Ancestry Ethnic Origin (AEO) Legislation

In 2016, the Minnesota Legislature passed Statutes, sections 120B.31, subdivision 3a, and 120B.35, subdivision 3, which tasked the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) with collecting a broader collection of data on Minnesota’s students. MDE is directed to create reports for districts to use in district- and school-level decisions. For the wider public, this information is used in Counting All Students reports. The objective behind collecting new data is to ensure all students, including students within student groups, receive a high quality education.

AEO Data

Data collected via the Ancestry Ethnic Origin survey will provide insight into our collective successes and failures of facilitating equity in Minnesota classrooms. MDE respects and celebrates every form of diversity within our Minnesota student bodies. Though data cannot account for all aspects of our rich diversity, the goal is to facilitate state- and local-level evaluations of equity in education. While providing this additional information is not required by law, every family that completes this demographic form is helping MDE provide the best resources possible for our K-12 students.

An incomplete collection of data can create misleading or inconclusive reports. So we can work toward full equity among all students, we ask that all families complete the form. Because the current federally-mandated racial and ethnic categories mask differences between more detailed groups, by providing MDE with more detailed information, we are able to see meaningful differences.

Data is not an all-encompassing source of information regarding student learning or classroom experience. However, it can reveal trends, patterns, and success disparities.

MDE uses data to answer specific questions, such as.

• Where do ethnic disparities exist inside racial groups when it comes to graduation rates?
• What districts reflect student success when it comes to standardized testing?
• What additional information is available when we provide reports and comparisons with more detail beyond the minimum federally reporting requirement?

Additionally, non-identifying reporting of this data will include:

• Public reports about the successes and needs of our districts, schools, and students across demographics.
• Reports for legislators regarding opportunity gaps that exist in Minnesota’s early education and K-12 school systems; the goal of these data are to provide opportunities to address disparities through state-level policies and legislation.

If you have questions about how this data collection will affect you, please contact Counting All Students at MDE.

Expanded demographics

Federal education laws require all states to collect the federally designated demographics information on students. The AEO data expands the already required demographics data into race and ethnicity categories that reflect Minnesota's statewide population.

Forms and FAQs

The detailed demographics collection form, parent letter, and frequently asked questions to be used for statewide implementation are available on the Ed-Fi documentation page.