Federal Survey Omits Gender Identity Data From Civil Rights Collection

Why it matters locally: Public schools across Illinois, including those within Cook County, DuPage County, and Lake County, participate in the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), and will be directly affected by the changes in data collection practices regarding gender identity and related bullying. This modification could impact how the Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts track and address civil rights issues for nonbinary students.

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WASHINGTON – The Trump administration issued an updated civil rights survey for schools this week. The new iteration does not incorporate specific data points within its collection parameters regarding nonbinary students or bullying based on gender identity. Historically, the survey gathered details regarding these student populations and types of bullying. The Department of Education conducts the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) biennially. This survey gathers information on student enrollment, discipline, and educational programs from public schools nationwide. The department uses the data to monitor compliance with civil rights laws and to identify disparities in educational opportunities. Previous versions of the CRDC collected information pertaining to students identifying as nonbinary. The survey also previously included questions that addressed instances of bullying specifically related to a student's gender identity. The updated survey's design changes eliminate these particular data categories from the collection instrument. Officials have not provided a public explanation for the modification.