biennially from school 

districts in each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. The 

CRDC for SY 2009-10 was collected in two parts. Part 1 is 

beginning-of-year “snapshot” data and Part 2 is cumulative and 

end-of-year data. The 2009-10 CRDC contains information on 

about 7,000 school districts and over 72,000 schools in those 

districts. It is important to note that the CRDC does not include 

data from all school and districts in the nation, although it does 

include data from all districts with greater than 3,000 students and 

85% of all students. The conclusions in this report therefore apply 

only to these districts and schools sampled.

Race and Ethnicity 

For the 2009-10 CRDC, all school districts were able to choose to 

report data by five race and ethnicity categories (Hispanic, White, 

Black/African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American 

Indian/Alaska Native) or seven race and ethnicity categories 

(Hispanic/Latino, White, Black/African-American, Asian, Native 

Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska 

Native, and Two or More Races). About 25% of the districts 

reported by the newer seven category system. Less than 1% of the 

sample was reported as two or more races. Because the “two or 

more races” category was such a small component of the sample, 

responses were excluded from our analysis of these data in this 

document.

Discipline and Seclusion and Restraint

The CRDC collects detailed disaggregated discipline data for nondisabled students, students served by IDEA, and Section 504 

students. Because the CRDC does not include the race/ethnicity 

breakdown of students served by Section 504 only, the percentages 

by race/ethnicity of students receiving each type of disciplinary 

action are calculated based on non-disabled students and students 

served by IDEA. The percentage of students receiving expulsions 

includes both expulsions with services and without services. For 

school-related arrests and referrals to law enforcement, this analysis 

looked at districts with more than 50,000 students. 

College and Career Readiness

For the purpose of this analysis, high schools were defined 

as offering grades 10 or 11 and middle schools as offering 

grades 7 or 8. The race/ethnicity of students enrolled 

within certain grade spans who attended schools in the 

CRDC sample was calculated using data from the 

National Center for Education Statistics’ Public 

Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey from 

2009-10. The number of students enrolled in Algebra I 

was collected at the beginning of the school year and the 

count of students passing Algebra I at the end of the school 

year. Therefore, the cohort of students reported as taking 

Algebra I and passing Algebra I may be slightly different. 

(See resource equity section for definition of diverse 

districts).

Resource Equity

Methodology for the 1st and 2nd Year Teacher Analysis: This 

analysis compares the percentage of teachers in their first or second 

years of teaching in schools and districts with high and low 

combined Hispanic and Black enrollment. Specifically, this 

analysis reports the percentage of novice teachers in the top quintile 

of schools and districts by enrollment, ranked by percentage of 

Hispanic and African-American enrollment, with the percentage of 

novice teachers in the lowest quintile. Note: Schools reporting 250 

or more teachers were excluded from the analysis, as these very 

likely represented reporting errors. 

Methodology for the Teacher Salary Differences Analysis: Diverse 

districts were selected for analysis of within-district teacher salary 

differences. "Diverse" was defined for this purpose as having 

between 20 percent and 80 percent combined Black and Hispanic 

enrollment. 

For each diverse district, the upper and lower quintiles of schools in 

percentage of combined Black and Hispanic enrollment were identified. To 

assign schools to quintiles, schools were arranged in descending order of 

combined Black and Hispanic enrollment percentage. For each quintile, 

schools were selected until each quintile was equal to or greater than 20% 

of the total district enrollment. The number of students in the top and 

bottom quintile schools usually exceeds 20% of the total students in the 

district, because it is unlikely that the schools in the respective quintiles will 

comprise exactly 20% of the total enrollment. This same methodology was 

used for analyzing the top 20 districts on pages 7 and 11. 

Total teacher salaries and teacher FTEs (full-time equivalents) were used to 

compute the average teacher salary for each quintile. Schools where the 

average teacher salary in the district was less than $10,000 per year or more 

than $100,000 per year were excluded from the analysis, as they likely 

represent reporting errors. For the purposes of this analysis, an elementary 

school is defined as a school with Grades 3 or 4 and a high school is 

defined as a school with grades 10 or 11. 

Limitations of the Data

OCR strives to ensure that the CRDC data is an accurate and 

comprehensive depiction of student access to educational opportunities in 

sampled school districts. The submission system includes a series of 

embedded edit checks to ensure data errors are corrected before the district 

submits its data. Additionally, each district’s superintendent, or the 

superintendent’s designee, is required to certify the accuracy of its 

submission. Ultimately, the quality of the CRDC data depends on accurate 

collection and reporting by the participating districts and states.

After reviewing the data, OCR is aware that inconsistencies may still 

remain in the data file. Users should be aware that outliers in the dataset 

may be a function of districts mis-reporting data.

For more information about the CRDC, please visit:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/data.html

CRDC also reveals:

 Additional indicators found in the transformed CRDC include AP course-taking and test-passing, SAT and ACT testtaking, students enrolled in an IB program, interscholastic athletics, and bullying and harassment.
CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION MARCH 2012

14

Be Empowered With Data

“The power of the Civil Rights Data Collection is not only in the numbers themselves, but

in the impact it can have when married with the courage and the will to change.

The undeniable truth is that the everyday educational experience for many students violates

the principle of equity at the heart of the American promise.

It is our collective duty to change that.”

-- Arne Duncan

United States Department of Education

Arne Duncan, Secretary

Office for Civil Rights

Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary

Lyndon Baines Johnson 

Department of Education Building

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-1100 

Telephone: 800-421-3481

FAX: 202-453-6012

TDD: 877-521-2172

Email: OCR@ed.gov

http://www.ed.gov/ocr