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
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)
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
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.
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 information as collected by the
district from the student or the student’s family
Ethnicity
Field
Race
Field 1
Hispanic
or Latino
American
Indian or
Alaska
Native
Race
Field 2
Race
Field 3
Asian
Black or
African
American
Race
Field 5
Race
Field 6
White
Native
Hawaiian/
Other Pac.
Islander
Race/Ethnicity categories
to be used in Federal and
State Reporting
Federally Reported Race/Ethnic
Category Field
01
American Indian or Alaska
Native
02
Asian
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
06
Native Hawaiian or other
Pacific Islander
07
Two or more races
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
Hispanic
Native
American
Asian
Black
White
Reported Racial/
Ethnic Category
Hawaiian/
Pac. Island
Any single race or combination of races
Hispanic
Native American/
Alaska Native
Asian
Black
White
Native Hawaiian/
Pacific Islander
Any combination of races – but not of
Hispanic Ethnicity
Two or More Races
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.
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.
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
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
Organizations providing feedback on the new
race/ethnicity categories:
School Districts and BOCES
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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
Groups and Organizations
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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
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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