1. OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS (OCR)

2. Office of Civil Rights OCR The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. www.ed.gov

3. What does the OCR do?  The Office for Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws.  These laws extend to all state education agencies receiving U.S. Department of Education funds.  These civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, or age.

4. Which Federal Regulations are enforced by OCR?  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin in all programs or activities that receive Federal Financial assistance.  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance.  www.ed.gov

5. Which Federal Regulations are enforced by OCR?  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance.  Title II Of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities  www.ed.gov

6. Which Federal Regulations are enforced by OCR?  Age Discrimination Act of 1975, which generally prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in all programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. www.ed.gov 

7. How does the OCR operate?  The OCR is organized into 4 divisions: preventing, identifying, ending, and remedying discrimination.  Anyone believing to be discriminated against by an education institution receiving Federal funds may file a complaint of discrimination, or someone may file on their behalf.

8. Other important things that OCR does…  OCR serves student populations facing discrimination  An important responsibility is resolving complaints of discrimination.  Agency-initiated cases, typically called compliance reviews, permit OCR to target resources on compliance problems that appear particularly acute.  OCR also provides technical assistance to help institutions achieve voluntary compliance with the civil rights laws that OCR enforces.  An important part of OCR's technical assistance are partnerships designed to develop creative approaches to preventing and addressing discrimination.