Collecting and Reporting Race & Ethnicity Data for Students and Staff in Colorado’s Public Schools

1. Collecting and Reporting Race & Ethnicity Data for Students and Staff in Colorado’s Public Schools An overview of planned changes to be implemented in the 2010-2011 academic year Colorado Department of Education

2. From 1977 to present, students and staff in Colorado have been reported in one of five “race/ ethnicity” categories Race/Ethnicity: The general racial/ethnic heritage category which most clearly reflects the individual’s recognition of his or her community or with which the individual most closely identifies. NOTE: Under the current reporting system, each reported individual must be assigned to a single category. 01 - American Indian or Alaskan Native 02 - Asian or Pacific Islander 03 - Black (not Hispanic) 04 - Hispanic 05 - White (not Hispanic)

3. By federal mandate, beginning in 2010-2011, race and ethnicity data will be collected using a new two-part question format, which will allow the selection of more than one race Please Note: You must answer both parts of the question below Part A: Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino origin? Yes No Part B: Which of the following groups describe your race? (you may select more than one) American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American White Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

4. The federal government has developed definitions for these six ethnic and racial categories Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term “Spanish origin” can be used in addition to “Hispanic/Latino or Latino.” American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment. Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

5. For CDE data collections, districts will report the race and ethnicity information collected from each respondent and the racial or ethnic category to be used in state and federal reporting Districts will provide race and ethnicity information in the format in which it was collected… … and as it will be reported Race/Ethnicity categories to be used in Federal and State Reporting Race/Ethnicity information as collected by the district from the student or the student’s family Federally Reported Race/Ethnic Category Field Ethnicity Field Race Field 1 Race Field 2 Race Field 3 Race Field 5 Race Field 6 American Indian or Alaska Native 01 American Indian or Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/ Other Pac. Islander Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Asian White 02 Asian 03 Black or African American 04 01 02 03 05 06 04 Hispanic or Latino 00- No 00- No 00- No 00- No 00- No 00- No 05 White Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 06 07 Two or more races

6. A series of data validation rules will ensure the information collected from students and staff matches the appropriate aggregated category for state and federal reporting Race and Ethnicity Information Collected from Students and Staff Reported Racial/Ethnic Category Hawaiian/ Pac. Island American Indian Hispanic Asian Black White Hispanic Any single race or combination of races American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black White Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander Any combination of races – but not of Hispanic Ethnicity Two or More Races 6

7. Why are the reporting categories for race and ethnicity being changed? • The new reporting categories will: • Allow individuals to more accurately identify themselves given the increasing diversity of the nation’s population • Provide the option for respondents to select multiple race categories to describe their racial background • Help address the previous underreporting of Hispanic ethnicity under the old reporting scheme as identified by the Bureau of the Census • Match the new “two part question format” already adopted by other industries and federal agencies including the Bureau of the Census, health agencies, and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission

8. “Race” and “ethnicity” defined “Ethnicity” refers to the identification of a group based on a perceived cultural distinctiveness that makes the group into a “people.” This distinctiveness is believed to be expressed in language, music, values, art, styles, literature, family life, religion, ritual, food, naming, public life, and material culture. * “Race” is today primarily a sociological designation, identifying a class sharing some outward physical characteristics and some commonalities of culture and history. * One of the major reasons for the change in collection and reporting is the recognition that members of Hispanic populations can be of different races. The new reporting scheme will afford Hispanic/Latino populations the opportunity to better describe themselves according to their culture and heritage. * Source: Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Referenced 4/20/09.

9. How will this race/ethnicity information be used? • Federal education reports districts and states submit to receive funds such as those provided through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act • Required accountability reports collected through the EDFacts data collection system (graduation and dropout data, pupil membership counts, HR/Staff data, assessment/testing information, etc). • Used by the Office for Civil Rights to assist with enforcement of laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and national origin • The Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) requires collection of race and ethnicity data on students with disabilities • Data used to account for progress in meeting the goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act include information about students’ race and ethnicity • District-level evaluation of placement and program needs NOTE Although these categories are required by the federal government, only aggregated racial and ethnic data are reported (in a way that does not permit the identification of individual students). Race and ethnicity data are not considered “directory information” under FERPA.

10. Will schools and districts be required to ask every student and staff member to re-identify? • The U.S. Department of Education encourages, but does not require, schools and districts to allow all students and staff the opportunity to re-identify their race and ethnicity under the new standards. • Advantages of asking all respondents to re-identify: • Final Guidance from the USDE requires the new information to be available at the local level for civil rights compliance (including the race selection of respondents selecting Hispanic/Latino ethnicity) • Re-inventorying only some students could create a perception that schools are singling out one racial group. • Provides the opportunity for individuals who want to self-identify with multiple races the opportunity to do so. • Promotes data consistency and comparability within schools, districts, and states.

11. What if a student/parent or staff member refuses to self-identify? • Students and parents who are reluctant to self-identify should be informed: • This information will only be publicly reported in an aggregated format that is not personally identifiable. • The district/school is required by law to provide this information and that refusal to self-identify will result in “observer identification” on their behalf. • School district policy should indicate the steps to be taken before an observer makes a selection. These might include: • Reviewing the enrollment form with the parent at registration • Sending a second letter or making a follow-up phone call • Offering a meeting with a staff member or contractor who speaks the parent’s/student’s native language.

12. What if a student/parent or staff member refuses to self-identify (continued)? • Districts may not use a default category to assign all non-reported students. (e.g. all students with no ethnic or racial designation cannot be reported as “White” or “Two or More Races”). These determinations are to be made case-by-case. • District/school staff may not direct or instruct an individual in responding to the two part question on race and ethnicity beyond clarifying the question. This process is intended to collect self-identified responses about an individual’s racial and ethnic identity. • If available, the district may use the Race/Ethnicity designation reported for the student in a previous CDE reporting period. • If the student does not have a previous record indicating race and ethnicity, the district is required to use observer identification to establish the student’s current ethnic and racial designations. This determination can be informed by: • first-hand knowledge about the student and his or her family by school staff • the student’s/parent’s country of birth or country of origin • the student’s home language or parent’s language of preference • knowledge about the community to which the school belongs.

13. CDE anticipates that the vast majority of students reported in grades 2 through 12 in 2010-2011 will have race/ethnicity information available from a prior year collection Total Estimated Statewide 2nd through 12th grade Membership in 2010-2011 10-11 Race/Ethnic category is… Same as prior year Different from prior year Not reported in a prior year

14. Projections based on prior implementation by the U.S. Census in Colorado suggest a relatively small percentage of students in Colorado will be reclassified under the new coding system 2009 - 2010 2010 – 2011 (projected) Two or more races Two or more races Asian Asian Black Black Am. Indian/ Alaskan White Am. Indian/ Alaskan White Hispanic Hispanic Hawaiian/ Pac. Islander Hawaiian/ Pac. Islander

15. Logistical considerations for district staff • How and when will the new race and ethnicity information be collected? • During registration/enrollment? • Questionnaire sent to parents? • Will students/parents and staff be notified of their previous race/ethnic status when being asked to re-identify under the new system? • What changes will be required to existing forms and documentation? How much advance notice will be required to reprint documents, make changes to web pages, etc.? • Enrollment forms • Employment applications • Employee surveys • How will parents, students, and staff be notified of these changes? • Mailings? • Letters sent home with students? • Memoranda or email to staff? • Meetings and presentations?

16. Logistical considerations for district staff (continued) • How will front office staff and others likely to receive questions pertaining to race/ethnicity reporting be trained? • Which individual(s) within the school or district will be responsible for observing the race and ethnicity of a student or staff member if the respondent refuses to self-identify? • Does the district wish to record whether observer identification was employed by setting a flag in the student’s or staff member’s data file? • Have software vendors that provide systems for collecting, managing, and reporting data been made aware of these changes? • New reporting fields • New coding options • New edit checks

17. Policy considerations for district administrators and local school boards What should be the timeline for implementing the new race and ethnicity collection and reporting categories? Will this process be coordinated at the district level or the school level? What information should be included in a letter to parents? Who should sign/originate this letter? Will high school students be allowed to self-identify, or must parents provide the race and ethnicity determination in all cases? What procedures will be implemented to encourage self-identification? Is it feasible to provide language services to assist parents who do not speak English as their primary language?

18. Policy considerations for district administrators and local school boards (continued) • What steps will be taken before an observer makes a selection on behalf of a student or staff member? • What will be the district’s official policy regarding follow-up procedures for missing data? • How will parents be alerted that an observer has identified/will identify a student’s race and ethnicity if the information is not provided? • What specific policies and procedures should inform the process for observing a student’s race and ethnicity if parents refuse to provide the information? • Which individual(s) within the school or district will be responsible for observing the race and ethnicity of a student or staff member if the respondent refuses to self-identify? • In what manner, and for how long, will race and ethnicity information be stored at the district? • USDE guidance requires educational institutions to store the original two part question format responsesfor three years.

19. Organizations providing feedback on the new race/ethnicity categories: School Districts and BOCES Groups and Organizations • Adams 12 • Adams 14 • Adams 50 - Westminster • Aurora Public Schools • Centennial BOCES • Cherry Creek School District • Colorado Springs 11 • Denver Public Schools • East Central BOCES • Greeley School District • Harrison 2 • Jefferson County Schools • Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J • Keenesburg RE-3J • Littleton Public Schools • Mountain BOCES • Summit County School District • Charter Schools • City of Denver • Colorado Parent Coalition • LARASA of Colorado (Latin American Research and Service Agency) • Metro Community Provider Network • Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning • University of Colorado Units within the CDE • Communications Office • Office of Federal Programs Administration • Data Services • Exceptional Student Leadership • Gifted Education • Office of Language, Culture, and Equity • Prevention Initiatives / Early Childhood Ed. • Unit of Student Assessment

20. Additional resources and information from the Colorado Department of Education Additional resources and information from the Colorado Department of Education Available on the CDE website at www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/rvRace-Ethnicity.htm • Resources • NCES - Managing an Identity Crisis: Forum Guide to Implementing New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories • CDE Race and Ethnicity Brochure • April 9th 2008 Scoop Announcement • Presentation (May 30, 2008) • Racial/Ethnic Data Collection Implementation Plan • How to Maximize Participation in New Racial/Ethnic Categories from Parents/Guardians • Parent Information • Sample District Letter to Parents • Sample Collection Question Format for Students • Parents Race/Ethnicity Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) • District Information • Sample District Letter to Staff • Sample Collection Question Format for Staff • District Race/Ethnicity Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) • Outreach Activities • Technical • 2010-2011 Data Collection Edits (proposed) • How Collected Race and Ethnicity Information will be Reported • Final Federal Guidance • Racial and Ethnic Guidelines • US Department of Education Links • Dear Colleague letter from Assistant Secretary of Education Bill Evers • US Department of Education Race and Ethnicity Policy Questions and Answers