ED483023 - Ensuring Equal Access to High-Quality Education. Revised - ERIC-ED483023 | Content Details

ED483023 - Ensuring Equal Access to High-Quality Education. Revised

Subject: Civil Law, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Legislation, Compliance (Legal), Elementary Secondary Education, Equal Education, Federal Regulation, Higher Education, Legal Responsibility, Student Rights

Abstract: This brochure describes the activities of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. The OCR is a law- enforcement agency charged with upholding the federal civil-rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. The pamphlet describes how civil-rights laws apply to most educational institutions in the nation, including almost 15,000 school districts and more than 3,600 colleges and universities, as well as students and employees. The OCR receives discrimination complaints directly from the public, as many as 5,000 each year, featuring such issues a's ability grouping, school desegregation, racial harassment, sexual harassment, treatment of students who are pregnant, accessibility of school facilities and programs, appropriate special-education services, and auxiliary aids for students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills. Also described are the ways that OCR resolves complaints and how the agency carries out compliance reviews. The OCR also offers technical assistance for people and institutions to help them comply with federal law. A brief description of the impact of the civil-rights laws, as well as an overview of the future challenges of the OCR, are provided.