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

2017-18 

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION 

THE USE OF RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION ON 

CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN K-12 SCHOOLS 

WHAT IS THE 2017-18 

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION?

The 2017–18 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a survey of nearly all public 

schools and school districts in the United States.1

 The CRDC measures student 

access to courses, programs, staff, and resources that relate to Federal civil 

rights laws. The CRDC has long provided important information used by the 

U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in its 

enforcement and monitoring activities. As a collection, the CRDC is an aggregate 

of self-collected and self-reported data. Almost all reporting entities are school 

districts, and the district superintendent or an authorized designee certifies that 

the data they submit are true and correct. 

In addition, the CRDC is a resource for other Federal agencies, policymakers, 

researchers, educators, school officials, parents, students, and other members 

of the public. To further explore the CRDC through the use of data tools, please 

visit the CRDC Reporting Website at ocrdata.ed.gov. To download the 2017-18 

CRDC, visit crdc.ed.gov.

Race

WHAT’S INSIDE:

Who is in the CRDC? 2

Restraint and Seclusion 3

Data Quality Improvements 4

Restraint and Seclusion based 

on Students with Disabilities 4

More About the CRDC 15

1

 The CRDC includes local educational agencies (LEAs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Other U.S. territories, tribal schools 

operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education, or schools operated by the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity are not currently required 

to participate in the CRDC. In addition, if a public school’s enrollment for a school year was less than five students for fewer than 60 days, OCR may exempt that school from CRDC 

reporting. This report uses data received as of December 15, 2019.

October 2020
2 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

WHO IS IN THE 2017–18 CRDC?

Number of school districts: 

17,604

Number of schools: 

97,632

Total number of students:

50.9 million

Nationwide Student Demographics

Race/Ethnicity2

:

47%

27%

15%

5% 4%

1% 0.4%

n White

n Latino/Hispanic

n Black/African American

n Asian

n Two or More Races

n American Indian/Alaskan Native

n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Boys: Girls: English Learners:

51% 49% 10%

Students with Disabilities:16%

Students with disabilities served under Students with disabilities served only 

the Individuals with Disabilities Education under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act (IDEA): Act, as amended (Section 504):

13% 3%

2 The CRDC reports students using the seven racial/ethnic categories found in the U.S. Department of Education’s Final Guidance on Collecting, Maintaining and Reporting Data on 

Race and Ethnicity. The Final Guidance can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/rediguide/pdf/appendixA.pdf. For brevity in this report, the racial/ethnic categories are referred 

to as “race.” Likewise, race, color, or national origin – as referenced in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – is, for purposes of this report, referred to as “race.”
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 3

2017-18 

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION

INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THE INAPPROPRIATE 

USE OF RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION

On January 17, 2019, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) initiative 

to address the possible inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion in our nation’s public elementary and secondary schools as it 

applies to students with disabilities.3

 The initiative is intended to alert schools to their obligations under Federal law to make sure 

that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 

(Section 504).

The initiative, a first of its kind, partnered OCR with the Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) 

to provide support and technical assistance to schools in a way that would strengthen protections for children with disabilities. 

Together, OCR and OSERS oversee the initiative, which includes three components that draw on the work and expertise of both 

offices and their staff: 

1. Nationwide compliance reviews conducted by all twelve of OCR’s enforcement offices to examine various recipients’

use of restraint and seclusion;

2. Data Quality Reviews (DQRs) conducted by OCR to improve the quality of restraint and seclusion data submitted as part

of the CRDC; and

3. Technical assistance provided by OCR and OSERS to schools and school districts.

Since the announcement of the initiative in January 2019, OCR and OSERS have made significant progress toward fulfilling Secretary 

DeVos’s commitment to ensuring that students with disabilities are fully protected under federal civil rights laws, as set forth below.

1. COMPLIANCE REVIEWS

In January 2019, OCR’s regional offices launched 23 compliance reviews focused on recipients’ restraint and seclusion of students 

with disabilities. These compliance reviews focus on the possible inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion, and the effect of 

such practices on the recipient’s obligation to provide a FAPE for all students with disabilities. In the course of each review, the OCR 

regional offices work to identify any potential compliance concerns and, if identified, work with the recipient to appropriately address 

the concern. 

2. DATA QUALITY REVIEWS IN THE CRDC

In a pioneering initiative to improve civil rights data quality, OCR initiated, for the first time, Data Quality Reviews (DQRs) to conduct 

a thorough examination of districts’ submissions of restraint and seclusion data. As a part of this process, OCR issued letters to 50 

school districts that had reported apparently anomalous data to the CRDC. As a result of this outreach, many school districts sent 

corrected data, and others have certified that their data, although they appeared anomalous, were in fact correct. For districts that 

submitted incorrect data, OCR is providing technical assistance and taking steps to correct data submissions for future collections. 

3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Department also proactively provides restraint and seclusion technical assistance to state educational agencies (SEAs) and school 

districts to ensure they are collecting and reporting accurate data to the CRDC and understand the legal requirements of students 

with disabilities served only under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 504), Title II of the Americans 

with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Beginning in July 2019, OCR and 

OSERS led a number of presentations on the topic of collecting and reporting accurate restraint and seclusion data. OCR and OSERS 

launched a webinar, “Students with Disabilities and the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in K-12 Public Schools,” to ensure that the 

schools who serve those students are aware of their legal obligations under Federal civil rights laws. This webinar has been viewed 

over 21,000 times. OCR will continue to work with school districts and states to provide technical assistance, including working with 

school districts where ongoing investigations or compliance reviews are being conducted. 

3 “U.S. Department of Education Announces Initiative to Address the Inappropriate Use of Restraint and Seclusion to Protect Children with Disabilities, Ensure Compliance with 

Federal Laws,” press release, January 17, 2019, https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-initiative-address-inappropriate-use-restraint-andseclusion-protect-children-disabilities-ensure-compliance-federal-laws
4 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

2017-18 

CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION DATA QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS

Over the past two years, OCR has made significant strides in improving the CRDC’s data quality. Improving the data quality of 

restraint and seclusion data has been a particular priority for OCR and this Administration. For example, OCR conducted data quality 

checks when the data indicated any of the following: 

1. Reports of identical counts across students subjected to mechanical restraint, students subjected to physical restraint,

and students subjected to seclusion for students not served by IDEA (non-IDEA students) and IDEA students (e.g., if

each entry were “25”);

2. Reports of identical counts across instances (rather than students) of mechanical restraint, instances of physical

restraint, and instances of seclusion for non-IDEA students and IDEA students;

3. Instances where overall enrollment by sex and race/ethnicity is smaller than students who were subjected to mechanical

restraint, physical restraint, and seclusion by sex and race/ethnicity for non-IDEA and IDEA students; and

4. School districts with zero instances of mechanical restraint, physical restraint, or seclusion with enrollment that is

greater than or equal to 25,000 students.

In addition to the foregoing specific data quality checks, general data quality checks were conducted on all restraint and seclusion 

data elements. These post-collection data quality checks focused on detecting (a) outliers for individual data elements, (b) significant 

value changes in individual data elements between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 data collections, and (c) outliers within the entire 

restraint and seclusion module. 

The post-collection outreach to school districts specific to restraint and seclusion focused on the use of nulls and zeros, in addition 

to targeted outreach about the general and specific checks described above. In total, the CRDC’s Partner Support Center conducted 

outreach to 15,526 local education agencies (LEAs), a marked increase from 4,386 LEAs contacted for the 2015-16 outreach period. 

As a result of OCR’s proactive outreach efforts, 952 LEAs amended their original 2017-18 restraint and seclusion data submissions 

from June 2019 to August 2019. During the extended data corrections, which ran from September to December 2019, another 196 

LEAs corrected their 2017-18 restraint and seclusion data submissions. 

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION FOR STUDENTS 

WITH DISABILITIES IN THE 2017-18 COLLECTION†

In conjunction with the Department’s restraint and seclusion initiative, OCR is presenting this issue brief to highlight the data it has 

collected relevant to this issue. 

Beginning with the 2009-10 data collection, OCR began collecting data on the physical and mechanical restraint of students, along 

with the seclusion of students. Under the CRDC, physical restraint is a personal restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of 

a student to move his or her torso, arms, legs, or head freely. Mechanical restraint is the use of any device or equipment to restrict 

a student’s freedom of movement. Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the 

student is physically prevented from leaving. 

While Federal law does not specifically prohibit the use of restraint and seclusion, there are circumstances under Section 504 and 

Title II in which the use of restraint and seclusion may constitute discrimination against students with disabilities. More specifically, 

in some cases, the use of restraint and seclusion may result in unlawful discrimination against individual students with disabilities in 

violation of Federal civil rights laws. Although the laws that OCR enforces do not address the use of restraint and seclusion, many 

states and school districts have laws or policies that ban or restrict its use. The Department’s initiative supports state and local efforts 

to address the impact of restraint and seclusion on students with disabilities. In fact, OCR’s initiative and the data collected and 

presented in the CRDC assist both states and schools in these efforts. As discussed below, restraint and seclusion data for individual 

schools and school districts are available on the CRDC website, and OCR has taken important steps to improve data quality, which 

will help states use this data effectively. OCR will continue to prioritize this issue – and will work to provide states and school districts 

with the resources to support children with disabilities and ensure that all students learn in environments free from discrimination. 
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 5

The statistical data in this issue brief presents national data on the use of restraint and seclusion; it does not represent individual 

school-level data or district-level data, nor does it capture the circumstances surrounding the use of restraint and seclusion. School 

district and school level data is available at ocrdata.ed.gov. While national data are useful and informative, they are limited and do 

not reflect the unique factors or the individualized decisions regarding the use of restraint and seclusion. It is OCR’s expectation that 

all school districts and schools fully protect the rights of all students, including students with disabilities.

DATA OVERVIEW 

Figure 1. The total number of students enrolled vs. the total number of students who were 

subjected to restraint or seclusion

TOTAL STUDENTS STUDENTS SUBJECTED TO 

RESTRAINT OR SECLUSION

Figure 1 illustrates the total number of 

50,922,401 students enrolled vs. the total number of 

students who were subjected to restraint or 

50,922,401 seclusion. During the 2017-18 school year, 

101,990 students of the over 50.9 million 

students enrolled across the nation’s public 

schools were subjected to physical restraint, 

mechanical restraint or seclusion — including 

70,833 students who were subjected to 

101,990 physical restraint, 3,619 students who were 

subjected to mechanical restraint, and 27,538 

students who were subjected to seclusion.4

Figure 2. Students who were subjected to restraint or seclusion nationally

70,833 were subjected to physical r

70,833 

estraint in 2017-18.

Figure 2 shows students who 

were subjected to restraint or 

seclusion nationally. 

27,538

3,619

n PHYSICAL RESTRAINT n SECLUSION n MECHANICAL RESTRAINT

4 The counts for students who were subjected to physical restraint, students who were subjected to mechanical restraint, and students who were subjected to seclusion are not mutually exclusive. For example, if a student was physically restrained and secluded, the student would be counted once in each category. Thus the total of 101,990 may not represent 

the actual number of individual students affected. 
6 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION BY DISABILITY (IDEA)5

Of the 101,990 students6 who were restrained at school to immobilize them or reduce their ability to move freely or were placed 

in seclusion — 79,676, or 78%, were students with disabilities (IDEA)7

. Specifically, 56,905 students were subjected to physical 

restraint, 1,494 students were subjected to mechanical restraint, and 21,277 students were subjected to seclusion.

Figure 3. Total student enrollment, by disability (IDEA)

of students enr

13%

olled were students with 

disabilities served under IDEA. 

n STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA) n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

ENROLLMENT

87%

Figure 3 shows students with disabilities 

served under IDEA (6.7 million) as a 

percentage of total student enrollment 

13% (50.9 Million).

Figure 4. Percentage distribution of all students who were subjected to physical restraint, 

by disability (IDEA)

of students who wer

80%

e subjected to 

physical restraint were students with 

disabilities (IDEA).

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT

20%

Figure 4 displays the percentage 80%

distribution of all students who were 

subjected to physical restraint (70,833) 

who are students served under IDEA 

(56,905). 

n STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA) n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

5 Students served only under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are not included in Students with Disabilities (IDEA) counts. 

6 The counts for students who were subjected to physical restraint, students who were subjected to mechanical restraint, and students who were subjected to seclusion are not 

mutually exclusive. For example, if a student was physically restrained and secluded, the student would be counted once in each category. Thus, the total of 101,990 may not 

represent the actual number of individual students affected. 

7 As used in this report, the term “students with disabilities (IDEA)” is used to refer to students who receive special education and related services under the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) according to an Individualized Education Program, Individualized Family Service Plan, or service plan. 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400-1419; 34 C.F.R. pt. 300. 

Part B of the IDEA addresses the obligations of states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities. 

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) administers the IDEA. The national percentages 

reported by OSEP may differ from those reported by OCR due to differences in the population of students included in the collection. For information about the IDEA, please see 

osep.grads360.org and www.ed.gov/osers/osep/index.html. 
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 7

Figure 5. Percentage distribution of all students who were subjected to mechanical restraint, 

by disability (IDEA)

of students subjected to mechanical 

41%

restraint were students with 

disabilities (IDEA).

MECHANICAL RESTRAINT

59%

Figure 5 illustrates the percentage 

distribution of all students who were 

41% subjected to mechanical restraint (3,619) 

who are students served under IDEA 

(1,494). 

n STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA) n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

Figure 6. Percentage distribution of all students who were subjected to seclusion, by disability 

(IDEA)

of students subjected to seclusion wer

77%

e 

students with disabilities (IDEA).

SECLUSION

23%

Figure 6 presents the percentage 77%

distribution of students who were 

subjected to seclusion (27,538) who are 

students served under IDEA (21,277). 

n STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA) n ALL OTHER STUDENTS
8 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION BY DISABILITY (SECTION 504)8

Of the 101,990 students who were subjected to restraint or seclusion, 1,398 students were served under Section 504. This includes 

912 Section 504 students who were subjected to physical restraint, 153 who were subjected to mechanical restraint, and 333 who 

were subjected to seclusion.

Figure 7. Total student enrollment, by disability (Section 504)

of students enr

3%

olled are students with a 

disability served under Section 504. 

ENROLLMENT

97%

Figure 7 shows the percentage of total student 

enrollment (50.9 million) who are students with 

a disability served under Section 504 

(1.4 million).

3%

n SECTION 504-ONLY STUDENTS n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

Figure 8. Percentage distribution of students who were subjected to physical restraint, by 

disability (Section 504) 

of students subjected to physical r

1%

estraint 

were students under Section 504.

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT

99%

Figure 8 displays the percentage 

distribution of all students who were 

subjected to physical restraint (70,833) 

who are students with a disability served 

under Section 504 (912). 1%

n SECTION 504-ONLY STUDENTS n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

8 This section of the report includes students with disabilities served only under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (but not IDEA).
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 9

Figure 9. Percentage distribution of students who were subjected to mechanical restraint, by 

disability (Section 504)

of students subjected to mechanical r

4%

estraint 

were students under Section 504.

MECHANICAL RESTRAINT

96%

Figure 9 illustrates the percentage distribution 

of students who were subjected to mechanical 

restraint (3,619) who are students with a 

disability served under Section 504 (153). 

4%

n SECTION 504-ONLY STUDENTS n ALL OTHER STUDENTS

Figure 10. Percentage distribution of students who were subjected to seclusion, by disability 

(Section 504)

of students subjected to seclusion wer

1%

e 

students under Section 504.

SECLUSION

99%

Figure 10 presents the percentage 

distribution of students who were 

subjected to seclusion (27,538) who are 

students with a disability served under 

Section 504 (333). 1%

n SECTION 504-ONLY STUDENTS n ALL OTHER STUDENTS
10 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA), 

BY RACE/ETHNICITY

Figure 11. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA), by race/ethnicity

0.3%

48%

1%

18%

3%

27%

4% Figure 11 shows the percentage distribution of all 

enrolled students served under IDEA (6.7 million), by 

race/ethnicity. 

n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

n White

n American Indian/Alaskan Native

n Black/African American

n Asian

n Hispanic or Latino of any race

n Two or more races

Figure 12. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) who were subjected to 

physical restraint, by race/ethnicity 

0.1%

52%

1%

26%

1%

14 Figure 12 displays the percentage distribution of %

6 students served under IDEA who were subjected to %

physical restraint (56,905) by race/ethnicity. 

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT

n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

n White

n American Indian/Alaskan Native

n Black/African American

n Asian

n Hispanic or Latino of any race

n Two or more races
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 11

Figure 13. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) who were subjected to 

mechanical restraint, by race/ethnicity

MECHANICAL RESTRAINT

0.1%

33%

1%

34%

1%

28%

Figure 13 illustrates the percentage distribution of 

3% students served under IDEA who were subjected to 

mechanical restraint (1,494) by race/ethnicity.

n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

n White

n American Indian/Alaskan Native

n Black/African American

n Asian

n Hispanic or Latino of any race

n Two or more races

Figure 14. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) who were subjected to 

seclusion, by race/ethnicity 

0.1%

60%

1%

22%

1% Figure 14 presents the percentage distribution of 

9%

7 students served under IDEA who were subjected to %

seclusion (21,277) by race/ethnicity.

SECLUSION

n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

n White

n American Indian/Alaskan Native

n Black/African American

n Asian

n Hispanic or Latino of any race

n Two or more races
12 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (IDEA), BY SEX

Figure 15. Total student enrollment, by sex 

of students enr

51%

olled are male.

ENROLLMENT

49%

Figure 15 shows student enrollment, by sex.

51%

n MALE n FEMALE

Figure 16. Students with disabilities (IDEA) enrollment, by sex

of students with disabilities (IDEA) 

66%

enrolled are male.

ENROLLMENT

34%

Figure 16 shows students served under 

IDEA enrollment (6.7 million), showing 66% distribution by sex.

n MALE n FEMALE
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 13

Figure 17. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) who were subjected to 

physical restraint, by sex

of IDEA students who wer

83%

e subjected to 

physical restraint were male.

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT

17%

83%

Figure 17 displays the percentage distribution 

of students served under IDEA who were 

subjected to physical restraint (70,833), 

showing distribution by sex. 

n MALE n FEMALE

Figure 18. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) subjected to 

mechanical restraint, by sex

of IDEA students who wer

82%

e subjected 

to mechanical restraint were male.

MECHANICAL RESTRAINT

18%

82%

Figure 18 illustrates the percentage 

distribution of students served under 

IDEA who were subjected to mechanical 

restraint (3,619), showing distribution 

by sex. 

n MALE n FEMALE
14 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

Figure 19. Percentage distribution of students with disabilities (IDEA) who were subjected to 

seclusion, by sex

of IDEA students who wer

84%

e subjected 

to seclusion were male.

SECLUSION

16%

84%

Figure 19 presents the percentage 

distribution of students served under IDEA 

who were subjected to seclusion (27,938), 

showing distribution by sex. 

n MALE n FEMALE

This report does not provide other potential data analyses which may be derived from the CRDC and other sources, such as restraint 

and seclusion usage in different regions, states, school sizes, school types, school populations and other classifications which may 

enlighten interested parties. Stakeholders and interested parties can derive that information from the data that is being released 

concurrently with the release of this report. 

DATA HIGHLIGHTS 

† Note: Except where the percentage is below 1 percent, the percentages listed in these data highlights are rounded to the 

nearest whole number. For the survey form and full definitions of all terms mentioned in the report, visit ocrdata.ed.gov/

SurveyDocuments.
U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights | 15

MORE ABOUT THE CRDC

What is the purpose of the CRDC? 

Since 1968, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office for Civil Rights (OCR), or its predecessor agency, has conducted 

the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) to collect data on key education and civil rights issues in our nation’s public schools. 

The CRDC collects a variety of information, including student enrollment and educational programs and services, most of which is 

disaggregated by race, sex, English learners, and disability. 

The CRDC is a longstanding and important aspect of the overall enforcement and monitoring strategy used by OCR to ensure that 

recipients of the Department’s Federal financial assistance do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and 

disability. 

OCR has access to CRDC data from public school districts as it investigates complaints alleging discrimination, initiates proactive 

compliance reviews to focus on particularly acute or nationwide civil rights compliance problems, and provides policy guidance and 

technical assistance to educational institutions, parents, students, and others.

In addition, the CRDC is a resource for other Department offices and Federal agencies, policymakers and researchers, educators and 

school officials, parents and students, and other members of the public who seek data on student equity and opportunity. 

Under what authority does OCR conduct the CRDC? 

Section 203(c)(1) of the 1979 Department of Education Organization Act conveys to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights the 

authority to “collect or coordinate the collection of data necessary to ensure compliance with civil rights laws within the jurisdiction 

of the Office for Civil Rights.” The civil rights laws enforced by OCR include:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin;

• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex; and

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

OCR’s implementing regulations for each of these statutes require recipients of the Department’s Federal financial assistance to 

submit to OCR “complete and accurate compliance reports at such times, and in such form and containing such information” as 

OCR “may determine to be necessary to enable [OCR] to ascertain whether the recipient has complied or is complying” with these 

laws and implementing regulations (34 CFR § 100.6(b), 34 CFR § 106.81, and 34 CFR § 104.61). 

For further general information about the CRDC, visit the CRDC FAQ page, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/

frontpage/faq/crdc.html. 

Availability of Alternate Format 

Requests for documents in alternate formats such as braille or large print should be submitted to the Alternate Format Center by 

calling 202.260.0852 or emailing the Section 508 Coordinator at om_eeos@ed.gov. 

Notice to Persons with Limited English Proficiency 

If you have difficulty understanding English, you can request free interpretation or translation assistance for Department information 

that is available to the public. To find out more about these services, please call 

1-800-USA-LEARN (1.800.872.5327), (TTY: 1.800.877.8339) or email us at ED.Language.Assistance@ed.gov.

You also can write to U.S. Department of Education, Information Resource Center, LBJ Education Building, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,

Washington, DC, 20202.
16 | U.S. Department of Education | Office for Civil Rights

How to Contact the United States 

Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights 

Betsy DeVos, Secretary

Kimberly M. Richey, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

Lyndon Baines Johnson Building

Department of Education 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-1100

Telephone: 800-421-3481

FAX: 202-453-6012

TDD: 877-521-2172

Email: OCR@ed.gov 

www.ed.gov/ocr