News

This section includes press releases and statements about education and racial justice issues.

New publication explores challenges of a rapidly emerging, multiracial population for future civil rights law and policy

As the nation marks the civil rights milestone of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a new research paper published by the UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles explores the rapid growth of a multiracial population in the United States, highlighting new challenges and possibilities for the future of the civil rights movement.

Statement on Today's Affirmative Action Ruling

Today’s ruling on affirmative action makes the Supreme Court’s majority the nation’s college admissions office and sharply reduces opportunities for students of color in the institutions that train America’s leaders. The decision is a major step backward toward a more rigidly stratified society where Black, Latino, and Native students face seriously unequal opportunities and American leadership will become more segregated. It is a purely political decision, and one in which the Court has ignored legal precedent, research-based evidence, and the advice of leading civil rights groups.

Bilingual Education IS America's Future

New report synthesizes rigorous research to make the case for establishing bilingual education as the standard of instruction for students classified as English learners and outlines policies needed to achieve that standard. At a time of growing interest and grassroots support for bilingual education, the U.S. lags behind most other nations where bilingual education is the norm.

New Analysis Reconsiders the Role of College Admissions Testing

A new analysis by noted researcher in college admissions, Rebecca Zwick, examines the role of standardized testing in college admissions and raises questions about whether the concept of merit in admissions should continue to be dominated by test scores.

The Civil Rights Project Praises Today’s Supreme Court Voting Rights

CRP Co-director Gary Orfield issues a statement on today's 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the Allen v Milligan voting rights case upholding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

New CRP Study Urges Expansion of CA's Community College BA Programs

Calling California Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) degree programs, “the best vehicle to transform who accesses and succeeds in California’s higher education and labor market,” the UCLA Civil Rights Project today released new research detailing the progress and potential of the CCC baccalaureate degree programs and arguing for their strategic expansion across the state.

CRP Codirector Orfield Elected as Fellow of AAAS

Gary Orfield, distinguished research professor of education, law, political science and urban planning at UCLA and the co-director of the UCLA Civil Rights Project, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Feature article and Q&A spotlights new book, The Walls Around Opportunity

The Fall 2022 issue of the UCLA Ed&IS Magazine features an excellent article and Q&A with Gary Orfield, spotlighting his new book, The Walls Around Opportunity: The Failure of Color Blind Policy for Higher Education.

Join Us: Tuesday, September 13 at UCLA or Virtually

Don't miss the book launch of The Walls Around Opportunity: The Failure of Color Blind Policy for Higher Education! For many young people, racial inequality puts them at a disadvantage from early childhood. The Walls around Opportunity argues that colorblind policies have made college inaccessible to a large share of students of color and reveals how policies that acknowledge racial inequalities and set racial equality goals can succeed where colorblindness has failed.

New Report: Higher rates of school suspension and larger racial disparities easily escapes attention

Limited data collection and analysis during the 2019-2020 pandemic-shortened school year masked the fact that many school districts in California were on course for substantially higher rates of school suspension and larger racial disparities among those suspended, had in-person education continued for the full year, according to a new study released today by the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles.

Report Shows School Segregation in New York Remains Worst in Nation

A new report from the Civil Rights Project finds that New York retains its place as the most segregated state for black students, and second most segregated for Latino students, trailing only California. The report also makes clear that New York is experiencing an acceleration of demographic changes outlined in the earlier 2014 report. White students are no longer the state’s majority group as they were in 2010. the proportion of Asian students increasing sharply to more than 17% in 2018, and Latino students becoming the largest racial/ethnic group, from 35% in 1990 to 41% in 2018. Conversely, there has been a significant decline in the black student population. The new research also examines the expansion of school choice and charter schools and how they may have contributed to the continued segregation of the city’s schools. The research underscores that many in New York City are engaged in important efforts to integrate schools and there are a significant number of schools showing signs of reduced segregation.

National Analysis Details Troubling Levels of Pre-existing Education Inequities for Students with Disabilities

New Research, "Disabling Inequity: The Urgent Need for Race Conscious Remedies," highlights the inequitable conditions of learning faced by students with disabilities and the lack of awareness and action that threatens to only deepen the disparate impact that the Pandemic has had on children of color with disabilities. Without an infusion of sustained funds to address the mental and behavioral health of students, to improve school climate, and to reduce the reliance on harsh and often inappropriate discipline, districts will continue to inadequately meet the needs of these students.

Black Segregation Matters: New report Details Status of Black Students – Urges Incoming Biden Administration to act to confront pervasive segregation

Providing an update on the current status of the nation’s Black students, this new report makes clear that the segregation of Black students has increased in almost every region of the nation.

New Resources on Affirmative Action for CA Voters

New research summaries are available for CA voters seeking fact-based information about affirmative action.

National Report Calls Attention to Frequent Use of Suspension Contributing to Stark Inequities in the Opportunity to Learn

This new comprehensive analysis of 2015-16 data is the first to capture the full impact of out-of-school suspensions on instructional time for middle and high school students, and for those groups most frequently suspended, including students with disabilities.

Statement Against Politically Motivated Federal Censorship of Research & Training on Racial Issues

On the 19th anniversary of 9/11, we issue this statement on the importance of maintaining academic freedom and opposing politically motivated censorship.

Impact of Affirmative Action Ban in California

William Kidder, a research associate with the Civil Rights Project who has studied issues of affirmative action at the University of California for years, recently produced this Fact Sheet and Research Synthesis, "Affirmative Action, Graduation Rates and Enrollment Choice at the University of California."

COVID-19 Increases Urgency to End School Suspensions for Minor Student Misbehavior, Prioritize Supportive Services not Police

As students throughout the country face months of lost instruction, economic and health stressors, inequitable access to long distance learning, and inadequate special education support and services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this report is a 7-year trend analysis of school suspension data for public K-12 schools in California, as well as the relationship between suspensions and security officer presence on high school campuses.

Civil Rights Project Statement on DACA Decision

In yesterday's decision on the case, brought by the University of California, the Court rejected the Administration's action on the basis of its failure to provide any serious justification for its sweeping action.

The Civil Rights Project Stands with the Dreamers

The Civil Rights Project statement in support of our Dreamers