Collecting and Reporting Race & Ethnicity Data for Students and Staff in Colorado’s Public Schools

1. Collecting and Reporting Race & Ethnicity Data for Students and Staff in Colorado’s Public Schools An overview of planned changes to be implemented in the 2010-2011 academic year Colorado Department of Education

2. From 1977 to present, students and staff in Colorado have been reported in one of five “race/ ethnicity” categories Race/Ethnicity: The general racial/ethnic heritage category which most clearly reflects the individual’s recognition of his or her community or with which the individual most closely identifies. NOTE: Under the current reporting system, each reported individual must be assigned to a single category. 01 - American Indian or Alaskan Native 02 - Asian or Pacific Islander 03 - Black (not Hispanic) 04 - Hispanic 05 - White (not Hispanic)

3. By federal mandate, beginning in 2010-2011, race and ethnicity data will be collected using a new two-part question format, which will allow the selection of more than one race Please Note: You must answer both parts of the question below Part A: Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino origin? Yes No Part B:Which of the following groups describe your race? (you may select more than one) American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American White Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

4. The federal government has developed definitions for these six ethnic and racial categories Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term “Spanish origin” can be used in addition to “Hispanic/Latino or Latino.” American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment. Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

5. New fields and coding options will be added to CDE collections in 2010-2011 to accommodate these changes in Race and Ethnicity reporting for students and staff Race/Ethnicity categories to be used in Federal and State Reporting Race/Ethnicity information as collected by the district from the student or the student’s family Federally Reported Race/Ethnic Category Field Ethnicity Field Race Field 1 Race Field 2 Race Field 3 Race Field 5 Race Field 6 American Indian or Alaska Native 01 American Indian or Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/ Other Pac. Islander Black or African American Hispanic or Latino 02 Asian Asian White 03 Black or African American 1 (Yes) 1 (Yes) 1 (Yes) 1 (Yes) 1 (Yes) 1 (Yes) 04 Hispanic or Latino 2 (No) 2 (No) 2 (No) 2 (No) 2 (No) 2 (No) 05 White Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 06 07 Two or more races

6. For all CDE collections, districts will report the race and ethnicity information collected from each respondent and the racial or ethnic category to be used in federal reporting for that respondent Race and Ethnicity Information Collected from Students and Staff Reported Racial/ Ethnic Category Hawaiian/ Pac. Island Native American Hispanic Asian Black White Hispanic Any single race or combination of races Native American/ Alaska Native Asian Black White Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander Any combination of races – but not of Hispanic Ethnicity Two or More Races

7. What if a student/parent or staff member refuses to self-identify? • Students and parents who are reluctant to self-identify should be informed: • This information will only be publicly reported in an aggregated format that is not personally identifiable. • The district/school is required by law to provide this information and that refusal to self-identify will result in “observer identification” on their behalf. • School district policy should indicate the steps to be taken before an observer makes a selection. These might include: • Reviewing the enrollment form with the parent at registration • Sending a second letter or making a follow-up phone call • Offering a meeting with a staff member or contractor who speaks the parent’s/student’s native language. • Districts may not use a default category to assign all non-reported students. (e.g. all students with no ethnic or racial designation cannot be reported as “White” or “Two or More Races”). These determinations are to be made on a case-by-case basis.

8. What if a student/parent or staff member refuses to self-identify (continued)? • District/school staff may not direct or instruct an individual in responding to the two part question on race and ethnicity beyond clarifying the question. This process is intended to collect self-identified responses about an individual’s racial and ethnic identity. • If available, the district may use the Race/Ethnicity designation reported for the student in a previous CDE reporting period. • If the student does not have a previous record indicating race and ethnicity, the district is required to use observer identification to establish the student’s current ethnic and racial designations. This determination can be informed by: • first-hand knowledge about the student and his or her family by school staff • the student’s/parent’s country of birth or country of origin • the student’s home language or parent’s language of preference • knowledge about the community to which the school belongs.

9. Recommended next steps for districts • Make required changes to enrollment forms in advance of the start of the 2010-2011 school year. • Notify parents, students, and staff via mailings or take-home documents • Download and modify the “Sample District Letter to Parents” http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/download/Word/Race%20and%20Ethnicity/SampleDistrictLettertoParents.doc • and the “Sample District Letter to Staff” http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/download/Word/Race%20and%20Ethnicity/SampleDistrictLettertoStaff.doc • Schedule meetings/presentations to discuss the new racial and ethnic reporting categories and answer questions • Consider conducting a pilot study or focus group prior to implementation of the new reporting system • Provide training for front office staff and others likely to receive questions pertaining to race/ethnicity reporting

10. Additional resources and information from the Colorado Department of Education Available on the CDE website at www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/rvRace-Ethnicity.htm • Resources • CDE Race and Ethnicity Brochure • April 9th 2008 Scoop Announcement • Presentation (May 30, 2008) • Racial/Ethnic Data Collection Implementation Plan • How to Maximize Participation in New Racial/Ethnic Categories from Parents/Guardians (Pending) • NCES - Managing an Identity Crisis - Forum Guide to Implementing New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories • Parent Information • Sample District Letter to Parents • Sample Collection Question Format for Students • Parents Race/Ethnicity Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) • District Information • Sample District Letter to Staff • Sample Collection Question Format for Staff • District Race/Ethnicity Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) • Outreach Activities • Technical • 2010-2011 Data Collection Edits (proposed) • How Collected Race and Ethnicity Information will be Reported • Final Federal Guidance • Racial and Ethnic Guidelines • US Department of Education Links • Dear Colleague letter from Assistant Secretary of Education Bill Evers • US Department of Education Race and Ethnicity Policy Questions and Answers

11. Organizations providing feedback on the new race/ethnicity categories: School Districts and BOCES Groups and Organizations • Adams 12 • Adams 14 • Adams 50 - Westminster • Aurora Public Schools • Centennial BOCES • Cherry Creek School District • Colorado Springs 11 • Denver Public Schools • East Central BOCES • Greeley School District • Harrison 2 • Jefferson County Schools • Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J • Keenesburg RE-3J • Littleton Public Schools • Mountain BOCES • Summit County School District • Charter Schools • City of Denver • Colorado Parent Coalition • LARASA of Colorado (Latin American Research and Service Agency) • Metro Community Provider Network • Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning • University of Colorado Units within the CDE • Communications Office • Office of Federal Programs Administration • Data Services • Exceptional Student Leadership • Gifted Education • Office of Language, Culture, and Equity • Prevention Initiatives / Early Childhood Ed. • Unit of Student Assessment