Program Office: Office of School Support and Technology Programs

CFDA Number: 84.004D
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
Also Known As: Equity Assistance Centers program

Equity Assistance Centers are funded by the Department to provide technical assistance and training, upon request, in the areas of race, sex, and national origin to public school districts and other responsible governmental agencies to promote equitable education opportunities. The centers work in the areas of civil rights, equity, and school reform. This assistance helps schools and communities ensure that equitable education opportunities are available and accessible for all children.

Typical activities include: (1) technical assistance in the identification and selection of appropriate education programs to meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students; and (2) training designed to develop educators' skills in specific areas, such as the dissemination of information on successful education practices and the legal requirements related to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, and national origin in education programs. Projects include technical assistance and training for education issues occasioned by school desegregation. The centers work with schools in the areas of harassment, bullying, and prejudice reduction. Centers also develop materials, strategies, and professional development activities to assist schools and communities in preventing and countering harassment based on ethnicity or gender.

The purpose of this program is to award grants (cooperative agreements) to operate ten regional equity assistance centers to provide technical assistance and training, at the request of school boards and other responsible governmental agencies, on issues related to equity in education to ensure that all children, regardless of race, gender, or national origin, have equal access to quality education and the opportunity to develop high academic standards in reading, math and other core subject areas.

The Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) are a resource for the Office for Civil Rights in working with school districts that have achieved unitary status. The EACs offer technical assistance to school districts, State education agencies, and others who seek to resolve civil rights conflicts and promote social justice and equity. More recently, they provide resources and training in the areas of hate crimes, racial prejudice, and bullying.

Typical activities include disseminating information on successful education practices and legal requirements related to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, and national origin in educational programs; training designed to develop educators' skills in specific areas such as identification of race and sex bias in instructional materials; technical assistance in the identification and selection of appropriate educational programs to meet the needs of limited English proficient students; and instructing school officials on how to prevent sexual harassment and combat biases.