U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 1 

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness) 

March 21, 2014

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION

Data Snapshot: College and Career Readiness 

Issue Brief No. 3 (March 2014) 

For other data snapshots in the series, visit the CRDC at: http://ocrdata.ed.gov

INSIDE THIS SNAPSHOT: College and Career Readiness Highlights

 Limited access to high-level math and science courses: Nationwide, only 50% of high schools offer 

calculus, and only 63% offer physics. 

 Significant lack of access to other core courses: Nationwide, between 10-25% of high schools do not 

offer more than one of the core courses in the typical sequence of high school math and science education 

— such as Algebra I and II, geometry, biology, and chemistry. 

 Even less access for black, Latino, American Indian, and Alaska Native students: A quarter of high 

schools with the highest percentage of black and Latino students do not offer Algebra II; a third of these 

schools do not offer chemistry. Fewer than half of American Indian and Native-Alaskan high school 

students have access to the full range of math and science courses in their high school. 

 Growing opportunity gap in gifted and talented education: Black and Latino students represent 26% of 

the students enrolled in gifted and talented education programs, compared to black and Latino students’ 

40% enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented programs. 

 Advanced Placement (AP) course enrollment and testing:

o Black and Latino students make up 37% of students in high schools, 27% of students enrolled in at 

least one Advanced Placement (AP) course, and 18% of students receiving a qualifying score of 3 or 

above on an AP exam. 

o English learners represent 5% of high school students, 2% of the students enrolled in at least one 

AP course, and 1% of the students receiving a qualifying score of 3 or above on an AP exam. 

o Students with disabilities served by IDEA represent 12% of high school students, 2% of students 

enrolled in an AP course, and 1% of the students receiving a qualifying score of 3 or above on an AP 

exam.

 Less access to English language instruction programs for American Indian and Native-Alaskan 

English learners: Eighty-one percent (81%) of American Indian and Native-Alaskan English learners are 

enrolled in English language instruction programs, compared to 92% of their Latino and black peers. 

 Higher rates of retention for students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities: 

Students with disabilities served by IDEA and English learners make up 12% and 5% of high school 

enrollment, respectively, but 19% and 11% of students held back or retained a year, respectively. (Some 

students may be counted in both categories). Twelve percent (12%) of black students are retained in grade 

9 — about double the rate that all students are retained (6%). 
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 2

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS

Early mastery of algebra is critical to preparing students for subsequent coursework they will need to graduate from 

high school to prepare for college and careers. The CRDC reveals disparities in which students have access to algebra, 

when they take it, and whether they are succeeding. 

Early access to Algebra I

About 30% of students taking Algebra I did so in grades 7

or 8. The majority of students taking Algebra I did so in 

grades 9 or 10. About 8% of students taking Algebra I 

did so in grades 11 or 12.

Early completion of Algebra I, by race/ethnicity

Across the sample, white students represent 53% of students enrolled in grades 7 and 8; 56% of students taking 

Algebra I in those grades; and 60% of those passing Algebra I. 

While Latino and black students represent 38% 

of students enrolled in grades 7 or 8, they 

represent 32% of students taking Algebra I in 

those grades and 29% of students passing 

Algebra I. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to 100% because of rounding. Figure represents 

students enrolled in Algebra I. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil 

Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.

NOTE: Data reflects only those schools included in both the 

CRDC collection and the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data Public School Universe 

Survey, approximately 98.5% of CRDC schools. Totals include 

6.8 million students enrolled in grades 7 or 8, 1.4 million 

students enrolled in Algebra I in grades 7 or 8, and 1.1 million 

students passing Algebra I in grades 7 or 8.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil 

Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12; the NCES 

Common Core of Data, “Public Elementary/Secondary 

School Universe Survey,” 2011–12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 3 

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness) 

March 21, 2014

The CRDC also reveals: 

 For English learners taking Algebra I in the last years of high school (grade 11 or 12), only 69% 

successfully passed the course compared to 71% of their non-English-learner peers. 

 Eighty-six percent (86%) of white students taking Algebra I in middle school passed the course, as did 

72% of Latino and black students.

Participation in gifted and talented education program, by race/ethnicity 

White and Asian-American students make up 70% of the students enrolled in gifted and talented education 

programs, compared to 55% of white and Asian-American enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented 

programs. Latino and black students represent 26% of the students enrolled in gifted and talented programs, 

compared to 40% of Latino and black student enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented programs. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Figure reflects 33 million students enrolled in schools 

offering gifted and talented education (GATE) programs and about 3.3 million students enrolled in GATE 

programs.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 4

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Participation of English learners and students with disabilities in gifted and talented

education programs

While 7% of students without disabilities are participating in gifted and talented education (GATE) programs, only 

1% of students with disabilities served under IDEA do so. (Note: In 2011-12, 7% of children ages 3-21 served 

under the IDEA were classified as having intellectual, as opposed to learning, disabilities that might preclude GATE 

participation.) Similarly, the percentage of non-English learners participating in GATE programs is three and a half 

times greater than the percentage of English learners participating in these programs. 

English learner enrollment in English language instruction educational programs, by 

race/ethnicity

Overall, a high percentage of English learners are participating in English language instruction programs. 

However, just 81% of American Indian and Native-Alaskan English learners are enrolled in English language 

instruction programs, compared to 92% of their Latino and black peers.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Figure reflects 43.6 million non-IDEA students, 

6 million IDEA students, 4.7 million LEP students, and about 45 million non-LEP students.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.

NOTE: Figure represents 53,000 American Indian/Alaska Native LEP students, 542,000 Asian LEP students, 34,000 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific 

Islander LEP students, 180,000 black LEP students, 3.4 million Latino LEP students, 45,000 LEP students of two or more races, and 279,000 white LEP 

students. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 5

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Grade 9 retention 

About 6% of all ninth-grade students are held back or retained in grade 9. Twelve percent (12%) of black and 9% 

of American Indian and Native-Alaskan students repeat grade 9. 

NOTE: Data reflects only those schools included in both the CRDC collection and the NCES Common Core of Data Public 

School Universe Survey (approximately 98.5% of CRDC all schools), where both data sources reported grade 9 offered, 

and where the NCES Common Core of Data reported at least one student enrolled in grade 9 (92% of all CRDC schools 

with grade 9). Figure reflects 44,000 American Indian/Alaska Native students, 180,000 Asian students, 14,000 Native 

Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students, 660,000 black students, 896,000 Latino students, 89,000 students of two or 

more races, and 2 million white students. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12; the NCES 

Common Core of Data, “Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey,” 2011–12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 6

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

English learners retained in high school 

English learners make up 5% of high school enrollment, but 11% of high school students held back a year. 

Students with disabilities retained in high school 

Students with disabilities served by IDEA make up 12% of high school enrollment, but 19% of high school students 

held back a year. 

NOTE: High school enrollment reflects the LEP 

enrollment in schools offering any of the grades 9-

12. Figure represent 97% of CRDC schools offering 

any of the grades 9-12, including 16 million high 

school students and 747,000 students retained in 

high school.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office 

for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 

2011-12.

NOTE: High school enrollment reflects the IDEA 

enrollment in schools offering any of the grades 9-12.

Figure represent 97% of CRDC schools offering any of the 

grades 9-12, including 16 million high school students 

and 747,000 students retained in high school.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for 

Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 7

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

The CRDC reveals opportunity strengths and deficits nationwide in student access to college- and career-preparatory 

coursework and opportunities, as well as disparities in which students are successful in advanced mathematics and 

science courses and Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests.

Unavailability of key courses

More than one in ten high schools does not offer Algebra I; only about one in two schools offers

calculus.

NOTE: "High schools" is defined as public schools offering grades 10 or 11. Data in this chart represents 99% 

of high schools in the CRDC universe (25,030 high schools).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 8

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Unequal access to key courses

The CRDC reveals disparities in access to high-level math and science courses. While 78% and 83% 

of the schools serving the lowest percentages of black and Latino students offer chemistry and 

Algebra II, respectively only 66% and 74% of schools serving the highest percentages of black and 

Latino students offer chemistry and Algebra II, respectively.

Access to full range of courses, by race/ethnicity

Eighty-one percent (81%) of Asian-American high school students and 71% of white high school 

students attend high schools where the full range of math and science courses are offered (Algebra 

I, geometry, Algebra II, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics). However, fewer than half of American

Indian and Native-Alaskan high school students have access to the full range of math and science 

courses in their high schools.

NOTE: Data reflects only schools in districts with more than one high school. See data notes for more information on the categorization of 

schools. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.

NOTE: Figure reflects data for 99% of CRDC 

high schools, including approximately 

200,000 American Indian/Alaska Native 

students, 743,000 Asian students, 75,000 

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 

students, 2.5 million black students, 3.3 

million Latino students, 340,000 students of 

two or more races, and 8.5 million white 

students. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, 

Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data 

Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 9 

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness) 

March 21, 2014

Access to full range of courses, by disability and English learner status 

While 69% of students without disabilities have access to the full range of math and science 

courses, only 63% of students with disabilities served by IDEA attend schools offering Algebra I, 

geometry, Algebra II, calculus, biology, chemistry and physics. For English learners, a difference in 

access still exists but on a smaller scale; 65% of English learners attend schools that offer the full 

range of courses, compared to 69% of their non-English learner peers. 

NOTE: Figure represents 99% of CRDC high schools (offering grades 10 or 11), including 800,000 LEP 

students, 14.9 million non-LEP students, 1.9 million IDEA students and 13.9 million non-IDEA students. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 10

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Algebra II and calculus enrollment, by race/ethnicity

CRDC reveals good news on a national level, showing the proportion of students enrolled in 

Algebra II courses closely matching enrollment in public high schools. However, this promising 

trend does not continue into calculus. For example, while black and Latino students represent 16%

and 21%, respectively, of high school enrollment, they are only 8% and 12%, respectively, of the 

students enrolled in calculus. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Figure represents 99% of CRDC schools, including 16 million 

high school students, 2.9 million students enrolled in Algebra II, and 534,000 students enrolled in calculus.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 11 

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness) 

March 21, 2014

Advanced Placement enrollment and success, by race/ethnicity 

Black and Latino students combined represent 37% of high school enrollment, but 27% of students 

taking AP courses, 26% of students taking AP exams, and 18% of students receiving a qualifying 

score of 3 or above on one or more AP exams. 

The CRDC also reveals: 

 Students with disabilities served by IDEA represent 12% of high school students, but only 2% of 

students enrolled in an AP course and only 1% of the students taking and receiving a qualifying 

score of 3 or above on an AP exam. 

 English learners represent 5% of high school students, but only 2% of the students enrolled in 

an AP course and only 1% of the students taking and receiving a qualifying score of 3 or above 

on an AP exam. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Data in this chart represents 98.9% of high schools in the CRDC universe. 

Overall high school enrollment is 16 million students, enrolled in at least one AP course is 2.5 million students, taking at least 

one AP exam is 1.75 million students, and with a qualifying score on at least one AP exam is 980,000 students. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 12

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

COLLEGE AND CAREER

READINESS: STATE-BY-STATE

For the first time since 2000, the CRDC included every public school and district in the nation,

allowing more accurate depictions of statewide trends and inter-state disparities. The 

following tables provide state-level data on student access to math and science courses, Algebra I 

enrollment, Gifted and Talented Education enrollment, AP course enrollment, and AP exam-taking 

and exam-passing. Here are some select highlights:

Access to Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Programs 

 States with highest percent of students in GATE, by race/ethnicity

o American Indian/Alaska Native: Alabama (15%), Oklahoma (14%), and Georgia (13%)

o Asian: Maryland (38%), Indiana (26%), and Oklahoma (26%)

o Black/African American: Maryland (10%), Arkansas (8%), and Oklahoma (8%)

o Hispanic or Latino of any race: Maryland (15%), Indiana (8%), and Oklahoma (8%)

o Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: South Carolina (15%), Virginia (14%), and 

Kentucky (13%)

o Two or more races: Maryland (20%), Virginia (15%), Georgia (13%), and Nebraska 

(13%)

o White: Maryland (20%), Oklahoma (17%), and South Carolina (17%)

 States with lowest percent of students in GATE, by race/ethnicity

o American Indian/Alaska Native: Vermont (0%) and Rhode Island (0.2%)

o Asian: Massachusetts (1%), Rhode Island (1%), and Vermont (1%) 

o Black/African American: Vermont (0.3%) and New Hampshire (0.4%)

o Hispanic or Latino of any race: Massachusetts (0.4%), New Hampshire (0.4%), and 

Vermont (0.4%) 

o Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: Vermont (0%) and Massachusetts (0.4%)

o Two or more races: Vermont (0.2%) and Rhode Island (0.2%)

o White: Vermont (0.3%), Massachusetts (1%), New Hampshire (1%), and Rhode 

Island (1%)

 States with highest and lowest percent of students with disabilities in GATE

o Highest: Arkansas (6.5%), Tennessee (4.9%), Maryland (4.3%)

o Lowest: Vermont (0.02%), and Rhode Island (0.04%)

 States with highest and lowest percent of English learners in GATE

o Highest: Minnesota (8.3%), South Carolina (5.9%), and Alabama (5%)

o Lowest: Rhode Island (0.02%), New Hampshire (0.1%), South Dakota (0.1%), and 

Vermont (0.1%)
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 13

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Access to Math and Science Courses

 States (and D.C.) with highest percent of high schools offering math and science 

courses

o Algebra I: Wyoming (100%); New Hampshire (99%); and North Dakota and 

Montana (98%)

o Algebra II: Montana (97%); Arkansas (96%); Wyoming (95%); and New Hampshire 

and Oklahoma (94%)

o Geometry: Wyoming (98%); Arkansas and New Hampshire (96%); and District of 

Columbia, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (95%)

o Calculus: New Hampshire (83%); Maine (76%); Indiana (74%), Pennsylvania 

(71%), and Rhode Island (69 %)

o Biology: Montana (98%); Arkansas and Massachusetts (97%); and New 

Hampshire and Ohio (96%)

o Chemistry: District of Columbia (92%); Maine (91%); and Arkansas, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, and Rhode Island (90%)

o Physics: New Hampshire (91%); Maine and Massachusetts (88%); Arkansas (86%)

 States with lowest percentage of high schools offering math and science classes

o Algebra I: Georgia (66%), Utah (74%), Minnesota (76%), and Hawaii (77%)

o Algebra II: Georgia and Alaska (56%); California (62%); and Minnesota (70%)

o Geometry: Georgia (53%), Delaware (63%), Alaska (65%), and Minnesota (73%)

o Calculus: Alaska (18%), North Dakota (32%), Oklahoma (34%), and Minnesota 

(35%)

o Biology: Hawaii (71%), Alaska (72%), Minnesota (74%), and California (75%)

o Chemistry: Alaska (38%), California (53%), Florida (54%), and Washington (56%)

o Physics: Alaska (30%), Oklahoma (36%), Florida (39%), and Kentucky (46%)
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 14

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Table 1. Percentage of students enrolled in gifted and talented programs, by race/ethnicity and state: 2011-12

State All 

Students

American 

Indian/Alaska 

Native

Asian

Native 

Hawaiian/Other

Pacific Islander

Black/African 

American

Hispanic/

Latino

Two or 

more races

White

UNITED STATES 7% 6% 13% 6% 4% 5% 8% 8%

Alabama 9% 15% 18% 11% 5% 6% 9% 11%

Alaska 5% 1% 7% 3% 3% 5% 7% 6%

Arizona 6% 3% 14% 6% 3% 4% 7% 8%

Arkansas 10% 10% 17% 4% 8% 6% 7% 11%

California 8% 6% 16% 12% 6% 6% 10% 11%

Colorado 7% 5% 11% 7% 3% 4% 9% 8%

Connecticut 2% 2% 5% 2% 2% 1% 3% 3%

Delaware 2% 2% 5% 1% 1% 1% 3% 2%

District Of Columbia1

- - - - - - - -

Florida 6% 6% 13% 5% 2% 5% 7% 7%

Georgia 11% 13% 25% 9% 5% 5% 13% 16%

Hawaii 1% 1% 2% 1% 1% 1% 2% 2%

Idaho 3% 2% 8% 3% 2% 1% 4% 3%

Illinois 4% 3% 10% 6% 2% 2% 6% 4%

Indiana 13% 12% 26% 10% 6% 8% 11% 14%

Iowa 10% 7% 15% 5% 4% 5% 10% 10%

Kansas 3% 3% 8% 2% 1% 1% 4% 4%

Kentucky 13% 9% 20% 13% 5% 6% 9% 14%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 15

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

State All 

Students

American 

Indian/Alaska 

Native

Asian

Native 

Hawaiian/Other

Pacific Islander

Black/African 

American

Hispanic/

Latino

Two or 

more races

White

Louisiana 3% 3% 12% 6% 2% 3% 5% 4%

Maine 5% 3% 9% 5% 3% 5% 3% 5%

Maryland 16% 12% 38% 8% 10% 15% 20% 20%

Massachusetts 1% 1% 1% 0.4% 1% 0.4% 1% 1%

Michigan 2% 1% 4% 2% 1% 1% 1% 2%

Minnesota 8% 5% 17% 3% 7% 6% 6% 8%

Mississippi 7% 6% 16% 6% 3% 7% 6% 10%

Missouri 4% 4% 13% 3% 2% 3% 5% 4%

Montana 4% 2% 11% 4% 4% 3% 5% 5%

Nebraska 12% 6% 21% 11% 7% 6% 13% 14%

Nevada 2% 2% 4% 2% 1% 1% 3% 3%

New Hampshire 1% 1% 2% 1% 0.4% 0.4% 1% 1%

New Jersey 7% 6% 13% 9% 4% 3% 6% 8%

New Mexico 5% 3% 15% 4% 5% 3% 8% 9%

New York 2% 1% 3% 2% 1% 1% 2% 2%

North Carolina 11% 8% 21% 10% 5% 5% 12% 15%

North Dakota 3% 4% 9% 4% 2% 1% 2% 3%

Ohio 4% 3% 11% 3% 1% 2% 3% 4%

Oklahoma 14% 14% 26% 11% 8% 8% 10% 17%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 16

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

State All 

Students

American 

Indian/Alaska 

Native

Asian

Native 

Hawaiian/Other

Pacific Islander

Black/African 

American

Hispanic/

Latino

Two or 

more races

White

Oregon 7% 4% 17% 5% 4% 3% 9% 8%

Pennsylvania 4% 3% 10% 5% 2% 2% 4% 4%

Rhode Island 1% 0.2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0.5% 1%

South Carolina 12% 10% 23% 15% 5% 7% 12% 17%

South Dakota 2% 1% 4% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2%

Tennessee 3% 3% 8% 5% 2% 1% 4% 3%

Texas 8% 10% 18% 9% 4% 6% 12% 11%

Utah 4% 3% 11% 6% 4% 3% 2% 4%

Vermont 0.3% 0.0% 1% 0.0% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.3%

Virginia 12% 11% 22% 14% 6% 8% 15% 14%

Washington 4% 2% 7% 2% 2% 2% 4% 4%

West Virginia 2% 2% 11% 5% 2% 1% 2% 2%

Wisconsin 6% 3% 8% 4% 6% 4% 5% 6%

Wyoming 3% 1% 7% 4% 1% 2% 3% 4%

1 The District of Columbia proved only partial information on gifted and talented education programs.

NOTE: Data in this chart represents 98.5% of schools in the CRDC universe that were matched to the NCES common core of data grade-level enrollment data. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 17

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Table 2. Percentage of students enrolled in gifted and talented programs, by disability (IDEA) and 

English learner (LEP) status and state: 2011-12

State Students without 

disabilities

Students with

disabilities (IDEA)

Non-English learners English learners

(LEP)

UNITED STATES 7.3% 1.4% 7.0% 2.0%

Alabama 9.5% 0.9% 8.6% 5.0%

Alaska 5.5% 1.0% 5.5% 0.5%

Arizona 6.5% 1.2% 6.3% 0.9%

Arkansas 11.0% 6.5% 10.5% 3.0%

California 9.1% 2.1% 10.3% 2.0%

Colorado 7.2% 1.5% 7.4% 1.4%

Connecticut 2.7% 0.3% 2.5% 0.3%

Delaware 2.3% 0.4% 2.1% 0.8%

District of Columbia -- -- -- --

Florida 6.3% 0.5% 6.1% 0.5%

Georgia 11.6% 1.6% 11.1% 0.8%

Hawaii 1.6% 0.1% 1.6% 0.2%

Idaho 3.4% 0.4% 3.3% 0.4%

Illinois 4.0% 0.6% 3.9% 0.4%

Indiana 14.5% 2.3% 13.2% 4.4%

Iowa 10.7% 1.6% 9.9% 1.8%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 18

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

State Students without 

disabilities

Students with

disabilities (IDEA)

Non-English learners English learners

(LEP)

Kansas 3.4% 1.2% 3.4% 0.4%

Kentucky 14.2% 4.2% 13.1% 2.2%

Louisiana 3.5% 0.5% 3.2% 1.9%

Maine 5.5% 0.8% 4.8% 1.5%

Maryland 17.4% 4.3% 16.8% 2.7%

Massachusetts 0.8% 0.1% 0.7% 0.3%

Michigan 2.2% 0.2% 2.0% 0.2%

Minnesota 9.0% 3.0% 8.1% 8.3%

Mississippi 7.5% 1.4% 6.9% 3.1%

Missouri 4.7% 0.9% 4.2% 1.7%

Montana 4.8% 0.6% 4.5% 0.3%

Nebraska 13.6% 2.9% 12.7% 1.9%

Nevada 2.3% 0.3% 2.5% 0.4%

New Hampshire 1.6% 0.1% 1.5% 0.1%

New Jersey 7.6% 1.3% 6.9% 0.7%

New Mexico 5.2% 2.1% 5.7% 0.5%

New York 1.7% 0.4% 1.7% 0.2%

North Carolina 12.1% 1.5% 11.5% 1.8%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 19

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

State Students without 

disabilities

Students with

disabilities (IDEA)

Non-English learners English learners

(LEP)

North Dakota 3.8% 0.6% 3.4% 1.9%

Ohio 4.3% 0.6% 3.9% 0.8%

Oklahoma 16.1% 2.8% 14.9% 3.3%

Oregon 7.7% 2.0% 7.7% 0.7%

Pennsylvania 4.3% 1.9% 4.1% 0.3%

Rhode Island 0.7% 0.0% 0.6% 0.0%

South Carolina 13.7% 1.9% 12.6% 5.9%

South Dakota 2.3% 0.3% 2.1% 0.1%

Tennessee 2.2% 4.9% 2.6% 1.3%

Texas 8.5% 1.3% 8.8% 3.4%

Utah 4.4% 0.7% 3.9% 4.9%

Vermont 0.4% 0.0% 0.3% 0.1%

Virginia 13.4% 3.1% 12.7% 4.3%

Washington 4.0% 0.7% 3.9% 0.6%

West Virginia 2.3% 0.2% 2.0% 1.6%

Wisconsin 6.7% 2.1% 6.3% 2.4%

Wyoming 3.8% 0.5% 3.4% 0.4%

1 The District of Columbia proved only partial information on gifted and talented education programs.

NOTE: Data in this chart represents 98.5% of schools in the CRDC universe that were matched to the NCES common core of data grade-level enrollment data. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 20

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

Table 3. Mathematics and science course offerings in high schools, by course and state: 2011-12

State % Offering 

Algebra I

% offering 

geometry

% offering 

Algebra II

% offering 

calculus

% offering 

biology

% offering 

chemistry

% offering 

physics

UNITED STATES 89% 85% 81% 50% 87% 75% 63%

Alabama 91% 90% 85% 44% 89% 82% 61%

Alaska 85% 65% 56% 18% 72% 38% 30%

Arizona 91% 88% 88% 38% 87% 66% 50%

Arkansas 93% 96% 96% 55% 97% 90% 86%

California 87% 73% 62% 41% 75% 53% 47%

Colorado 94% 92% 88% 53% 90% 78% 66%

Connecticut 89% 88% 85% 65% 89% 78% 69%

Delaware 82% 63% 72% 48% 82% 68% 55%

District Of Columbia 95% 95% 92% 41% 95% 92% 79%

Florida 84% 82% 74% 37% 79% 54% 39%

Georgia 66% 53% 56% 49% 92% 81% 64%

Hawaii 77% 79% 73% 44% 71% 68% 62%

Idaho 92% 87% 78% 48% 86% 65% 48%

Illinois 92% 90% 78% 53% 90% 78% 69%

Indiana 94% 91% 93% 74% 92% 89% 79%

Iowa 91% 87% 86% 64% 92% 84% 79%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 21

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State % Offering 

Algebra I

% offering 

geometry

% offering 

Algebra II

% offering 

calculus

% offering 

biology

% offering 

chemistry

% offering 

physics

Kansas 96% 93% 92% 56% 95% 89% 83%

Kentucky 86% 85% 84% 48% 82% 71% 46%

Louisiana 91% 89% 88% 40% 89% 84% 61%

Maine 91% 90% 91% 76% 93% 91% 88%

Maryland 90% 90% 86% 57% 89% 82% 72%

Massachusetts 94% 95% 93% 74% 97% 90% 88%

Michigan 92% 88% 87% 40% 89% 83% 66%

Minnesota 76% 73% 70% 35% 74% 58% 50%

Mississippi 83% 81% 82% 41% 84% 78% 58%

Missouri 86% 77% 77% 44% 84% 70% 52%

Montana 98% 93% 97% 54% 98% 85% 78%

Nebraska 94% 92% 90% 61% 92% 82% 77%

Nevada 89% 82% 85% 51% 85% 71% 60%

New Hampshire 99% 96% 94% 83% 96% 90% 91%

New Jersey 90% 90% 89% 67% 91% 87% 76%

New Mexico 89% 87% 89% 40% 91% 78% 55%

New York 94% 90% 84% 52% 92% 79% 66%

North Carolina 92% 91% 92% 59% 94% 79% 53%

North Dakota 98% 90% 92% 32% 95% 82% 62%
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 22

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

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State % Offering 

Algebra I

% offering 

geometry

% offering 

Algebra II

% offering 

calculus

% offering 

biology

% offering 

chemistry

% offering 

physics

Ohio 95% 93% 91% 65% 96% 87% 75%

Oklahoma 95% 94% 94% 34% 94% 75% 36%

Oregon 91% 84% 82% 49% 81% 61% 52%

Pennsylvania 90% 87% 87% 71% 88% 85% 79%

Rhode Island 97% 95% 91% 69% 95% 90% 79%

South Carolina 88% 88% 88% 61% 88% 84% 68%

South Dakota 90% 88% 86% 42% 90% 79% 64%

Tennessee 91% 91% 91% 55% 91% 88% 60%

Texas 89% 87% 84% 43% 88% 86% 80%

Utah 74% 76% 75% 46% 81% 65% 58%

Vermont 92% 92% 89% 66% 92% 88% 80%

Virginia 94% 92% 87% 68% 93% 82% 77%

Washington 84% 78% 71% 38% 77% 56% 48%

West Virginia 89% 91% 87% 59% 87% 77% 59%

Wisconsin 88% 85% 71% 58% 86% 77% 76%

Wyoming 100% 98% 95% 50% 93% 82% 55%

NOTE: Data in this chart represents 98.5% of schools in the CRDC universe that were matched to the NCES common core of data grade-level enrollment data. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-12.
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 23

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

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Data Notes and Methodology

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. The CRDC collects 

information about school characteristics and about programs, services, and outcomes for students. Most student 

data is disaggregated by race/ethnicity, sex, limited English proficiency, and disability. 

Schools and Districts Included

The CRDC has generally been collected biennially from school districts in each of the 50 states, plus the District of 

Columbia. The 2011–12 CRDC included all public schools and public school districts in the nation that serve 

students for at least 50% of the school day. The CRDC also includes long-term secure juvenile justice agencies, 

schools for the blind and deaf, and alternative schools. The response rate for this large national collection was 

98.4% of school districts and 99.2% of schools, representing 99.6% of students in the nation. 

Race and Ethnicity

For the 2011-12 CRDC, districts reported data using the 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). For more information on the Department’s 2007 guidance regarding race and ethnicity 

categories, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rschstat/guid/raceethnicity/index.html.

Privacy Protection and Data Rounding

To ensure the protection of privacy while meeting the purposes of the CRDC, OCR conducted the analysis 

presented in this document on the privacy protected CRDC data. The CRDC data is privacy protected by rounding 

student counts in groups of three to prevent the disclosure of individual student information. For example, student 

counts from 1-3 are rounded to two, student counts from 4-6 are rounded to five. 

In previous years, OCR has rounded CRDC data to the nearest five. However, in collaboration with the 

Department’s Disclosure Review Board, OCR implemented a new rounding method for the 2011-12 CRDC to reveal 

true zeroes where possible and minimize the distortion of rounding. In general, for the 2011-12 CRDC data, the 

distortion of rounding one student to two would be balanced by the rounding down of three students to 

two. However, this new privacy protection method may inflate total counts for CRDC data elements in which there 

are prevalent cases of schools reporting only one student (e.g., one student retained is rounded to two students 

retained).

Limitations of CRDC Data

OCR strives to ensure CRDC data are an accurate and comprehensive depiction of student access to educational 

opportunities in school districts. The submission system includes a series of embedded edit checks to ensure 

significant data errors are corrected before the district submits its data. Additionally, each district is required to 

certify the accuracy of its submission. Only a district superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee, may certify 

the CRDC submission. Ultimately, the quality of the CRDC data depends on accurate collection and reporting by the 

participating districts.

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 misreporting data. For example, outliers in the data on 

single-sex classes may be reporting the number of students enrolled in single-sex classes rather than the number of 

single-sex classes. In the analysis provided in this report, some schools and districts with potential reporting 
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 24

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

errors were excluded from the analysis. The percentage of schools included can be found in the notes section 

below each chart. 

College and Career

CRDC Definitions: 

 Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement (AP) is a program sponsored by the College Board through 

which high school students can earn college credit and advanced college placement.

 Advanced Placement Qualifying Score/Passing: For the purpose of the CRDC, a score of 3 or higher on an AP 

examination is considered passing.

 Algebra I: Algebra I is a course that includes the study of properties and operations of the real number 

system; evaluating rational algebraic expressions; solving and graphing first degree equations and 

inequalities; translating word problems into equations; operations with and factoring of polynomials; and 

solving simple quadratic equations.

 Gifted and Talented: Programs during regular school hours offered to students because of unusually high 

academic ability or aptitude or a specialized talent or aptitude. 

 Retained: A student is retained if he or she is not promoted to the next grade prior to the beginning of the 

following school year. Students are not considered retained if they can proceed to the next grade because 

they successfully completed a summer school program or for a similar reason. At the high school level, a 

student who has not accumulated enough credits to be classified as being in the next grade is considered 

retained.

Algebra I: The CRDC collects Algebra I enrollment by grade span (7-8, 9-10, and 11-12). The pie chart reflects the 

percent of all students enrolled in Algebra I who were taking the course in certain grades. These students may be 

taking the course for the first time or repeating the course. Enrollment in grades 7 or 8 is provided by the Common 

Core of Data, where 98.5% of the CRDC schools were matched to the CCD data set. 

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.

Gifted and Talented Education: The chart compares overall enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented 

education programs to the enrollment of students in those programs. In the state tables, DC reported only a small 

number of students enrolled in gifted and talented education programs, representing less than 1% of students in 

each race/ethnicity category.

Ninth Grade Retention: This analysis combines data from multiple sources. Approximately 98.5% of CRDC 

schools were matched to schools in the Common Core of Data (ranging from 100% in Hawaii and Wyoming to 

94.5% in Oregon). The Common Core of Data provides a rich set of grade-level enrollments that are not collected 

on the CRDC. A few schools reported offering ninth grade on the CRDC but reported no ninth grade students 

enrolled on the Common Core of Data. These schools were excluded from the analysis. Additionally, a small 

number of schools reported retaining more ninth grade students than the CCD reported as enrolled in ninth grade. 

These schools were also removed from the analysis. 

Course Offering Analysis: For the purpose of this analysis, high schools were defined as offering grades 10 or 11

to include as many schools as possible in the analysis. The tables providing the percent of high schools offering 

math and science courses by state also define a high school as offering grades 10 or 11. Please note that the states 
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 25

Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (College and Career Readiness)

March 21, 2014

with a high proportion of students enrolled in Algebra I in grades 7 or 8 may have fewer high schools offering 

Algebra I, since students are enrolling in Algebra I in middle school. 

For each district, the upper and lower quintiles of schools in percentage of combined black and Latino enrollment 

were identified. To assign schools to quintiles, high schools were arranged in descending order of combined black 

and Latino enrollment percentage. For each quintile, high 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 analysis only includes school districts with more 

than one high school (64% of all CRDC districts). 

Specifically, this analysis compares the percent of high schools offering Algebra II and Chemistry in the top quintile 

of schools and districts by enrollment, ranked by percentage of Latino and black enrollment, with the percentage of 

high schools in the lowest quintile offering Algebra II and Chemistry. 

Advanced Placement: The charts and tables include the demographics of students enrolled in high schools, 

students enrolled in AP courses, and achieving a qualifying score on an AP exam. Users should note that the overall 

high school enrollment and AP course enrollments are collected as a fall snapshot, while the exam-taking and AP 

score information is collected at the end of the school year. Therefore the enrollment and test-taking data may not 

represent the same cohort of students. 

For more information about the CRDC, please visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/data.html
About the CRDC 

Since 1968, the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), formerly the Elementary and Secondary School Survey, 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) in its enforcement and monitoring efforts regarding schools’ and districts’ obligation to provide equal 

educational opportunity. The CRDC is also a tool for other Department offices and federal agencies, policymakers and 

researchers, educators and school officials, and the public to analyze student equity and opportunity trends locally and 

nationwide. The CRDC database, with hundreds of data elements, is fully accessible to the public. All data presented are selfreported by school districts. For more information about the CRDC, please visit http://ocrdata.ed.gov.

About the 2011-12 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)

 For the first time since 2000, includes data from every public school in the nation (approximately 16,500 school 

districts, 97,000 schools, and 49 million students) 

 Includes traditional public schools (preschool through 12th grade), alternative schools, career and technical 

education schools, and charter schools 

 Data for every public school disaggregated by race/ethnicity, English learner status, sex, and disability 

 New for 2014: data for all schools now disaggregated by seven race and ethnicity categories, including NativeHawaiian, Pacific-Islander, and multiracial students 

 Measures student access to college- and career-preparatory science and math courses, AP courses and tests, 

SAT/ACT tests, gifted and talented programs, IB programs, preschool programs, and interscholastic athletics 

 Tracks teacher and resource equity, including teacher experience and salary levels, other personnel and nonpersonnel expenditures, and access to school counselors 

 Reveals school climate disparities related to student discipline, restraint and seclusion, retention, and bullying 

and harassment 

United States Department of Education 

Arne Duncan, Secretary 

Catherine E. Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

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