Education has long stood at the epicenter of the battle for civil rights. Inequitable educational opportunity and achievement gaps persist in the United States in no small part because the nation provides limited protection for education as a civil right at the federal level and uneven protection at the state level. Leaders across the political…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Language Rights." Contents include: (1) Navigating Policy Landscapes for…

On May 10, 2021, the Civil Rights Division (the Division) of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued an updated resource for students and families on confronting COVID-19 related bullying and harassment against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Student Rights." Contents include: (1) Restorative Practices Can Prevent and…

The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to provide educators and parents with information about universal supports, describe how these supports may prevent discrimination, and provide resources to address discrimination or disparate treatment in universal supports.

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children in Texas and across the United States. The theme of this issue is "Institutional Grit." Articles include: (1) The Link between…

Special education, for students ages 3 to 21, is guided by federal and state requirements. The federal requirements are referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The state requirements are referred to as the Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities (Ohio Operating Standards). IDEA…

This literature review includes a broad review of LGBTQ+ civil rights law and evolving cases, population research and limitations of data collection, student survey findings on school climate and safety, education best practices at the classroom, district and state level, and student perspectives from youth across the country, including members of…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children in Texas and across the United States. The theme of this issue is "Religion Equity." Articles include: (1) Religion Equity in Schools…

This toolkit was created to make transition planning easier and offers easy-to-understand information about the purpose of transition planning, the goal and importance of age-appropriate assessments, and the required rules that are used by schools. It also includes information on the community partners that can provide youth with supports as…

This booklet has been developed in hopes that it may aid in keeping communication open and focused between families and schools. Building communication between parents and the school staff through letters offers a way of keeping records of ideas, concerns, and suggestions. This booklet provides general guidelines to writing letters as well as…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Data for Actionable Knowledge." Contents include: (1) Office for Civil Rights…

All young people need access to and can benefit from sexual health information. Young people with disabilities have the same right to this education as their peers. However, considerations must be made in order to modify the program to allow for information to be understood and learned in a way that is meaningful to them. Parents/guardians might…

School choice is an increasingly important part of today's educational landscape and this timely volume presents fresh research about the competitive admissions policies of choice systems. Based on their investigation of a unique civil rights challenge to school choice admissions policies in politically and racially divided Buffalo, New York, and…

To help families navigate these processes, this tool is intended to introduce students and families to their rights in common scenarios, promote educational equity for students with disabilities, describe potential recourse or remedies for educational discrimination, and provide resources to enhance equity within schools. Families' rights and…