While OCR continues to handle a significant number of complaints, the agency has devoted an increasing amount of its resources to assisting parents, students, schools and colleges in preventing civil rights problems and in addressing civil rights concerns at the local level. By providing guidance and resource information to the public, we believe that students, parents, schools and colleges will better understand civil rights requirements and will have the tools to address these issues locally in many instances.
To assist in prevention of civil rights problems, OCR has developed self-evaluation materials that will enable schools and colleges to learn how they may be able to improve their approach to issues such as harassment and services to English language learners. We recommend approaches to self-evaluation that includes parents, students, members of the community and a cross section of the education community.
Also, local solutions to civil rights problems depend on effective implementation of complaint procedures. We provide resources for developing such procedures based on our experience working with school districts, colleges and universities.
Encouraging Resolutions at the Local Level
- Developing policies of nondiscrimination
- Developing effective grievance procedure requirements
- Partnerships and Parental Empowerment
- Self-evaluation materials on education civil rights issues