New Equity in Education Dashboard Explores Disparities in Educational Opportunities, Resources, Outcomes, and More

The Equity in Education Dashboard, developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is an interactive collection of data and resources on equity in education. The dashboard provides federal agencies and others with unprecedented access to compiled federal data on educational equity in the United States, specifically on topics such as racial, ethnic, and economic segregation; supportive classroom environments; and equitable access to high-quality early learning programs. It was created in response to the White House Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, which called for expanding and refining federal efforts "to measure equity and capture the diversity of the American people.”

Researchers, educators, and community members can use the Equity in Education Dashboard to explore disparities in access to learning opportunities and differences in student outcomes. For example, findings from three key areas include:

• Racial, ethnic, and economic segregation: In 2021, higher percentages of Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander students attended high-poverty and mid-poverty schools compared to the national average.
• Supportive school and classroom environments: In 2019, the percentage of students who reported being electronically bullied was higher for students identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual students than for heterosexual students.
• High-quality early learning programs: In 2021, school enrollment rates were higher for 3- to 4-year-olds whose parents had at least a bachelor's degree than among those whose parents had completed any level of education below an associate’s degree.

Featuring datasets from largescale surveys and national student assessments, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the dashboard uses a thematic framework based on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Monitoring Educational Equity report. To support this work, AIR collaborated with NCES leaders to identify appropriate data sources, curate content, and we will continue working on optimizing features of the Dashboard.

Learn more about our commitment to educational equity by visiting AIR’s Equity in Education webpage.