Federal Survey Omits Gender Identity Data From Civil Rights Collection

Why it matters locally: California, home to over 6 million public school students, relies on federal civil rights data to identify and address educational disparities, especially for vulnerable student populations. The omission of gender identity data in this federal survey could hinder the state's ability to track and intervene in issues affecting nonbinary students and gender-identity based bullying within its school districts.

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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.