2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection - A First Look: Students’ Access to Educational Opportunities in U.S. Public Schools - Overview

Oct 15, 2026

2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory survey covering preschool through grade 12 in U.S. public school districts and schools, including 17,821 districts and 97,575 schools. The report summarizes CRDC data submitted to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for the 2020-21 school year, focusing on student access to courses, programs, internet and devices, staff, and educational resources. It also examines school climate and safety factors such as discipline, restraint and seclusion, harassment or bullying, and school offenses, while noting how the coronavirus pandemic may affect comparisons with prior years.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

About this Report

Who’s in the 2020-21 CRDC?

About the CRDC

Data Topics for the 2020-21 CRDC

Students’ Access to Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Courses

Student Enrollment in Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit Programs

Internet Access and Devices

Teachers and School Support Staff

Preschool

Education in Justice Facilities

Restraint and Seclusion

School Climate and Safety

What’s Coming Next in the CRDC (2021-22)

Analytical Notes

End notes

NEW DATA RELEASE 2023 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection A First Look: Students’ Access to Educational Opportunities in U.S. Public Schools U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights November 2023 About this Report The 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory survey of all public school districts and schools serving students in preschool through grade 12 in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and therefore includes data from 17,821 public school districts and 97,575 public schools.1 The CRDC measures student access to courses, programs, Internet and devices, instructional and other staff, and resources — as well as school climate factors such as student discipline, use of restraint and seclusion, harassment or bullying, and offenses occurring at schools — that impact education opportunity for students. A First Look provides an overview of CRDC data public school districts submitted to the U. S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for the 2020-21 school year.2 OCR will release additional data reports and snapshots. To learn more about the CRDC, download the public-use data file, and to view other data reports and snapshots, please visit [https://civilrightsdata.ed.go](https://civilrightsdata.ed.gov)[v](https://civilrightsdata.ed.gov). The calculated counts and percentages in this report may differ from those reported by other offices within ED due to differences in methodology, data sources, and survey population (or the universe of schools and school districts that submit data) .3 OCR cautions readers and data users to consider the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students and on education conditions when comparing the 2020-21 CRDC to CRDCs from previous years. What’s Inside? Who’s in the 2020-21 CRDC ........................................... 3 About the CR DC ...................................................... 4 Data Topics for the 2020-21 CRDC ...................................... 4 Students’ Access to Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Courses.. 5 Student Enrollment in Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit Programs ............ 9 Internet Access and Devices........................................... 10 Teachers and School Support Staff......................................12 Preschool ............................................................13 Education in Justice Facilities ......................................... 14 Restraint and Seclusion ................................................15 School Climate and Safety ............................................ 16 What’s Coming Next in the CRDC (2021-22) ............................ 25 Analytical Notes ..................................................... 26 End notes............................................................ 27 Availability of Alternate Formats ....................................... 29 Notice to Limited-English-Proficient Persons ............................ 29 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 2020-21 CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION | [https://civilrightsdata.ed.gov/](https://civilrightsdata.ed.gov/ 2)[ 2](https://civilrightsdata.ed.gov/ 2) Who’s in the 2020-21 CRDC? | Total student enrollment in | Total number of | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | public preschool through grade 12 | preschool children | 51% | 49% | | | | BOYS | GIRLS | | 49.2 | 1.2 | | | | MILLION4 | MILLION | | | Student enrollment by race/ethnicity5 Hispanic or Latino of any race6 American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Black or African American White Two or more races | Enrollment of
English learner students7 | Enrollment of students with disabilities | | Students served under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504 only):9 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | Total students with disabilities: | Students served under the Individuals with Disabiliti

FAQs

What is the 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)?

The CRDC is a mandatory survey of U.S. public school districts and schools serving students from preschool through grade 12. It collects data used to support civil rights enforcement and to inform educational opportunity research and policy.

What types of student access data does the report cover?

The report covers student access to courses, programs, internet and devices, instructional and other staff, and educational resources. It also addresses school climate factors that affect educational opportunity.

How should readers compare the 2020-21 CRDC results with previous years?

The report cautions that counts and percentages may differ due to methodology and survey population. It also highlights the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students and education conditions when making comparisons.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West