Strengthening the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Reporting and Enforcement to Address Racial Disparities in Education

WHEREAS, The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) mission is to ensure equal access to education through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in schools across the country; and

WHEREAS, The Department's Office for Civil Rights is responsible for investigating civil rights complaints and monitoring compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funds; and

WHEREAS, Persistent racial disparities in discipline, gifted education access, special education identification, advanced coursework enrollment, and school funding continue to disadvantage Black students and other students of color; and

WHEREAS, Recent calls to abolish and severely defund the Department of Education threaten the educational and civil rights of millions of students, particularly Black, Brown, disabled, LGBTQ+, and low-income students.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls for increased federal funding for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (ORC), including the hiring of additional staff and investigators to reduce case backlogs and strengthen enforcement authority.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP urges Congress to require public transparency in school district-level OCR reporting, including racial breakdowns of discipline, academic tracking, and funding.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP's National Education Committee will work to encourage the community to educate families, engage school districts and monitor discriminatory practices requiring federal oversight.