Identity-based data collection in Ontario
CSSE 2023 allowed education researchers from across Canada to come together and share ideas and new insights on topics ranging from new insights into the philosophy of education to research about of student experience to tracking the distribution of education opportunities and more. While international and comparative studies are an important segment of the CSSE program’s offerings, this society gives Canadian researchers a dedicated space to share findings relevant to Canadian students, families, educators, and policymakers.
A cross-cutting theme of papers, panels, and casual conversations at CSSE was the (in)accessibility of high-quality identity-linked data across the country (for background, see Karen Robson’s 2021 essay on the subject).
In the CERA panel organized by Gillian Parekh, Collecting data of students and families: Opportunities and Challenges, representatives from Ontario public school boards discussed the important work of building community connections and trust with parents before attempting identity-based data collection. Chris Conley from Durham District School Board explained that with some communities the trust has been broken by institutions: schools have asked over and over about what is wrong, but no change ever happens. It is understandable that families would be wary of more data collection in such a situation. Camille Logan from Peel District School Board spoke about the tension of knowing injustice or oppression is happening (having experience or hearing narratives) but needing to collect quantitative data to enact change.
While individuals who have experienced micro-aggressions, push out, or other forms of oppression might not need a numbers-based report of outcomes, school board representatives say that administration and staff are quick to deny incidents of oppression in their school community. The typical response is: “That might happen out there, but our school is good. That’s not us.” But the goal here is not to judge individuals as good or bad. Just like with individual expressions of racism, sexism homophobia, or other forms of oppression, it is not the intention of the actor, but the result of the action that matters most. The focus needs to be on supporting the communities being underserved.
In the case of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), identity-based data has been collected for years. The Student and Parent Census reports on student race, gender identity, disability, and socio-economic status and researchers can use this data to look at patterns of student self-reported well-being, attendance, credit accumulation, suspension, and post-secondary transitions (when linked with other Ontario databases). This data has been used to illustrate some of the actual ways that oppression plays out in the public education system to privilege some students over others.
Some examples of this type of analysis were included in another CERA panel, Beyond ‘data from Toronto District School Board’: Research, Schooling, and Equitable Education. Robert S. Brown presented work linking the TDSB’s data with federal datasets and tax filing information to look at student outcomes beyond post-secondary access; Katie Baron’s research investigated the patterns of curriculum modifications for students before and after transition to high school for students with special education needs; and Kelly Gallagher-Mackay and I presented a new report unpacking disparities in post-secondary preparation and access among students based on race and disability. Taken together, these findings show that systemic oppression is present even in the TDSB, where equity is very much front-of-mind and proactive steps to promote equity are taken.
As of January 1, 2023, all school boards were required to collect race-based data. Sofia Malik, working with the Ontario Education Services Corporation’s Compass for Success, spoke about how even small, rural Ontario school boards have been hustling to meet this deadline. However, in a move that seemingly undermines the goals of the original Education Equity Action Plan, the province recently released guidance that requires school boards to obtain express consent before collecting race-based data, rather than implied consent. That is, parents now have to opt-in to the Student Census before their child can complete it, rather than having the option to opt-out. According to school board researchers, the effect has been substantial. Whereas the 2017 TDSB Student Census response rate ranged from 85%-94%, TDSB’s Dave Cameron reported the (still-open) 2023 Student Census currently has a response rate of around 30%.
Throughout the conference, researchers, educators, and policymakers shared ideas about how to improve education for all students across Canada. An important aspect of improvement is having disaggregated data so that we can understand how different students are experiencing the education system, and how that changes over time. Although the work is starting, there are significant barriers to achieving the goals for race-based data collection that were set out in 2017, including roadblocks enacted by the provincial government, themselves. This leaves us to wonder, as moderator Carl James asked to panelists, If they’re not collecting the data, what don’t they want to know?
Christine Corso
PhD Candidate
OISE/University of Toronto