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U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education

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Technical Assistance

 OCR provides information and other support services—known as technical assistance—to a variety of interested parties, including schools, colleges and community groups. Assistance to educational institutions helps them comply with federal civil rights requirements, while assistance to parents, students and others informs them of their rights under the law. OCR provides technical assistance through a variety of methods, including on-site consultations, conferences, training, community meetings and publishing and disseminating materials . Following are some examples of OCR's FY 2004 technical assistance activities. 

In cooperation with the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, the Intercultural Development Research Association’s South Central Collaborative for Equity and the Interwest Equity Assistance Center, OCR hosted the third and final Regional American Indian Symposium in Denver in FY 2004. This symposium was a follow-up to the *No    Child Left Behind:* Providing Educational Opportunity for American Indian and Alaskan Native Students conference hosted by OCR in Washington, D.C., in FY 2003. The Denver symposium included presentations on achieving accountability, reading readiness, teacher quality, school choice, parental involvement and OCR enforcement procedures. More than 250 people representing 29 tribes, 24 public school districts, seven Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, six state offices and parents of Indian students from the states of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico attended the conference. Information was provided to attendees on *NoChild Left Behind* programs and resources that support state and district-level efforts to raise the academic achievement of American Indian and Alaskan Native students. 

| “By ensuring a quality education for every child, we meet an important       duty to the next generation. We’re giving young people the confidence       and skills they need to succeed in higher education, and to fill the jobs       of the 21st century. Education is the gateway to a more hopeful future,       and we will make sure that gate is open to all Americans.”
President George W. Bush Radio Address to the Nation, Aug. 21, 2004 |
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 In FY 2004, OCR participated in the second National Charter School Summit,  held in Dallas, Texas. The summit provided an opportunity for states, the federal government, and technical assistance providers to address common strategies for successfully serving students with disabilities in charter schools. More than 200 educators and administrators attended the summit.

 OCR continued its collaboration with the Higher Education Leadership Partners (HELP), a consortium of public and private colleges and universities, state education and rehabilitation agencies, and consumers in Virginia that focuses on disability and higher education. OCR worked extensively with the Virginia Association of Higher Education and Disabilities on issues relating to transition and retention, such as documentation and alternative or accessible formats for textbooks.

 During FY 2004, OCR conducted several technical assistance presentations  as part of an initiative to help migrant parents enhance their involvement  in their children's education. These activities informed limited English speaking  migrant parents about the civil rights laws and how they protect students and  parents. Information also was provided on the importance of the *No Child  Left Behind Act* in ensuring that each child succeeds at school. For example,  OCR conducted three presentations, organized through the Tri-Valley Opportunity  Council and the Texas Migrant Council, that reached 115 limited English speaking  migrant parents in Indiana and Minnesota. Also, at the request of the Hispanic  Parents Coalition of Adams County in Denver, OCR staff made a presentation  in Spanish to approximately 100 limited English proficient parents who have  children enrolled in the school district. OCR discussed the district's obligations  under the civil rights laws for providing services to national origin minority  students with limited English proficiency and parents' rights under the *No  Child Left Behind Act.*

 As a result of compliance reviews of two state departments of education,  OCR was invited to provide training to the state and district Title IX coordinators  for both states, including an overview of the requirements of Title IX and  the responsibilities of Title IX coordinators. As a result of the training,  a number of recipients have revised their Title IX procedures and updated informationon their Web sites and in their publications. 

 In response to Executive Order 13166, which mandates improved access to federal  programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency, the Department  contracted for telephone language assistance services so that those customers  can readily communicate with OCR staff. The message on the OCR Hotline now  instructs customers to press 9 if they want foreign language or alternate format  assistance. The call is then rerouted to an OCR representative to provide appropriateassistance. 

 OCR also translated several pamphlets, including our most requested publication, *How    to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights,* into    Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Hmong, Korean, Punjabi, Urdu and Vietnamese.    These publications will be added to OCR's electronic civil rights readingroom on OCR's Internet Web site. 

 State vocational education agencies are responsible each year for conducting  comprehensive civil rights compliance reviews of selected sub-recipient schools  and programs and for reporting to OCR about these compliance reviews. Throughout  the year, OCR provides technical assistance in response to questions from state  agencies concerning the compliance determinations and remedies resulting from  these reviews. In addition, OCR provides an annual four-day training conference  to state agency coordinators of vocational education civil rights compliance  activities. The training conference (offered with a choice between two locations  and dates) is designed to provide in-depth training on the procedures and techniques  state agencies should use in conducting their civil rights compliance program  and reporting to OCR. In addition, the conference provides detailed guidance  about legal requirements and investigative techniques relative to specific  civil rights issues. The 2004 conference included sessions on program accessibility  reviews, Title IX coordinator duties, and misidentification of minority students  in special education. The conference also fosters information sharing and collaborationamong representatives of the participating state agencies. 

 In addition to these kinds of proactive initiatives, OCR responds to inquiries  and requests from the public. Calls and letters requesting assistance come  from other federal agencies, state agencies, local school districts, community  groups, parents and students.

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