A U.S. Education Department analysis reveals the depth of ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in academic achievement, showing that there’s much work ahead to reach equity.  

The Associated Press reports that Black and Latino students still face disadvantages in access to equal educational opportunities, according to new data the Education Department released Wednesday (Nov. 15). They attend schools that disproportionately lack certified teachers, advanced courses and counselors. 

The analysis is part of the Civil Rights Data Collection, a federal nationwide survey of nearly every public school. Federal education authorities started the CRDC in the 1960s to assess progress toward closing the academic divide.

“We view education as the springboard that puts the American dream within reach. Yet access to educational opportunity in this country remains unequal,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, according to the AP.

Researchers gathered the data during the 2020-2021 school year when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools to close and turn to remote learning.

The data showed that Black and Latino students are more likely than White students to attend schools with lower percentages of certified teachers, who research links to better academic outcomes for students.

Black or Latino students accounted for 66 percent of the roughly 522,000 students who attend schools where fewer than half the teachers met all state certification requirements.

High school Black and Latino students are underrepresented in Advanced Placement classes that improve a student’s chances of going to college. But their White and Asian peers were overrepresented.

School counselors are instrumental in guiding students toward higher academic achievement and toward college. However, the study found that students of color were more likely to attend schools with security staff but no counselors. 

“These new CRDC data reflect troubling differences in students’ experiences in our nation’s schools. We remain committed to working with school communities to ensure the full civil rights protections that federal law demands,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, according to the AP.