This page is intended to explain the changes mandated by the federal government in the way that public school systems collect data on ethnicity and race for students and staff.
Background
The federal government announced in 1993 that it was undertaking a complete review of the categories used to collect data on race and ethnicity of the nation’s population. Many people felt that the categories, which had been in use for more than 20 years, did not adequately reflect the increasing diversity of the nation’s population. The government uses racial and ethnic data for many purposes, such as ensuring equal access in housing, education, and employment.
A federal committee that included representatives from more than 30 government agencies was established to help with the review and to ensure that data collection was consistent throughout the government. In 1997, the government published the committee’s recommendations for how the categories and process should be revised and received feedback from thousands of individuals on the proposed changes.
In 2007, the U. S. Department of Education issued its final guidelines requiring state education departments to implement the new racial and ethnic categories for school students and staff.
What changes have been made?
There are four major changes in the way that ethnicity and race data will be collected—
• There is now a two-part question on ethnicity and race. This allows individuals to report their heritage more accurately.
• The term “Hispanic” has been changed to “Hispanic or Latino”
• The racial category “Asian or Pacific Islander” has been separated into two new categories—“Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander”
• Individuals will be able to select one or more races from the five racial groups
What are the ethnicity and race categories? The first part of the two-part question asks
whether or not the respondent is Hispanic/Latino.
The second part asks the respondent to select one or more races from the following five racial groups:
• Native American or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White
How are the new ethnicity and race categories defined?
Ethnicity
• Hispanic or Latino. A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Race
• Native American 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.
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam,Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
• White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
What are the next steps?
Beginning in the Spring of 2010, families of all students will be asked to complete a brief form to update the reporting of their children’s race and ethnicity. Staff data will be collected starting March, 2010.
This page is intended to explain the changes mandated by the federal government in the way that public school systems collect data on ethnicity and race for students and staff.
Background
The federal government announced in 1993 that it was undertaking a complete review of the categories used to collect data on race and ethnicity of the nation’s population. Many people felt that the categories, which had been in use for more than 20 years, did not adequately reflect the increasing diversity of the nation’s population. The government uses racial and ethnic data for many purposes, such as ensuring equal access in housing, education, and employment.
A federal committee that included representatives from more than 30 government agencies was established to help with the review and to ensure that data collection was consistent throughout the government. In 1997, the government published the committee’s recommendations for how the categories and process should be revised and received feedback from thousands of individuals on the proposed changes.
In 2007, the U. S. Department of Education issued its final guidelines requiring state education departments to implement the new racial and ethnic categories for school students and staff.
What changes have been made?
There are four major changes in the way that ethnicity and race data will be collected—
• There is now a two-part question on ethnicity and race. This allows individuals to report their heritage more accurately.
• The term “Hispanic” has been changed to “Hispanic or Latino”
• The racial category “Asian or Pacific Islander” has been separated into two new categories—“Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander”
• Individuals will be able to select one or more races from the five racial groups
What are the ethnicity and race categories? The first part of the two-part question asks
whether or not the respondent is Hispanic/Latino.
The second part asks the respondent to select one or more races from the following five racial groups:
• Native American or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White
How are the new ethnicity and race categories defined?
Ethnicity
• Hispanic or Latino. A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Race
• Native American 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.
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam,Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
• White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
What are the next steps?
Beginning in the Spring of 2010, families of all students will be asked to complete a brief form to update the reporting of their children’s race and ethnicity. Staff data will be collected starting March, 2010.