Focus area

Education

NCYL’s Education work aims to create an education ecosystem that centers youth. We work to ensure equitable education opportunities to all children and youth - especially those who experience barriers due to disability, racism, socioeconomic status and more. We also work to ensure safe and positive school environments where students can learn and thrive. 

Center Youth
NCYL partners directly with youth to improve their education outcomes, identify opportunities for reform, file litigation and engage in policy advocacy.
 

Our Success & Impact

Get up to date on our latest work - from litigation and policy wins to new reports, resources, events and more.
Press Releases
Success and Impact

As California grapples with homelessness, students need support

Calling on California to allocate $13 million in ongoing funding to continue initiatives that have proven transformative for young people across the...
Latest News
Success and Impact

Educators call on United Nations to address anti-Black racism

Natasha Wilkins calls on U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to advocate for equity & honesty in schools
Latest News
Success and Impact

Girls and young women in California to receive support instead of jail

Successful pilot program is disrupting 'school-to-prison pipeline' in Santa Clara County
See All News

Our Initiatives

Education Civil Rights Alliance

The ECRA is an alliance of diverse groups using collective state and local action to protect the civil rights of students–particularly those who have been historically and presently marginalized as a result of bias and discrimination.

Ensure Education Equity, Inclusion And Civil Rights For Students

Education inequities based on race, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation are evident in U.S. schools every day. NCYL works to eliminate these inequities, advance inclusion and uphold the education civil rights of every student.

Establish Youth-Centered Approaches To Education

NCYL works to advance school systems that center the needs and experiences of students - from removing barriers to learning, to providing training for teachers and school personnel, to empowering youth to more fully participate in their own educational trajectory.

End The School To Prison Pipeline

Schools nationwide use harsh punishments that push students - especially Black and Brown students - into what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. NCYL uses many strategies to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and create positive school environments that meet students’ academic, social and

Building Compassionate Education Systems for System-Involved Students

Equitably supporting students in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system or experiencing homelessness, requires dynamic multi-agency collaboration between local education, child welfare, judicial and community-based partners with a shared vision for effectively serving these
Legal Advocacy & Impact Litigation
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J.N. V. Oregon Department of Education

Filing date
2019-01-22
The State of Oregon has effectively denied hundreds of children with disabilities the opportunity to attend school for a full day, in violation of federal laws, the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act.
Active

COPAA v. DeVos, 2018

Filing date
2018-07-12
seeks to ensure timely compliance with an important U.S. Department of Education regulation that is intended to ensure students that need special education are being correctly identified.
Active

Alicia B. V. Dannel Malloy

Filing date
2015-12-29
This Superior Court lawsuit contends that the sub-standard alternative education offered to expelled children, who are disproportionately students of color, violates equal protection guarantees of both the state and U.S. Constitutions.
Active
See All Laws & Policy

California AB 1230: Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform (2025)

Bill will ensure that students facing expulsion receive the support they need to return to their home schools

California Assembly Bill 1230, titled Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform, strengthens procedures and requirements to ensure that expelled students — some of California's most vulnerable — receive the support they need to successfully return to school. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta
Active

California SB 531: Student Mental Health Education (2025)

Bill will expand mental health education access to all California students

SB 531 will help empower young Californians and destigmatize mental health challenges by requiring all California students in grades 1-12 be provided with an age-appropriate mental health education.
Active

Supporting Students in the Foster System and Students Experiencing Homelessness (2024)

AB 2137 (Quirk-Silva)

Assembly Bill (AB) 2137 that would increase direct support for students, streamline services through better collaboration, and reduce gaps in financial aid application completion.
Active

Related Resources

Cover of A Legal Advocacy Guide: Combatting Racial Discrimination and Censorship in K-12 Public Schools

A Legal Advocacy Guide: Combatting Racial Discrimination and Censorship in K-12 Public Schools

This guide is meant to serve as a tool for understanding legal protections that can help students, families, and educators push back against racial...
Children raising hands in class

Education Civil Rights Alliance Responds to Executive Orders Targeting Discipline Reform & Disparate Impact

May 2, 2025: On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued two executive orders that will erode civil rights protections for students if implemented. The...
JusticeEd Year Four Progress Update cover

JusticeEd: Year Four Progress Update

At the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), we envision a future where each and every system-impacted young person is able to graduate from high...
Cover of JusticeEd Year One report

JusticeEd: Year One Progress Update

At the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), we envision a future where each and every system-impacted young person is able to graduate from high...
Report cover with report title

Green (Still) Follows White

Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education disparities in school funding based on race and socioeconomic status persist. This report uncovers how...
See All Education Resources

Where We Focus

National Center for Youth Law is committed to achieving large-scale, lasting change across multiple government systems and public agencies. Explore all the areas of our work to Center Youth.

Foster Care

Health

Immigration

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Youth Justice

Contribute Today

You can be part of the mission to Center Youth and create a world where every child thrives.