Chief diversity officers (CDOs) have become increasingly common in K-12 school districts, with almost 40 percent of districts that enroll at least 15,000 students listing a CDO on their websites. While CDOs are meant to close achievement gaps, Heritage Foundation research finds that districts with CDOs have larger gaps—and that they are growing wider.
Enter the name of a school district to see if it has a CDO and how its achievement gaps compare to national averages.
Notes: Data are for school districts with student enrollment of at least 15,000. Enrollment figures are for Fall 2017.
Source: Jay P. Greene and James D. Paul, "Equity Elementary: 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion' Staff in Public Schools," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 3666, October 19, 2021, https://www.heritage.org/education/report/equity-elementary-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-staff-public-schools.
Design and Development: Graphic produced by John W. Fleming and Jay Simon. Data compiled by Jay P. Greene and James D. Paul.