Office For Civil Rights Annual Report To Congress Fiscal Year 2004 PDF Download

2004 was a special year in America's longstanding efforts to provide equal educational opportunity for all people. It marked the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Brown v. Board of Education", which declared racially segregated schools to be unconstitutional. 2004 also marked the 40th Anniversary of the "Civil Rights Act of 1964", which prohibits racial and national origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, including educational institutions, and the 30th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Lau v. Nichols", which affirmed the educational rights of language minority students. These historic milestones helped bring about extraordinary achievements in efforts to eradicate racial segregation, eliminate educational discrimination, and ensure that all students have the opportunity to reach their full educational potential. This report, which covers the activities of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) from Oct. 1, 2003, to Sept. 30, 2004, demonstrates how OCR's compliance program continues in the tradition of these civil rights legacies. From investigating the misidentification of minority students in special education, to ensuring accessibility of college campuses for students with disabilities, to facilitating access of women to equal academic and athletic opportunities, OCR has vigorously pursued its statutory civil rights enforcement responsibilities. Appendices include: (1) FY 2004 Complaint Receipts by OCR Enforcement Offices; and (2) Offices and Addresses. (Contains 3 figures and 5 footnotes.) [For the Fiscal Year 2003 report, see ED500826.].