Why collect data on race and ethnicity?
The new standards are part of federal education reports that districts and states submit to receive federal funds. Race and ethnicity have always been collected and reported to the U.S. Department of Education. The reports are required for federal eligibility and accountability reports. The Office for Civil Rights collects data to assist with its enforcement of laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
Why were the categories changed from the five categories to the present seven?
This change was made to comply with the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revisions to the standards for classification of federal data on race and ethnicity announced in the Federal Register Notice of October 30, 1997 and the U.S. Department of Education regulations issued in October 2007.
When will the change take place?
The State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and local school districts will be required to report student and staff data by the fall of 2010 for the 2010-11 school year. Districts should continue to report data in the existing five categories until the fall of 2010. The changes will take place on all DPI forms and applications during the 2010-2011 collection cycle. These forms and applications have various due dates.
How will race and ethnicity be collected in WSLS?
DPI plans to modify WSLS to use the new 4 character race/ethnicity categories around the middle of July. After that point in time, WSLS will no longer accept the current single character race/ethnicity codes.
It is important to make sure the district's 2009-2010 students have up-to-date WSLS information before the cut off on July 1. After the cutoff date, WSLS will only accept the new categories regardless of the school year of data. For that reason it is important to make sure WSLS is up to date for all 2009-2010 students, especially those students who are not continuing (graduates, transfers, and dropouts).
DPI is developing a utility to help facilitate the process of updating the race/ethnicity data for all students that will be reported in the ISES Third Friday of September Count Date record collection.
How has race and ethnicity data been collected before the introduction of the new standards?
Prior to the new standards, school districts reported data to DPI according to five race/ethnicity categories:
- American Indian or Alaskan Native
- Asian or Pacific Islander
- Black, Not Hispanic
- Hispanic
- White, Not Hispanic
These categories were used to comply with the previous federal reporting guidelines. Each student was identified by one and only one category.
How is the data going to be collected to reflect the change?
The data will be collected in a 2 part question format. Both parts are to be answered for students and staff. The designations, according to the federal Office of Management and Budget are:
Part One: Is this person Hispanic or Latino? (Must choose one)
- Hispanic or Latino
- Not Hispanic or Latino
Part Two: Select one or more of the following categories that apply to this person.
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
Is it required to answer both questions?
Yes, it is required to answer both parts of the question. Even if the person is Hispanic or Latino, it is necessary to answer the second part of the question. If both parts are not answered by the parents or students, the district will be responsible for completing both parts of the question.
How will DPI report race and ethnicity to the federal government?
Regardless of the race combinations of individuals, each individual must be reported in exactly one of the following race and ethnicity categories:
- Hispanic of any race
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
- Two or more races
How will the new race and ethnicity guidelines affect Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act?
DPI plans to report by the existing five categories until further notice.
Are districts required to re-identify all students and staff?
DPI strongly recommends that districts give all students and staff the opportunity to re-identify themselves. Students and staff should be given a window of opportunity by the fall of 2010 to re-identify their race and ethnicity.
Please note that the combined category of Asian and Pacific Islander has changed to two separate categories:
- Asian
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
This change means that, in particular, all students who had previously been identified as Asian and Pacific Islander must be re-identified. In addition, any student who has previously been identified as Hispanic or Latino must also be re-identified to reflect one of the racial categories specified by the U.S. Department of Education in the second part of the question.
How will schools/districts collect the race and ethnicity if parents or students choose not to provide the information?
The U.S. Department of Education encourages self-reporting by parents or students. However if they choose not to report, school or district personnel should provide the information. The completion or non-completion of the race/ethnicity data on an enrollment form should never prevent any child from enrolling in a school/district.
For further information on implementation of the guidelines, see "Managing an Identity Crisis; Forum Guide to Implementing New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories" at http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2008802.asp
How will schools/districts collect race and ethnicity if staff chooses not to provide the information?
The U.S. Department of Education also encourages self-reporting by staff. However if they choose not to report, an administrator of the school such as the principal should make the determination.
Is there a sample letter for districts to use in their data collection?
Districts may use the following letters as starting points for developing their own communication with parents and educators:
For questions about this information, contact *dpistats@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-3166
Last updated on 12/21/2011 12:20:19 PM
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