About OCR and the E&S Survey

The OCR Elementary and Secondary School Survey (E&S Survey) in the U.S. Department of Education — conducted since 1968 — is the instrument used by OCR to obtain data regarding the nation's public elementary and secondary schools. Data from the E&S Survey is used by social scientists conducting research on discrimination, and by civil rights and other groups monitoring issues related to their programs.

OCR enforces laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in programs that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. These laws include: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color and national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting disability discrimination), Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (prohibiting age discrimination); and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (prohibiting disability discrimination by public entities, whether or not they receive federal financial assistance) OCR also enforces the Boy Scouts of America Equal Opportunity Act, enacted in 2002. This law addresses equal access for the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups to meet in public schools that receive federal funds from the Department of Education.

OCR’s primary objectives are to promptly investigate complainant’s allegations of discrimination, and to accurately determine whether the civil rights laws and regulations have been violated. OCR also initiates ‘compliance reviews’ and other proactive initiatives to focus on specific civil rights compliance problems in education that are particularly acute or national in scope. In addition, OCR pursues compliance by federal fund recipients by promulgating regulations implementing the civil rights laws, by developing clear policy guidance interpreting those laws, and by broadly disseminating this information in many different media, including through the Internet and by direct provision of technical assistance, to educational institutions, parents, students, and others.

Information collected in the E&S Surveys is collected pursuant to 34 C.F.R. Section 100.6(b) of the Department of Education regulation implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The requirements are also incorporated by reference in Department regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.

This page last modified May 9, 2007