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This report evaluates the efforts of the U.S. Department of Education and its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in public elementary and secondary education programs based on ability grouping and tracking practices. It evaluates and analyzes OCR's implementation, compliance, and enforcement efforts. In this report, the commission specifically focuses on issues relating to the development and implementation of education programs for and placement of minority students in education programs. It examines some of the present-day barriers and inequities that prevent students with limited-English proficiency from having an equal opportunity to participate in education programs, to maximize their learning potential, and to enhance their education and career opportunities. It discusses other federal laws affecting minority students in public elementary and secondary education (for example, the Magnet Schools Assistance Act) to the extent they relate to civil-rights enforcement by the OCR. The report describes several strategies and programs that address and affect school policy, classroom organization, education curriculum, methods of instruction, parental participation, division of resources, and responsibilities of school personnel. (Contains tables.) (DFR)

This report from the United States Commission on Civil Rights focuses specifically on the efforts of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) to enforce Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment. The report evaluates and analyzes EEOC's regulations and policies clarifying the language of the statute; processing of charges of discrimination based on disability; litigation activities under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and outreach, education, and technical assistance efforts related to the Act. The Commission finds that EEOC has developed a highly credible implementation and enforcement program for the Americans with Disabilities Act and that implementing the Act has been a major focus of the agency since the law was passed. EEOC has accomplished this while simultaneously taking a number of creative and innovative steps to attempt to deal with an overwhelming workload and insufficient resources. However, the Commission also found that EEOC is not fully responsive to the concerns and priories of its stakeholders. To ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in EEOC's policy development, the Commission recommends that the formal mechanism be instituted to obtain input from interested parties. (Contains over 800 references.) (CR)

This report from the United States Commission on Civil Rights focuses specifically on the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce Title II, Subtitle A of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability by public entities such as state and local governments. The report evaluates DOJ's regulations and policies clarifying the language of the statute; processing of complaints of discrimination based on disability; litigation; and outreach, education, and technical assistance efforts related to the Act. The Commission finds that DOJ's implementation and enforcement program for the Americans with Disabilities Act is generally adequate, given its limited resources and extensive responsibilities. It finds that DOJ's greatest strength is its technical assistance and outreach and education program, which is extremely effective and praised widely by agency stakeholders. Another strength is DOJ's innovative use of alternative dispute resolution or mediation techniques to resolve complaints of discrimination. A general weakness of DOJ, however, is that it appears unresponsive to the concerns and priories of its stakeholders. To ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in DOJ's decision making, the Commission recommends that a formal mechanism be instituted to obtain input from interested parties. (Contains over 700 references.) (CR)