From the ECS State Policy Database Minority/Diversity Issues

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary VA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Publishing Disciplinary Offense and Outcome Data H.B. 367 Requires the Board of Education to annually publish disciplinary offense and outcome data by race, ethnicity, gender, and disability for eac... More... NM Adopted 02/2012 P-12 Study Strategic Education Plan to Close Achievement Gaps H.M. 67 Requests the creation of a working group to develop a comprehensive strategic education plan to eliminate the achievement gap and increase t... More... CA Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Prohibition of Discriminatory Content S.B. 48 From bill summary: Updates references to certain categories of persons and requires instruction in social sciences to include a study of the... More... CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Data Collection Requirements/Charter Schools S.B. 1039 State Education Resource Center - Clarifies the status of the State Education Resource Center as a nonstock corporation and nonprofit tax ex... More... TX Became law without governor's signature 05/2011 P-12 Interagency Council for Addressing Disproportionality S.B. 501 Establishes the Interagency Council for Addressing Disproportionality to: (1) Examine the level of disproportionate involvement of children ... More... UT Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Programs Funded At or Below $10,000 in a District H.B. 149 - Section 3 Adds Section 53A-17a-105.5. Defines "qualifying program" as (1) the at-risk flow through program; (2) the homeless and disadvantaged minorit... More... NM Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Postsec. Community College Hispanic Education Act H.B. 150; S.B. 132 Enacts the Hispanic Education Act; creates the Hispanic Education Office of the Public Education Department; provides for powers and duties;... More... CA Vetoed 10/2009 P-12 State School Racial Equality Designation Act A.B. 1281 Enacts the State School Racial Equality Designation Act. Expresses legislative findings and declarations relating to the collection of data ... More... NY Vetoed 08/2009 P-12 Postsec. Minority Mental Health Act A.B. 5055 Enacts the Minority Mental Health Act. Establishes the Division of Minority Mental Health within the Office of Mental Health. Provides the d... More... IN Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Board for the Coordination of Programs Serving Vulnerable Individuals H.B. 1289 - Section 1 Creates the board for the coordination of programs serving vulnerable individuals to coordinate the delivery of services to vulnerable indiv... More... AR Signed into law 04/2009 Postsec. Community College Repeals Faculty/Administrator Development Fellows Program S.B. 857 Repeals the faculty/administrator development fellows program that assists state institutions of higher education in increasing the academic... More... OR Adopted 06/2008 P-12 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Color OAR 581-021-0045, -0046, -024-0205, -0245, -045-001, -049-0020 Prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and color in schools, programs, services and activities. OREGON 29387... More... MN Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Teachers of Diverse Backgrounds Financial Aid Pilot Program H.B. 1812 Provides for the establishment of a teachers of diverse backgrounds financial aid pilot program, to be implemented by Winona State Universit... More... MN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Multiracial Diversity H.F. 2245 [Multiracial Diversity] Authorizes a school district to apply to the commissioner for a waiver from the requirement to maintain racial balance within a district sch... More... VA Signed into law 02/2007 P-12 Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program changes H.B. 1913 Amends the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program to increase the number of teacher candidates pursuing careers in critical teacher shor... More... ME Issued 01/2007 P-12 Postsec. Community College Sub-Cabinet for Multicultural Affairs and the Multicultural Affairs Advisory Council EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 25 FY 06/07 Creates the Multicultural Affairs Sub-Cabinet to promote interdepartmental collaboration on multicultural policy development and program imp... More... UT Adopted 05/2006 P-12 Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program R277-717 Changes made to definitions, proposal criteria, budget, state board funding priorities, proposal applications and timelines. http://www.rule... More... IL Adopted 02/2006 Postsec. Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act 23 IAC 1080.100, 110, 200, 210, 220, 230, 300, 310, 320, 330 Establishes the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program (DFI), which combines two former programs, the Illinois Consortium... More... FL Issued 01/2006 P-12 Postsec. Access and Diversity Commission Executive Order 06-05 Governor Bush signed Executive Order 06-05 creating the Access and Diversity Commission. The 17-member commission, set to complete their dut... More... CA Vetoed 10/2005 P-12 S.B. 684 Social sciences curriculum. This bill would encourage a school district to provide instruction in social sciences that accurately reflects ... More... CO Vetoed 06/2005 P-12 School Accountability Reports and State Accreditation S.B. 214 (Section 4-6) Section 4: Repeals and reenacts 22-7-605 pertaining to the content and format of state-mandated school accountability reports. Section 5: ... More... TX Signed into law 05/2005 Postsec. Minority Enrollment S.B. 302 From bill analysis: Enables the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to better monitor universities' minority outreach efforts by requ... More... CA Vetoed 09/2004 P-12 Racial Mascots Act A.B. 858 Establishes the Racial Mascots Act. Prohibits public schools from using the term Redskins as a school or athletic team name, mascot, or nick... More... IL Signed into law 08/2004 P-12 Postsec. Community College African-American Family Commission Act S.B. 3208 Creates the African-American Family Commission Act. Establishes a 15-member African-American Family Commission to serve as a coordinating an... More... IL Signed into law 08/2004 Postsec. Community College Diversifying Higher Faculty Program Act S.B. 3107 Amends the Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Act. Changes the short title to the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illi... More... HI Became law without GOVERNOR'S signature. 07/2004 P-12 Community College Freely Associated States Students Education S.B. 214 Authorizes Leeward Community College to develop a program to provide services for Freely Associated States students as well as the Microesia... More... HI Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Hawaiian Language Program H.B. 2667 Establishes a Hawaiian language medium education program. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/hb2667_cd1_.htm... More... LA Signed into law 05/2004 Postsec. Advertising for Master Plan Goals S.B. 629 Adds promotion of Master Plan goals to the Board of Regents authority to advertise and specifies postsecondary learning centers to advertise... More... OK Signed into law 05/2004 Postsec. Advancement of Students in HIgher Education Task Force H.B. 2145 Creates the Advancement of Hispanic Students in Higher Education Task Force; provides for termination of task force; states purpose; provide... More... AL Signed into law 04/2004 Postsec. Minorities in Science and Engineering H.J.R. 339 Urges the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security to designate a university-based center for homeland security that r... More... IN Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Postsec. Cultural Competency In Education H.B. 1308 Defines "cultural competency" and sets forth teacher training, professional development, and school plan requirements for achieving cultural... More... CA Signed into law 10/2003 P-12 Teacher Training: Cultural Competency A.B. 54 Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in consultation with the department of education, to contract with an independent evaluato... More... CA Signed into law 09/2003 P-12 Brown v. Board of Education Advisory Commission A.B. 648 Establishes the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Advisory Commission. Requires the commission to develop community and educational awar... More... NY Signed into law 09/2003 Postsec. College Policies on Bias Related Crimes A.B. 7517 Requires state colleges to develop and implement policies and procedures regarding bias related crimes and bias related violations.... More... ME Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Spoken Language Interpreters S.P. 305 (LD 909) Establishes the Committee to Investigate the Feasibility of and Need for Regulation of Spoken Language Interpreters. Establishes committee m... More... SC Became Law Without Governor's Signature 05/2003 Postsec. Higher Education Equalization Program S.B. 203 Establishes the South Carolina Higher Education Equalization Program; requires the Commission on Higher Education to enter into contracts wi... More... AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Postsec. Minority Teacher Scholarship H.B. 2187 Amends the critical needs minority teacher scholarship program; creates a commission for selecting scholarship recipients. http://www.arkleg... More... IN Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 District Review of Programs to Consider Consequences of Tracking, Ability Grouping or Screening of Students by Test Results S.B. 292 Requires every district to review district's programs to judge if district's practices of separating students by ability, placing students i... More... NM Vetoed 03/2002 P-12 Indian Education Act S.B. 198 Enacts to the Indian Education Act. Creates the "Indian education division" within the department of education to (A.) provide assistance t... More... ME Signed into law 06/2001 P-12 Teaching of Native American History H.B. 255 Public Law No. 403., (LD 291)Requires that Maine Native American history and culture be taught in all elementary and secondary schools; requ... More... AR Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Civil Rights Compliance H.B. 2198 The Department of Education may withhold state aid from any district that fails to file its assurance of compliance with civil rights respon... More... CA Signed into law 09/2000 P-12 Teaching Diversity A.B. 1785 Requires the State Department of Education to revise the state curriculum frameworks and guidelines and the moral and civic education curric... More... CA Signed into law 09/2000 P-12 Local Tolerance Programs A.B. 1945 Requires staff development activities included in school development plans to assist personnel at the local schoolsite to develop tolerance ... More... CA Signed into law 09/2000 P-12 Ethnic Sensitivity Program Grants A.B. 1931 Requires the State Department of Education to provide regional training to assist school district personnel in the identification and determ... More... CA Vetoed 09/2000 P-12 Minority Recruitment S.B. 2047 Makes a legislative finding that the prohibition on preferential treatment on the basis of race or sex in public employment, public educatio... More... CA Signed into law 09/2000 Postsec. Minority Education Programs S.B. 1721 Authorizes the Trustees of the California State University to establish an African American Political Institute and an Institute for Central... More... CA Vetoed 08/2000 P-12 Action Plan for Language Development S.B. 576 Appropriates, without regard to fiscal year, a specified amount from the General Fund to the California Postsecondary Education Commission f... More... CA Signed into law 08/2000 P-12 Cesar Chavez Day S.B. 984 Chapter No.213, Requires the State Board of Education to adopt a model curriculum guide for use by public schools for exercises related to C... More... AK Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Native Language Education S.B. 103 Relates to a curriculum for Native language education.... More...