Since the mid-1990s, local and state education agencies increasingly have emphasized the need to hold students, educators, and schools accountable for meeting high academic standards. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, the need for accountability was confirmed again in federal law, as was the federal government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to essential learning opportunities. Historically, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the . Department of Education is the federal agency that has been charged with ensuring that all students— especially those in protected classes, as defined in civil rights laws by race, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, language, and disability (see below)—have equitable access to learning opportunities
