The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) vigilantly enforces federal civil rights laws in schools and other recipients of Department of Education federal funding throughout the nation—resolving case investigations, publishing policy resources, providing school and community technical assistance, collecting and reporting data, and managing and sustaining an expert staff working in 12 regional offices. 

OCR Annual Reports highlight the results of our work in each fiscal year and are required by Section 203(b) of the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979, Pub. L. No. 96-88, which provides that the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights shall make a report to the Secretary and the President “summarizing the compliance and enforcement activities of the Office for Civil Rights and identifying significant civil rights or compliance problems as to which such Office has made a recommendation for corrective action and as to which, in the judgment of the Assistant Secretary, adequate progress is not being made.”  20 U.S.C. § 3413(b)(1). Each report affirms OCR’s indispensable role upholding the civil rights of all persons protected by our nation’s laws.