Office of Civil Rights

“ Adopting policies that respect all students’ gender identities—such as the use the name a student goes by, which may be different from their legal name, and pronouns that reflect a student’s gender identity—and implementing policies to safeguard students’ privacy—such as maintaining the confidentiality of a student’s birth name or sex assigned at birth if the student wishes to keep this information private, unless the disclosure is legally required. ”

“ For transgender students in particular, this discrimination can threaten students’ well-being and ability to thrive or even participate in school—one national survey found that transgender students were three times more likely to miss school than other students. ”

“ Some schools and districts develop gender support plans to ensure a supportive environment for transgender students and create gender communication plans tailored to specific students’ needs. Facilitating opportunities for students to find support with peers, teachers, faculty, and staff, such as student-led organizations, and identifying safe spaces on campus. ”

“ Adopting policies or model plans to guide school staff on how to support students and communicate with families, such as developmentally appropriate protocols to support students in any transition process, and a checklist of issues to discuss with the student or their family. ”

“ Providing professional development opportunities for educators on equitable and supportive treatment of historically underserved students, including LGBTQ+ youth, and taking steps to promote increased diversity among educators. ”

“ The opinions expressed in the resources do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information. ”

“ Public schools and school districts can also contact the Department funded regional Equity Assistance Centers to request technical assistance, including teacher training, in equity matters related to serving LGBTQ+ students in their schools. ”