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Civil Rights Compliance

Civil Rights Compliance

The following federal and state laws apply to educational programs that receive federal funds: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Michigan's "Elliot Larsen" Act.

The Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) is the state office responsible for administrating a compliance program to prevent, identify, and remedy discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, or disability by local educational agencies, career and technical education centers, or post-secondary institutions that receive federal financial assistance through a State of Michigan agency.

Civil Rights Compliance Program:
The Civil Rights Compliance Program is a comprehensive review system designed to improve the delivery of education through the assurance of equal opportunity for all groups and populations. Activities of this program are required by Section II(b) of the "Vocational Education Programs Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex, and Disability" Federal Register, Vol. 44, No. 56, page 17165, issued Wednesday, March 21, 1979.

The components and/or activities of the compliance program include: targeting analysis, selecting agencies for on-site reviews, conducting on-site reviews, compliance plans, technical assistance, reporting, monitoring, and program improvement.

The Civil Rights Compliance Program is designed to:

  1. Ensure that equal educational opportunities are provided to all students, including full opportunity to participate in programs, activities, and job opportunities, and to benefit from services.
  2. Prohibit barriers to achieving full participation, such as the stereotyping of individuals based on their racial, ethnic, gender identity, age, or on their disabling conditions.
  3. Provide education in an integrated setting.
  4. Analyze, identify, and change policies and activities that impede the achievement of the above goals.

    Civil Rights Resources
Questions regarding the OCTE Civil Rights Compliance Program should be directed to:

Jim Whittaker, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Michigan Department Education
Office of Career and Technical Education
P.O. Box 30712, Lansing, Michigan 48909
whittakerj@michigan.gov
Telephone: 517-241-2091