The Federal Government Is Looking Away from Racial Disparities. Here’s What States Can Do.

In last week’s Delta, we talked about the vital role the federal government plays in protecting the rights of every child — especially the most vulnerable.

According to new reporting in K-12 Dive, the U.S. Department of Education is dismantling a key regulation mandating that states collect information about what’s known as “significant disproportionality.” Under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, districts are required to track and report racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic data about all students who are identified for special education, placed in special education settings, or disciplined in school. 

Over the years, many studies have shown that poorer students and students of color are more likely to be identified for special education and more likely to experience disciplinary action in school. For example, Black students are more than three times as likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers. And students from low-income families are more likely to be identified for special education and placed in "substantially separate classrooms” than better-off peers.  

Educators don’t wake up in the morning intending to unnecessarily push lower-income students into special education. Learning disabilities aren’t inherently correlated with race or class.

What these disparities demonstrate, then, are failures of the system as a whole, and the data is a roadmap to fix those failures. Without the data, leaders are flying blind.

We can’t bury our heads in the sand.

The federal government is stepping back from its fundamental responsibility to protect students’ rights. The rationale? Paperwork burden.

Don’t get me wrong: reducing paperwork burden is a worthy goal, but as with any goal, we have to balance the costs and benefits.

Florida says it spends about 25 hours per year on reporting. But let’s be honest: we spend trillions on public education. To argue we can’t spend 25 hours — less than a single work week for one person — on measuring success is nonsensical. 

It would be like a multi-billion dollar business deciding to stop tracking sales to save its salespeople a few minutes each day. It’s a miniscule investment in knowing whether your plan is working.

Even with federal oversight, the data shows deep flaws in the system —that’s at least a starting point for action. But what happens when we stop looking altogether? Ignoring a problem inevitably just makes it worse.

What States Can Do Right Now

We’re action-oriented at the Delta, so let’s focus on what needs to happen next. As we’ve said many times before, this is the time for state leaders to step up. 

3 steps state leaders should take now:

1. Keep measuring: Just because the federal government will no longer ask states for this data doesn’t mean states should stop collecting it. Publicly commit now to keep going.
2. Prove the value of this data by using it: Actions really do speak louder than words, so don’t just collect the data — act on it. Show your communities how you are using the numbers to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for students.
3. Be transparent: Make the data public and easy for families to access. Parents and advocates deserve a clear picture of how their kids are being served and where disparities persist.

Let’s Get Muddy

We’re all for reducing unnecessary burdens. But this is not the way to do it. If leaders want to get serious about real burden reduction, they should look to tools like the Super App. We’ve written more on that here:

• Case study: LOUISIANA’S PLAYBOOK TO GET TO ONE PLAN, ONE BUDGET FOR KIDS
• The Delta: The Problem with school funding and a big idea to fix it
• The Delta: Grants and reporting can be overwhelming. But do they have to be?

The bottom line: we cannot bury our heads in the sand, especially when it comes to our most vulnerable students. We will not have progress without data.