Race Ethnicity

Classic View: Census > People > Demographics > Person Information > Race/Ethnicity Fields; Census > People > Identities > Identity Information > Race/Ethnicity Fields

Search Terms: Demographics; Identities

The Federal government adopted standards for defining racial and ethnic data to be used by the Department of Education in 2010. To address these standards, Infinite Campus provides a set of fields related to a person's Race/Ethnicity.

Fields vary by state. Please see your state's State Tools articles for more information on Race/Ethnicity procedures in your state. 

Federal Requirements

Educational institutions and other recipients of grants and contracts are required to collect and report racial and ethnic data. 

When collecting racial/ethnic data at the elementary and secondary school level, the identification of a student’s race and ethnicity is to be primarily made by the parents/guardians of the student rather than the student.

Final implementation for reporting school year data was required as of the 2010-11 school year.

When reporting data to the Department of Education, aggregated racial and ethnic data reports in the following seven (7) categories:

Code

Racial Category

Definition

1

Hispanic/Latino

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South Central American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; and for persons who are non-Hispanic/Latino only.

2

American Indian or Alaska Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment.

3

Asian

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent including Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

4

Black or African American

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

5

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands.

6

White

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa.

7

Two or more races

A person who meets the definition of more than one of the above definitions. Persons identifying as multiple races are not double-reported.

Individual states may have additional requirements for reporting race/ethnicity information.

Examples of Race/Ethnicity Reporting

Example 1: A respondent self-identifies as Hispanic/Latino and as Asian. This respondent is reported only in the Hispanic/Latino category.

Example 2: A respondent self-identifies as Hispanic/Latino and as Asian and Black or African-American. This respondent is reported only in the Hispanic/Latino category.

Example 3: A respondent self-identifies as non-Hispanic/Latino and as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. This respondent is reported in the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander category.

Example 4: A respondent self-identifies as non-Hispanic/Latino and as American Indian or Alaska Native and White. This respondent is reported in the two or more races category.

Race/Ethnicity System Preferences

Districts can set preferences for Race/Ethnicity fields. See the System Preferences article for detailed information on these preferences.

  • Require Race/Ethnicity Data for makes a selection of race/ethnicity information required (field displays in red, a record cannot be saved without a selection) for No One, Students, Students and Staff, or All People.
  • Require Race Selection displays options when the Require Race/Ethnicity preference is set to something other than No One, and lets users require a race/ethnicity to be selected Always or Only when the Hispanic/Latino designation is No.
  • Require Race/Ethnicity Determination makes the selection of how a person was identified required for No One, Students, Students and Staff, or All People.

Note that if any race/ethnicity field is marked as required in the Attribute/Dictionary, that setting overwrites any of the race/ethnicity System Preferences. 

Screenshot highlighting the System Preferences related to Race/Ethnicity.System Preferences for Race/Ethnicity Fields

Race/Ethnicity Fields

A user can add race/ethnicity information on the Demographics tool or on the Identities tool. Race/ethnicity fields may include a State Race Code, where the selected options align with the state’s definition of the race. This option is only available if the state requires a primary race that does not coincide with the federal guidelines.

Screenshot highlighting the Race/Ethnicity section of a Demographics record. Race/Ethnicity Fields

Add a Race/Ethnicity Code from Demographics

  1. In the Person Information editor, select the Edit link next to Race/Ethnicity.
  2. Determine the answer to Is the individual Hispanic/Latino? Select the appropriate answer of Y: Yes or N: No. If N: No is chosen, at least one Race checkbox must be selected.
  3. Determine the answer to Is the individual from one or more of these races? Select the appropriate options. See the table of Racial Categories for reference.
  4. If the State Race Code is different than the Federal categories, select the appropriate State Race Code from the dropdown list. The list of options varies by state and may not display for every state. Refer to the state’s Department of Education website for proper guidance.
  5. Certain states require additional racial/ethnic codes. In the image above, for example, these fields are labeled as More Detailed Hispanic/Latino Codes and More Detailed Race/Ethnicity Codes. Select the appropriate option if applicable.
  6. Select the Race/Ethnicity Determination option. This defines how the individual’s race/ethnicity was defined.
  7. Click the Save icon when finished. 

Race/Ethnicity Information in Attribute Dictionary

Classic View: System Administration > Custom > Attribute/Dictionary

Search Terms: Attribute Dictionary

The following race/ethnicity fields are listed in the Attribute/Dictionary within the Identity option. These fields cannot be edited. Other race/ethnicity fields (like More Hispanic Latino Code, etc.) are also available here. 

Screenshot highlighting the Race/Ethnicity fields in the Core Attribute/Dictionary.Race/Ethnicity Fields in Attribute/Dictionary

Attribute Dictionary Element

Description

Available Code Selections

Is the individual Hispanic/Latino?

This provides the answers of Yes or No to the question of the student being of Hispanic descent. 

  • N (No)
  • Y (Yes)

Race/Ethnicity Determination

This option lists the verification options of the student's race/ethnicity.

  • 01 - Parent Identified
  • 02 - Self Identified
  • 03 - Observer Determined
  • 04 - Unknown

Race/Ethnicity

Provides a list of the state race/ethnicity options. Available codes vary by state. Sample codes are noted.

  • 1 - American Indian or Alaskan Native
  • 2 - Asian or Pacific Islander
  • 3 - Hispanic
  • 4 - Black, not Hispanic
  • 5 - White, not Hispanic

Race/Ethnicity Information in Ad hoc Reporting

Classic View: Ad hoc Reporting > Filter Designer; Ad hoc Reporting > Report Designer

Search Terms: Filter Designer

Related fields are available within the Filter Designer for selection in reports. Use either the Student Data Type or the Census/Staff Data Type, then expand the Demographics folder. 

Screenshot highlighting the Race/Ethnicity fields in Ad hoc Reporting.Race/Ethnicity Fields in Filter Designer

Filter Field

Definitions

raceEthnicity

Race/ethnicity code of the person. This ties to the state dictated race code. 

hispanicEthnicity

Indicates person is considered to be of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. 

raceEthnicityFed

Federal race/ethnicity code. This may be different than the raceEthnicity selection.

raceEthnicityDetermination

Selection of how the individual was determined to be the selected race/ethnicity.