PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection

May 2015

Attachment A-1

Mandatory Civil Rights Data 

Collection Data Set for School 

Year 2015–16: Overview and

Information to Assist 

Reviewers
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-2

INTRODUCTION

This clearance submission is for the data set to be collected through the Civil Rights Data 

Collection (CRDC) for school year 2015–16. 

Attachment A contains the data set that is being proposed for collection and is organized into 

five parts:

 Attachment A-1 – Overview of the collection, including directory information, and 

information about the CRDC data set to assist reviewers;

 Attachment A-2 – Data groups collected from local educational agencies (LEA);

 Attachment A-3 – Categories used in data groups;

 Attachment A-4 – Directional indicators used to ensure LEAs are only presented with 

applicable data group tables; and

 Attachment A-5 – Directed questions for public comment.

This part of Attachment A (i.e., A-1) is divided into two parts. The first part contains the 

overview of the collection, and is organized as follows: 

 Summary of CRDC – This section provides background information about the CRDC and an 

overview for the collection plan.

 Standard definitions – This section provides definitions for terms that are used throughout the 

data set.

 Reporting periods – This section explains the reporting periods used in the data set.

 Directory records – This section explains the directory or universe of education entities. All

data collected through the CRDC are linked to education entities in the directory.

The second part of A-1, which contains an explanation of the data set to assist reviewers, is 

organized as follows:

 Explanation of terms – This section explains key terms used in the clearance submission.

 Guide to the data group tables and category tables – This section provides information on 

how to read the data group tables and category tables in the attachments.

 Other information – This section provides an FAQ for reading the clearance submission.

 Acronyms – This section provides a list of acronyms used in the data group and data category 

definitions. 
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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SUMMARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DATA 

COLLECTION

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a longstanding and critical aspect of the overall 

enforcement and monitoring strategy used by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to 

ensure that recipients of the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) federal financial assistance do 

not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and disability. OCR relies on 

CRDC data as it investigates complaints alleging discrimination, determines whether the federal 

civil rights laws it enforces have been violated, 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.

ED has collected CRDC data on school characteristics, programs, services, and student outcomes 

directly from local education agencies (LEA) on a biennial basis since 1968. For many years, 

the collection operated as the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report 

approved by OMB as 1870-0500. Since 2004, the CRDC has been conducted primarily online

(flat file submissions and paper surveys were also allowed). With the exception of two state 

educational agencies (SEA), each LEA that is included submits an LEA summary survey and a 

survey about each school in the LEA (one SEA provided all the data on behalf of its LEAs and 

another SEA provided some data on behalf of its LEAs during this time). All data from these 

alternate methods were merged with data collected online and the entire dataset was transferred

into the EDFacts data warehouse, a central data repository for use by offices across ED.

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” (20 U.S.C. § 3413(c)(1)). 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 requires 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 

106.71, and 34 CFR 104.61). In addition, pursuant to a delegation by the Attorney General of 

the United States, OCR shares in the enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities 

Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. Any data collection that OCR 

has determined to be necessary to ascertain or ensure compliance with these laws is mandatory. 

OCR also works with Department offices to help them effectively carry out programs of Federal 

financial assistance that the Secretary of Education is responsible for administering. See

generally, Sections 201, 202(g), 411(a), and 412 of the Department of Education Organization 

Act (20 U.S.C. §§ 3411, 3412(g), 3471(a), and 3472). OCR works with the Department’s Office 
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is responsible for administering the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Section 9533 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7913) 

prohibits discrimination in the administration of the ESEA in violation of the Fifth or Fourteenth 

Amendments to the Constitution. In addition, Section 9534 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7914) 

prohibits discrimination in funded programs on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (except as 

otherwise permitted under Title IX), national origin, or disability. Thus, in addition to OCR's 

authority described above, the ESEA provides authority for the Department to mandate that 

LEAs respond to this data collection.

PLANS FOR THE CRDC 

ED proposes that for any CRDC surveys administered for school year (SY) 2015–16, ED would:

 Continue electronic collection.

 Allow flat file submissions, including those submitted by SEAs on behalf of their LEAs.

 Allow paper submissions for LEAs with no Internet connectivity or limited Web access.

 Utilize data submitted by states through the Eden Submission System (ESS) for selected

additional data groups to supplement the CRDC dataset with no additional burden. 

 Include a full universe of schools and LEAs.

There are three distinct phases to the CRDC: 

 Notification and reporting status,

 Collection of data by LEAs, and

 Survey submission window.

The first phase in the CRDC is to notify school districts of their obligation to report, designate a 

principal point of contact, and verify the reporting status of LEAs and schools. The result of this 

first phase is a full directory of LEAs and schools and their CRDC reporting status. The 

information collected in this directory is outlined in the Directory Record section.

During the collection of data phase by LEAs, OCR intends to provide collection tools for LEAs 

to organize and prepare their submission to OCR. First used with the 2011–12 universe survey, 

OCR received positive comments from school districts using the tools to collect, verify, and store 

their CRDC data files for submission once the survey window opened. 

To reduce burden, ED uses an interactive Web-based survey tool that takes into consideration 

responses provided by LEAs. For example, if a user indicates the school serves only elementary 

students, then questions about high schools are not presented. To facilitate this approach,

directional questions may precede data group tables. For example, the user may be asked if the 

high school provided Advanced Placement (AP) courses. If the user answers “No,” then the 

series of tables about AP would be skipped; if the answer is “Yes,” then the tables about AP 

would be presented. School districts have the option to submit flat files of their data, use Web 

screens to enter data, or a combination of these submission methods. 
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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To minimize the reporting burden on school districts, all data collected by school districts will be 

reported during one submission window. The survey submission for the 2015–16 CRDC is 

anticipated to open no later than September 2016 and is expected to close on or around January

2017. 

KEY POINTS ABOUT THE CRDC

The following are key points about this collection.

 CRDC does not collect individual student- or staff-level information. All information 

provided in response to the CRDC is aggregated—often by categories such as grade level. 

Although some of the data files may contain small numbers, none of the information is linked 

to specific students or staff members. In submitting data required for the CRDC, LEAs and 

other data suppliers cannot suppress the data in small data cells.

 Data are collected primarily from LEAs. LEAs are responsible for reporting LEA-level and 

school-level data. Some SEAs may report data on behalf of their LEAs. Most data are 

collected through the CRDC Web-based Survey Tool. The CRDC survey tool collects flat

files submitted electronically by LEAs or data entered by LEAs through Web screens. 

 CRDC collects data about where students are receiving instruction. All students are reported 

where they spend at least 50% of their school day, even if they are reported elsewhere for 

purposes of accountability or funding. 

 Data are reported for a specific period of time. For example, the student membership data 

group (DG979) is reported on October 1, while the AP exam participation data group

(DG904) is reported for a regular school year. 

 Data are associated with the school year of performance. For example, the student 

membership data for October 1, 2015, are associated with SY 2015–16 since the student 

membership data represent the beginning counts of students for the school year. 

The table below summarizes the CRDC data set proposed for collection.

Component of the 

CRDC Data Set

Description Explained in

Directory records CRDC obtains data from EDFacts and 

collects data from LEAs to build an official 

directory of LEAs and schools required to 

report the CRDC to OCR.

Attachment A-1

Data groups and 

categories collected 

from LEAs

LEAs upload files or complete a Web form to 

submit data via the CRDC Survey Submission 

Tool.

Attachments A-2

(data groups) and 

A-3 (categories)
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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STANDARD DEFINITIONS

In order to consolidate and centralize early childhood through grade 12 data collections, 

definitions need to be standardized. The same term cannot have multiple definitions. The 

CRDC uses the same standardized definitions as the Department’s EDFacts collection wherever 

possible in order to maintain consistency. This section contains the standard definitions used in 

the CRDC data set:

 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) 

 Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

 Local educational agency

 Race/ethnicity

 School

Children with Disabilities (IDEA) (also referred to as Students with Disabilities (IDEA)) –

Children having intellectual disabilities; hearing impairment, including deafness; speech or 

language impairment; visual impairment, including blindness; serious emotional disturbance; 

orthopedic impairment; autism; traumatic brain injury; developmental delay; other health 

impairment; a specific learning disability; deaf-blindness; or multiple disabilities and who, by

reason thereof, receive special education and related services under the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) according to an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 

Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), or services plan.1

Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students – In coordination with the state’s definition based 

on Title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), students:

(A) who are ages 3 through 21;

(B) who are enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or a secondary school;

(C ) (who are i, ii, or iii) 

(i) who were not born in the United States or whose native languages are languages other 

than English;

(ii) (who are I and II)

(I) who are a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the 

outlying areas; and 

(II) who come from an environment where languages other than English have a 

significant impact on their level of language proficiency; or

(iii) who are migratory, whose native languages are languages other than English, and 

who come from an environment where languages other than English are dominant; and

(D) whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language 

may be sufficient to deny the individuals (who are denied i or ii or iii)2

																																																												

1

Statutory reference – Section 602(3) of IDEA. 20 U.S.C. 1401(3).

2 Must be determined by a valid assessment.
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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(i) the ability to meet the state’s proficient level of achievement on state assessments 

described in section 1111(b)(3) [of ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)];

(ii) the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is 

English; or

(iii) the opportunity to participate fully in society.

Note - To be classified as limited English proficient, an individual must be A, B, C, and D. 

For C, an individual can be i, ii, or iii. If C-ii, the individual must be I and II. For D, an 

individual must be denied i or ii or iii.3

Local educational agency – A local educational agency (LEA) or educational agency is a 

governmental administrative unit at the local level which exists primarily to operate schools or to 

contract for educational services. These units may or may not be coterminous with county, city, 

or town boundaries.

Race/Ethnicity – Final guidance issued in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007 (72 Fed. 

Reg. 59267) on the collection and reporting of racial and ethnic data by educational institutions 

and other grantees now allows individuals to self-identify their ethnicity and race, and select 

more than one race and/or ethnicity. This change permits individuals to more accurately reflect 

their racial and ethnic backgrounds by expanding reporting options from five to seven permitted 

values and permitting individuals to select more than one category. The final guidance requires, 

beginning with data for SY 2010–11 and future school years, that all SEAs must submit racial 

and ethnic data (except for assessment and accountability data required under Title I of ESEA) by 

the seven permitted values. The seven race/ethnicity permitted values are listed below: 

 American Indian or Alaskan Native,

 Asian,

 Black or African American,

 Hispanic/Latino,

 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander,

 White, and

 Two or more races.

School – A school is an institution that provides educational services and

 has one or more grade groups (PK through 12 grade) or is ungraded,

 has one or more teachers,

 is located in one or more buildings,

 has assigned administrator(s),

 receives public funds as its primary support, and

 is operated by an educational agency.

																																																												

3

Statutory reference – Section 9101(25) of ESEA.
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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Note - For purposes of this definition, "public funds" includes federal, state, and local 

public funds. “Located in a building" does not preclude virtual schools since the 

administrators and teachers are located in a building somewhere. An “education 

agency" is not limited to the state or local educational agency, but can include other 

agencies (e.g., corrections or health and human services) charged with providing public 

education services.

REPORTING PERIODS

Data groups that are counts of students or staff are assigned to a reporting period. The reporting 

period is the period of time for the count. Counts can be either cumulative over a period of time 

or snapshot of a specific day. The following reporting periods are used for cumulative counts: 

 Regular school year – The instructional period not including intersession or summer 

sessions.

 School year (Fiscal) – The 12-month period defined by the LEA. The LEA determines 

the start and end date for the fiscal year. 

 School year – Up to one day prior to the beginning of the following school year.

The following reporting periods are generally used for counts that are snapshots:

 October 1 (or the closest school day to October 1)

 Single day at the end of the regular school year

 For block scheduling—

o October 1 in the first block, and around March 1 in the second block

o Single day at the end of the first block, and single day at the end of the second 

block

DIRECTORY RECORDS

As the first phase of the CRDC, OCR maintains a three-tier directory of education units in each 

of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The three tiers are the state, the LEA, and the 

school. For each education unit, a Directory Record is maintained that includes unique 

identifiers (e.g., name, identification numbers, location), contact information (e.g., addresses), 

and descriptive information (e.g., reporting status). 

The large majority of the CRDC directory information is pre-populated by existing data files 

from EDFacts and used in the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of 

Data (CCD). As part of the first phase of the CRDC, LEAs are asked to verify the information, 

update their list of schools and supplement the directory data to provide a principal point of 

contact. Additionally, the CRDC directory may contain schools that are not under the purview 

of the SEA. For example, some justice facilities may operate under the state’s Department of 

Corrections, and, therefore not be included in the EDFacts directory. As a result, OCR will have 

justice facilities provide the necessary directory information.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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The state and identification numbers are used to link the education units to each other in the 

hierarchy. For example, the record for a school includes the state and identification numbers of 

the LEA to which the school belongs. Where possible, the CRDC uses the same identification 

number used by NCES. However, in some specific cases, an entity may be required to report 

CRDC data but not be included in the NCES directory. As a result, OCR assigns a new 

identification number to the school or LEA using the same format as traditional NCES codes 

(five-character LEA identification code and seven-character school identification code).

Data in the Directory are generally obtained from the EDFacts directory supplied by SEAs and 

supplemented, as necessary, by LEAs. However, ED may obtain some data, for example,

directory information for justice facilities, from other state or federal sources instead of SEAs.

SUMMARY OF DIRECTORY DATA GROUPS BY TIER

The following table displays which directory data groups are collected for each tier in the 

hierarchy of education units in the states. 

As noted above, the majority of the CRDC directory information is gathered through the 

OMB approved EDFacts information clearance package (OMB Control Number: 1875-

0240) available at

http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewIC?ref_nbr=201302-1875-001&icID=45336. 

During the first phase of the CRDC, LEAs verify and correct the information as necessary. 

Additionally, LEAs provide contact information for the superintendent and a principal point 

of contact for the CRDC.

Following this summary, there is a detailed description of each of these data groups. Data groups 

collected solely by the CRDC are noted with an “*”.

By

Tier

State LEA School

DG Name DG Name DG Name

U

niq

ue

Identifiers

559 State code 559 State code 559 State code

7 Education entity name 7 Education entity name

1 LEA identifier 

(NCES/CRDC)

1 LEA identifier 

(NCES/CRDC)

529 School identifier 

(NCES/CRDC)

Contact Information

9 Address location 9 Address location

8 Address mailing 8 Address mailing

10 Telephone - education 

entity

10 Telephone - education 

entity

998* Superintendent contact 

information

999* Principal point of contact 

for the CRDC
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-10

By

Tier

State LEA School

DG Name DG Name DG Name

572 County name* 572 County name*

16 LEA operational status 531 School operational status

453 Education agency type 21 School type

14 Geographic location* 14 Geographic location*

657 Charter status 27 Charter Status

* ED plans to obtain these data groups from sources other than the SEA.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DIRECTORY DATA GROUPS FOR FIRST PHASE OF THE 

CRDC

Below are detailed descriptions of directory data groups. For each data group, there is a header 

box showing the name of the data group, the data group number, the data provider (SEA vs. 

another source), and the levels for which the data group is collected. That box is followed by the 

definition and, as appropriate, the code set or permitted values.

UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

State code 559 SEA/EDFacts State, LEA, School

Definition: The two digit American National Standards Institute (ANSI) code for the state and

District of Columbia.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Education entity name 7 SEA/EDFacts LEA, School

Definition: The full legally accepted name of the school, LEA, SEA, or other entity reporting 

education data.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

LEA identifier (NCES/CRDC) 1 SEA/EDFacts LEA, School

Definition: The seven-digit unique identifier assigned to the LEA by the NCES or OCR. 

Format: The LEA identification number is made up of a two-digit state code followed by a 

five-digit LEA code.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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Name DG ID Source Level(s)

School identifier (NCES/CRDC) 529 SEA/EDFacts School

Definition: The twelve-digit unique identifier assigned to the school by the NCES or OCR. 

Format: The school identification number is made up of a two-digit state code followed by a 

five-digit LEA code which is followed by a five-digit school code.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Address location 9 SEA/EDFacts School

Definition: The set of elements that describes the physical location of the education entity, 

including the street address, city, state, ZIP Code and ZIP Code + 4.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Address mailing 8 SEA/EDFacts LEA

Definition: The set of elements that describes the mailing address of the education entity, 

including the mailing address, city, state, ZIP Code and ZIP Code + 4.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Telephone – education entity 10 SEA/EDFacts LEA

Definition: The 10-digit telephone number, including the area code, for the education entity.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Superintendent Contact Information 998 LEA LEA

Definition: The contact information of the superintendent, including first and last name, official 

title, phone number and email address.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Principal Point of Contact Information 999 LEA LEA

Definition: The contact information of the principal point of contact for the CRDC, including 

first and last name, official title, phone number and email address.

DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

County name 572 Outside SEA LEA, School

Definition: The name of a county, parish, borough, or comparable unit (within a state) in which 

an education unit is located. 
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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Name DG ID Source Level(s)

LEA reporting operational status 16 SEA/EDFacts LEA

Definition: The classification of the reporting status of a local educational agency (LEA).

Code Set:

 Open and required to report

Agency is open for the school year and is required to report

 Closed; Not required to report

Agency closed and therefore not required to report

 New; required to report

New agency formed and is required to report

 Operation; not required to report

Agency is listed in the directory, but may not serve students for at least 50% of the school 

day

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Education agency type 453 SEA/EDFacts LEA

Definition: The classification of the education agency within the geographic boundaries of a 

state according to the level of administrative and operational control granted by the state.

Code Set: 

 1 - Regular local school district that is NOT a component of a supervisory union

Includes both independent school districts and those that are a dependent segment of a 

local government, such as a city or county. Agencies that do not operate schools (nonops) but have primary responsibility to provide free public elementary and/or secondary

education to school-age children within their jurisdictions should be included.

 2 - Local school district that is a component of a supervisory union

A superintendent and administrative services are shared with other local school districts. 

Each agency given this code should have an entry in the Supervisory Union Identification 

Number data field corresponding to the appropriate type 2 or type 3 agency. Non-ops in 

supervisory unions should be included in this category.

 3 - Supervisory union administrative center, (or county superintendent’s office serving the 

same purpose)

Each agency given this code should have an entry in the Supervisory Union Identification 

Number data field. Student and staff data reported elsewhere should NOT be duplicated 

in records carrying this code.

 4 - Regional education service agency

Agencies created for the purposes of providing specialized educational services to other 

education agencies. Student and staff data reported elsewhere should NOT be duplicated 

in records carrying this code.

 5 - State agency providing elementary and/or secondary level instruction to school-age 

children in a specified population, e.g., agency responsible for state schools for the blind 

or deaf students, correctional facilities, and state hospitals.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-13

 6 - Federal agency providing elementary- and/or secondary-level instruction to school-age 

children in a specified population. EXCLUDE Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and 

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

 7– Independent charter district

Agencies that administer charter schools that are not under the administrative control of 

local school districts (i.e., types 1, 2, or 3). 

 8 – Other education agencies

Includes four categories of other education agencies:

 Intermediate levels of public agencies that provide education but are not school 

districts, such as county juvenile detention centers, sheriff’s offices, or university

lab schools;

 Non-governmental organizations that provide education such as hospitals, 

residential treatment centers, YMCA, or Easter Seal Society; 

 Postsecondary schools or agencies reported in order to include a postsecondary

‘shared time’ school, such as community colleges or technical institutes; and

 Other agencies that do not meet the criteria for other agency types 1 through 7.

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

School type4977 SEA/EDFacts School

Definition: The type of education institution as classified by its primary focus. School type is a 

classification of schools conducting elementary and/or secondary instruction or programs 

according to the ordinary or special instructional needs of students.

Code Set:

 1 - Regular School 

A public elementary/secondary school that does NOT focus primarily on vocational, 

special, or alternative education, although it may provide these programs in addition to a 

regular curriculum.

 2 - Special Education School

A public elementary/secondary school that focuses primarily on serving the needs of 

students with disabilities.

 3 - Vocational Education School

A school that focuses primarily on providing secondary students with an occupationally

relevant or career-related curriculum, including formal preparation for vocational, 

technical, or professional occupations.

 4 - Alternative Education School

A public elementary/secondary school that addresses the needs of students that typically

cannot be met in a regular school program. The school provides nontraditional education; 

																																																												

4 Also referenced in Attachment A-2: Data Groups for Civil Rights Data Collection for School Year 2015–16.
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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serves as an adjunct to a regular school; and falls outside the categories of regular, special 

education, or vocational education.

 5 - Reportable Program

Program that does not meet the definition of a school but that enrolls public school 

students or otherwise provides education services on a regular basis. (This may include 

magnet programs operated within public schools when these programs must be reported 

separate from the schools and postsecondary institutions that are the school of record for 

students in any grade PK-13 or ungraded classes. Exclude postsecondary institutions that 

offer programs for students enrolled in elementary or secondary schools, for example, 

community colleges that provide a limited number of dual enrollment courses for 

students enrolled in a public high school.)

Name DG ID Source Level(s)

Charter status5915 SEA/EDFacts School

Definition: An indication of whether the school provides free public elementary and/or 

secondary education to eligible students under a specific charter granted by the state legislature 

or other appropriate authority and designated by such authority to be a charter school.

Permitted Values: 

 Yes

 No

 NA

																																																												

5 Also referenced in Attachment A-2: Data Groups for Civil Rights Data Collection for School Year 2015–16.
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CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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EXPLANATION OF TERMS

What is the CRDC Data Set?

The CRDC data set is all the data approved by OMB to be collected for a specific school year. 

What is a data group?

A CRDC data group is a specific aggregation (i.e., group) of related data to satisfy the specific 

information need for OCR. Thus, a CRDC data group does not represent a single data entry but 

rather a set of related data entries. Each CRDC data group is intended to be discrete, concise, 

universally understood, and non-redundant. For example,

Gifted/talented program participation table is data group DG931. Gifted/talented 

program participation table is a series of numbers. It includes the number of students by

racial ethnic and sex, by LEP status and sex, and by disability status and sex. This data 

group is described in Attachment A-2 under the section “Data Groups that are Part of the 

CRDC.”

The CRDC data groups are listed and explained in Attachment A-2.

What is a data category?

A data category (category) characterizes a count, dollar value, or a full-time equivalent (FTE) in 

a CRDC data group. A data category is a grouping that an LEA uses to aggregate data before the 

LEA sends the data to OCR. For example,

Sex (Membership) is a data category. When this category is used, data are reported by

sex: the number of female students enrolled, the number of male students enrolled. 

Mathematics Course Enrollment is a data category. When this category is used, data are 

reported by academic subject: the number of students enrolled in Geometry, the number 

of students enrolled in Algebra II, the number of students enrolled in advanced 

mathematics courses, and the number of students enrolled in Calculus.

The CRDC data categories are listed and explained in Attachment A-3.

What are data category sets?

A data category set (category set) is a combination of data categories (e.g., racial ethnic by grade 

level). For example,

Retention table (DG963) has a single category set of grade level (K-12), racial ethnic, and 

sex (membership). For this category set, data are reported as follows:

 Kindergarten, American Indian or Alaska Native, Female
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-16

 Kindergarten, American Indian or Alaska Native, Male

 Grade 1, American Indian or Alaska Native, Female

 Grade 1, American Indian or Alaska Native, Male

 Etc.

 Kindergarten, Asian, Female

 Kindergarten, Asian, Male

 Grade 1, Asian, Female

 Grade 1, Asian, Male

 Etc.

The data would look completely different if instead of having these categories as a single 

category set, each category was its own category set. A data group with three category

sets of grade level (K-12), racial ethnic, and sex would be reported as follows:

 First data by grade level

o Kindergarten

o Grade 1

o Etc.

 Then data by racial ethnic

o American Indian or Alaska Native

o Asian

o Etc.

 Then data by sex

o Female

o Male

As the data are reported for DG963, data can be compared between Asian males retained in 

grade 1 and Hispanic females retained in grade 1. If the data were reported where each category

was a separate category set, the data could be compared by students who are male and students 

who are female but not by females retained in grade 1 and males retained in grade 1.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-17

GUIDE FOR READING THE TABLES ON DATA GROUPS

How do I read the tables on the data groups in Attachment A-2?

Each data group in the CRDC data set is described in a table. 

The first row of the table provides the data group name and identification number. For example, 

below is the first row for the Advanced Placement course enrollment table which is data group 

number 901 (DG901).

Group Name: Advanced Placement course enrollment table DG: 901

The next row in the table indicates the basic content of the data group. The data groups are 

assigned to one of the following sections: education unit, finance, program, staff, or student. For 

example, the data group Advanced Placement course enrollment table is assigned to the section 

“student” because the table collects counts of students.

Section Student

The next row contains the definition of the data group. Below is the definition of the data group 

Advanced Placement course enrollment table.

Definition The unduplicated number of students enrolled in at least one 

Advanced Placement (AP) course.

The row labeled “Permitted Values” contains the acceptable values for data group (e.g., yes, no, 

and NA) or a format (e.g., integer, percentage, dollars, or short text). For example, the data 

group Advanced Placement course self-selection (DG902) collects whether or not enrollment via 

self-selection is permitted for all Advanced Placement courses offered. This data group has 

acceptable permitted values of either yes it permits student self-selection or no it does not permit 

student self-selection.

Permitted Values  Yes

 No

As another example, the data group Advanced Placement course enrollment table collects the 

count of students which is always an integer.

Permitted Values  Integer

The reporting period row contains the collection period. Data for some data groups are collected 

at a point in time (e.g., October 1) while others are cumulative (e.g., regular school year or 

school year (fiscal). The reporting period for DG901 Advanced Placement course enrollment 

table is October 1.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-18

Reporting Period October 1

Data can be submitted at the state level, for each LEA, and/or for each school. The row labeled 

“Reporting Levels” indicates the levels for which the data are required to be submitted. In the 

example below, data are required to be submitted at the school and LEA level.

Reporting Levels School		 LEA		 State		

The box on the row “Grand Total (Education Unit Total)” is checked when the grand total for 

each education unit (state, LEA, and/or school) must be submitted.

Grand Total (Education Unit 

Total)



Additional information about the data group is found in the comments row.

Comment

Some data groups include data aggregated by category sets. The category sets are described in 

the next rows. See the question “what are data category sets” in the previous section of this 

attachment for an explanation of category sets.

CATEGORY SET DESCRIPTION

Category Set A 

Category Set B 

Category Set C 

Etc. 
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-19

GUIDE FOR READING THE TABLES ON CATEGORIES

How do I read the tables on the categories in Attachment A-3?

Like data groups, categories are described in tables. The first row of the table contains the 

category name. For example, below is the first row for the academic subject (single-sex classes) 

table. 

Category Name: Academic Subject (Single-Sex Classes)

The next row contains the definition. For example, below is the definition of academic subject 

(single-sex classes). 

Definition The course or subject area offered in academic classes in a coeducational school where only male students or only female students 

are permitted to take the class. 

The comments row is next. For example, below are some of the comments for the academic 

subject (single-sex classes) category.

Comments 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. Algebra I is a foundation course leading to 

higher-level mathematics courses, including Geometry and Algebra 

II.

The next row contains the permitted values. For example, below are the permitted values for the 

data category academic subject (single-sex classes).

Permitted Values

 Algebra I, Geometry, and/or Algebra II

 Other mathematics

 English/reading/language arts

 Science 

 Other academic subjects
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-20

The final row of the category tables contains the data groups that use the category. For example, 

below are the data groups that use the category academic subject (single-sex classes).

Data Groups

 976 Single-sex academic classes table
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-21

GUIDE TO READING THE TABLES ON DIRECTIONAL 

QUESTIONS

How do I read the tables on the directional questions in Attachment A-4?

Like data groups, directional questions are described in tables. The first row of the table contains 

the name and identification (DI) number. For example, “Advanced Placement indicator” is 

directional indicator #1.

DI Name: Advanced Placement indicator DI:1

The next row in the table indicates the basic content of the directional indicator. The indicator is

assigned to one of the following sections: education unit, finance, program, staff, or student. For 

example, the Advanced Placement indicator is assigned to the section “Education Unit.”

Section Education Unit

The definition row is next. For example, below is the definition of Academic Placement 

indicator.

Definition An indication of whether the school has any students enrolled in one 

or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

The next row contains the permitted values. For example, below are the permitted values for the 

directional indicator Advanced Placement.

Permitted Values

 Yes

 No

The reporting period row contains the collection period. Data for some data groups are collected 

at a point in time (e.g., October 1) while others are cumulative (e.g., regular school year or 

school year (fiscal)).

The reporting period for the directional indicator Advanced Placement is October 1.

Reporting Period October 1

Data can be submitted at the LEA level, and/or for each school. The row labeled “Reporting 

Levels” indicates at which levels the data are required to be submitted. In the example below, 

data are required to be submitted at the school level.

Reporting Levels School		 LEA		 State		
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-22

The box on the row “Grand Total (Education Unit Total)” is checked when the grand total for 

each education unit (state, LEA, and/or school) must be submitted.

Grand Total (Education Unit 

Total)



The next row is for comments. For example, below are some additional details for the 

Advancement Placement indicator. 

Comment Report only for schools with any grade 9 through 12 and/or ungraded 

with high school age students.

Advanced Placement (AP) – AP refers to a program, sponsored by 

the College Board, through which students may earn college credit 

and advanced college placement by successfully completing AP 

courses and standardized AP exams.

Advanced Placement (AP) course – An AP course is an advanced, 

college-level course designed for students who achieve a specified 

level of academic performance. Upon successful completion of the 

course and a standardized AP exam, a student may be qualified to 

receive college credit and/or placement into advanced college 

courses.

The final row lists the data groups where the directional question is used to determine whether 

the data group is applicable to the LEA. For example, the Advanced Placement indicator is used 

to determine whether the Advanced Placement course enrollment table should be presented to a 

school district. 

GUIDING QUESTION FOR DATA GROUPS:

 900 Advanced Placement course by subject enrollment table

 901 Advanced Placement course enrollment table

 902 Advanced Placement course self-selection

 903 Advanced Placement different courses provided

 904 Advanced Placement exam participation table

 905 Advanced Placement exam participant results table 
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-23

OTHER INFORMATION

What else should I know to review the attachments?

Data group and data category definitions and comments may include acronyms. To save space 

and improve technical readability, these acronyms are not defined within each data group or data 

category description. The acronyms can be found at the end of this attachment.

Definitions and comments may also include citations to federal statutes. Because this is a 

technical instruction rather than a formal written document, these citations may be abbreviated.

Where should I begin in reviewing the attachments?

Attachment A-1 is a good place to begin. Attachment A-2 contains an overview of the entire 

CRDC data set.

How are the data groups and categories organized in the attachments?

In Attachment A-2 (data groups) and Attachment A-3 (data categories), the data groups and 

categories are organized alphabetically by name under each topic. The introduction to the 

attachments contains a list of the topics in the attachment.
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-24

ACRONYMS

Data group and data category definitions and comments may include acronyms. To save space 

and improve technical readability, these acronyms are defined here. They are not defined within 

each data group or data category description. 

 AP – Advanced Placement

 CCD – Common Core of Data

 CFDA – Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

 CFR – Code of Federal Regulations

 CRDC – Civil Rights Data Collection

 DG – Data group

 EC – Early Childhood

 ED – U.S. Department of Education

 EDEN – Education Data Exchange Network (synonymous with EDFacts or EDFacts

Submission System)

 ESEA – Elementary and Secondary Education Act

 ESS – EDFacts Submission System

 FS – File Specification

 FTE – Full Time Equivalent

 GED – General Educational Development

 GEPA - General Education Provisions Act

 GFSA – Gun-Free Schools Act

 HS – High School

 IB – International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

 IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

 IEP – Individualized Education Program

 IFSP – Individualized Family Service Plan

 IHE – Institute of Higher Education

 K-12 – Kindergarten through grade 12

 LEA – Local Educational Agency

 LEP – Limited English Proficient

 NCES – National Center for Education Statistics

 NCLB – No Child Left Behind Act

 N or D – Neglected or Delinquent

 OCR – Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education

 OELA – Office of English Language Acquisition, U.S. Department of Education

 OESE – Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education

 OII – Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education

 OSHS – Office of Safe and Healthy Schools, U.S. Department of Education

 OSEP – Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

 OSERS – Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of 

Education

 OVAE – Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-25

 PK-12 – Pre-kindergarten through grade 12

 PS -12 – Preschool through grade 12

 PS – Preschool 

 SA – School Age

 SEA – State Educational Agency

 Section 504 - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

 SY – School Year

 Title VI – Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

 Title IX – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

 URL – Uniform Resource Locator
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

Page A1-26

Public Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a 

collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public 

reporting burden for the 2015–16 school year collection of information is estimated to average 

14.2 hours per school survey response, and 4.2 hours per local educational agency survey

response. The reporting burden includes time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection 

of information. 

This collection is authorized under a number of federal statutes and regulations. 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” 

(20 U.S.C. § 3413(c)(1)). The civil rights laws enforced by the 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 requires 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 

106.71, and 34 CFR 104.61). In addition, pursuant to a delegation by the Attorney General of 

the United States, OCR shares in the enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities 

Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. Any data collection that OCR 

has determined to be necessary to ascertain or ensure compliance with these laws is mandatory. 

OCR also works with Department offices to help them effectively carry out programs of Federal 

financial assistance that the Secretary of Education is responsible for administering. See

generally, Sections 201, 202(g), 411(a), and 412 of the Department of Education Organization 

Act (20 U.S.C. §§ 3411, 3412(g), 3471(a), and 3472). OCR works with the Department’s Office 

of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is responsible for administering the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Section 9533 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7913) 

prohibits discrimination in the administration of the ESEA in violation of the Fifth or Fourteenth 

Amendments to the Constitution. In addition, Section 9534 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. § 7914) 

prohibits discrimination in funded programs on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (except as 

otherwise permitted under Title IX), national origin, or disability. Thus, in addition to OCR's 

authority described above, the ESEA provides authority for the Department to mandate that 

LEAs respond to this data collection.

The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit. Send comments 

regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including 

suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., 

SW, Washington, DC 20202-4536 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB 
Attachment A1

CRDC Data Set for School Year 2015–16

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Control Number XXXX-XXXX. Note: Please do not return the completed Civil Right Data 

Collection survey to this address.