Key data points from the 2020–21 CRDC are below and highlighted in one or more of the data reports or snapshots.K-12 students reported to school employees over 42,500 allegations of harassment or bullying on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, disability, or religion.
Forty percent of allegations of harassment or bullying was on the basis of sex, 29% was on the basis of race, 19% was on the basis of sexual orientation, 9% was on the basis of disability, and 3% was on the basis of religion.
Student reports of being harassed or bullied differed by race and sex.
Black students represented 15% of K-12 enrollment, but 37% of students who reported being harassed or bullied on the basis of race.
White students represented 46% of K-12 enrollment but 68% of students who reported being harassed or bullied on the basis of sex, and 70% of students who reported being harassed or bullied on the basis of disability.
American Indian or Alaska Native students represented 1% of K-12 enrollment, but 2% of students who reported being harassed or bullied on the basis of race, sex, or disability.
Boys were overrepresented in reports of being harassed or bullied on the basis of race or disability. Girls were overrepresented in reports of being harassed or bullied on the basis of sex.
School OffensesDistricts reported approximately 274,700 incidents of school offenses.
The majority of incidents (78%) were threats of physical attack without a weapon.
Public schools reported over 3,000 incidents of rape or attempted rape and sexual assault (other than rape).
About 180 schools (less than 1%) reported at least one incident involving a school shooting, and about 100 schools (less than 1%) reported a homicide of a student, faculty member, or staff member.
Student DisciplineAbout 786,600 students in K-12 received one or more in-school suspensions, about 638,700 received one or more out-of-school suspensions, and about 28,300 received an expulsion.
Compared to their overall enrollments, Black boys and girls, White boys, and boys of two or more races were overrepresented among K-12 students who were suspended and expelled.
Both White and Black boys were overrepresented in K-12 school discipline outcomes, but Black boys were nearly two times more likely than White boys to receive an out-of-school suspension or an expulsion.
When considering their overall enrollment, K-12 students with disabilities were also overrepresented in discipline outcomes.
Students with disabilities represented 17% of K-12 student enrollment but accounted for 29% of students who received one or more out-of-school suspensions and 21% who received expulsions.
The nation’s public school districts referred approximately 61,900 K-12 students to law enforcement, and about 14% of those referrals resulted in school-related arrests. These disciplinary actions differed by students’ race/ethnicity and disability.
Black students represented 15% of K-12 student enrollment, but 18% of students referred to law enforcement and 22% of students subjected to a school-related arrest.
White students represented 46% of K-12 student enrollment, but 55% of students referred to law enforcement and 47% of students subjected to a school-related arrest.
Students with disabilities represented 17% of K-12 student enrollment, but 27% of students referred to law enforcement and 28% of students subjected to a school-related arrest.
Approximately 52,800 K-12 students were physically restrained, mechanically restrained, and/or placed in seclusion at schools.
Boys, Black students, students of two or more races, and students with disabilities who received services under IDEA were subjected to restraints and seclusion at higher percentages than their overall K-12 enrollments.
Boys represented 51% of K-12 student enrollment, but 83% of students physically restrained, 82% of students mechanically restrained, and 82% of students secluded.
Black students represented 15% of the K-12 student enrollment, but 21% of students physically restrained, 42% of students mechanically restrained, and 19% of students secluded.
Students of two or more races were 4% of K-12 student enrollment yet accounted for 7% of students physically restrained and 7% of students secluded.
Students with disabilities who received services under IDEA represented 14% of K-12 student enrollment but accounted for 81% of students physically restrained, 32% of students mechanically restrained, and 75% of students secluded.
More than half of high schools nationwide do not offer calculus or computer science.
Some student groups have fewer opportunities to access courses.
Approximately 35% of high schools with high enrollments of Black and Latino students offered calculus, compared to 54% of high schools with low enrollments of Black and Latino students.
About 40% of schools with high enrollments of Black and Latino students offered computer science courses, compared to 54% of schools with low enrollments of Black and Latino students.
Student enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses differed by race or ethnicity.
Black students represented 15% of students enrolled in high school, but 10% of students enrolled in AP computer science, 8% of students enrolled in AP science, and 6% of students enrolled in AP mathematics.
Latino students represented 27% of students enrolled in high school, but 20% of students enrolled in AP science, 20% of students enrolled in AP computer science,and 19% of students enrolled in AP mathematics.
White students represented 48% of students enrolled in high school, 53% of students enrolled in AP mathematics, 51% of students enrolled in AP science, and 44% of students enrolled in AP computer science.
Asian students represented 5% of all high school enrollment, 17% of student enrollment in AP science, 17% of student enrollment in AP mathematics, and 22% of student enrollment in AP computer science.
Many students, particularly students of color, did not have access to certified teachers and school counselors.
Approximately 522,400 students, or 1% of overall student enrollment, attended public schools where fewer than half of the teachers met all state certification requirements. Of students attending those schools, a majority (66%) were Black and Latino students.
Ninety-six percent (96%) of high school students had access to at least one school counselor.
Four percent (4%) of high school students attended schools with no school counselors.
7 million students attended a school with a school law enforcement officer (SLEO) or security guard, but without a school counselor.
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander students and American Indian or Alaska Native students were 1.4 times more likely than White students to attend a school with an SLEO or security guard but no school counselor.
Black students and students of two or more races were 1.2 times more likely attend these schools compared to White students.
For the first time, for the 2020-21 school year, schools were required to report data on students’ access to the Internet and devices at schools. Students’ Internet access varied from state to state.
Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia reported that 99% or more of their schools were connected to the Internet.
The states reporting the lowest percentage of schools connected to the Internet were Florida (66%) and Alaska (52%).
Eighty-seven percent of schools reported allowing students to take home school-issued devices.
The Department’s data reports and snapshots are available here and listed below.
Student Discipline and School Climate in U.S. Public Schools highlights data from the 2020–21 CRDC on student discipline, such as suspensions, expulsion, referrals to law enforcement, school-related arrests, and corporal punishment; student harassment or bullying; and incidents of offenses.
The Department will release additional data reports and snapshots on key topics such as student access to courses and programs and data specific to English learner students and to students with disabilities.
Initial results and insights from the first annual Digital Transformation survey of HolonIQ’s Global K12 Education Network, conducted in December 2022- January 2023
— Read on www.holoniq.com/notes/2023-k12-digital-transformation
Dr. Joseph Fiksel is Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University and a Visiting Scholar at George Washington University. He is the author of Resilient by Design (Island Press, 2015) and has provided consulting services to companies, governments, and industry associations worldwide.
“The destruction of the Hawaiian town of Lahaina by the Maui wildfire is only the latest indication that our communities are unprepared for what some call a “polycrisis” – a rare convergence of multiple forces that results in a disaster. Lahaina residents have always lived in the shadow of an active volcano, but no one anticipated that a wildfire would be magnified by a freak windstorm, and that the town’s communication systems and water supply would fail to respond properly. ….”
Given the losses our students have sustained, the communications technology environment they live in– texting, gaming, making media– changes to the traditional lecture, worksheets, classes of 25-28 all doing the same thing may be out of date.
Project-based learning could relate learning to communities and careers, while still teaching and tracking student mastery of standards-based curriculum skills and knowledge. Students could learn in large or small groups, in flipped learning on their own. Each student could have their own personalized learning plan and their progress could be one-click visible to their parents, teachers, and school admin.
“Learning Matrix” is a concept to replace the traditional school schedule and physical constructs with more personalized, varied, learning activities, modes, and schedules – using current technologies and supporting the development of skills required for career participation in today’s economy.
This paper, by Learning Counsel’s Leilani Cauthen, presents the concept of the Learning Matrix discussed by district and ed tech leaders.
The Learning Counsel is an organization that brings K-12 district and school leaders together with learning technology leaders to envision changes in schools and learning.
About 43%, or $6.1 billion, of federal COVID-19 emergency funds that states have passed on to districts were used to meet students’ academic, social, emotional and other needs. These activities represented the largest category of district expenditures during states’ fiscal year 2021, a report released late last month by the U.S. Department of Education said
Spending on safely reopening schools for in-person learning and expenses related to physical health and safety in schools accounted for the second and third largest shares, respectively, of ESSER subgrants to districts.
The report said while there are “hopeful signs of recovery,” education leaders and their communities at every level need to continue maximizing ESSER funds and other federal, state and local resources to address student needs.
Specifically, the report mentioned academic support through high-dosage tutoring programs and high-quality summer learning and after-school programs. Also emphasized was ensuring adequate staffing levels and mental health supports for students.
This analysis of states’ spending activity only covers fiscal 2021, which began in 2020 and ended June 30, 2021, for the majority of state education agencies. Since the American Rescue Plan legislation was not approved by Congress until March 2021, districts may not have had access to its funding or spending plans by the end of FY 2021.
Here’s a glimpse at some of the key figures in the report: BY THE NUMBERS
More than 75%
The portion of districts that reported implementing one or more student re-engagement strategies to encourage underserved students to transition back to in-person learning.
More than 2,700
The number of school districts that used ESSER funds for mental health supports, including hiring additional school counselors and school psychologists, and providing professional development for staff.
44%
The percentage of districts’ expended funds that went toward staffing needs, such as salaries and benefits for additional personnel.
90%
The portion of districts spending money on “cleaning and disinfection” among those reporting the use of ESSER funding to maintain safe in-person instruction.
More than 40%
The percentage of districts that used ESSER funds to provide at least one type of home internet access to students. Mobile hotspots with paid data plans were the most common support.
Sept. 30, 2022
The date by which districts had to obligate ESSER I funds. The deadlines for ESSER II and ESSER III-ARP obligations are Sept. 30, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, respectively.
$14.2 billion
The amount in ESSER I, II and III expenditures by districts in FY 2021.
$103.2 billion
The amount of district subgrants spent or budgeted by districts in FY 2021. This accounts for just over half (54.5%) of the total ESSER allocation of $189.5 billion.
Students with disabilities were among those most severely affected by COVID-19’s disruption of schools and communities.
When districts swiftly shuttered school buildings in the early days of the pandemic, they also struggled to provide accommodations and therapies remotely, causing some children to fall behind for lack of needed supports.
Parents also complained about lengthy lag time in reviewing and updating their children’s individualized education programs, or IEPs, to reflect the new reality.
And the same circumstances that made in-person learning so crucial for many students with disabilities also made it more dangerous for those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. That left many families weighing seemingly competing choices between preserving their children’s health or their educational progress.
It will take some time to fully measure the pandemic’s effects on education, particularly for students in vulnerable groups, experts say. But, even early in recovery efforts, some data points reveal an initial look at the extent of the challenges.
Students with disabilities saw sharper declines in test scores than their peers during the pandemic
Long-term trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress show that 9-year-old students scored, on average, 5 points lower in reading and 7 points lower in math in 2022 than did their pre-pandemic peers in 2020. The declines represent the largest drops in decades. The drop in scores was even greater for students with disabilities.