The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced on July 22 the elimination of the Methods of Administration (MOA) program from regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, removing certain federal requirements previously imposed on Career and Technical Education programs.
Established in 1979, the MOA program required states to conduct compliance reviews specifically for CTE programs to ensure adherence to federal civil rights laws. The Department said this review requirement was only applied to CTE programs, despite no recent evidence suggesting these programs are more likely than others to violate civil rights laws. The agency described these requirements as redundant and bureaucratic, stating that resources spent on compliance could be redirected toward serving students.
State agencies may still choose to conduct such reviews independently, but they are no longer federally mandated. The Department emphasized it will continue enforcing federal civil rights laws across all education sectors and hold CTE programs accountable for compliance. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said, “Today’s announcement is a win-win for state agencies and schools that administer CTE programs — reducing unnecessary burdens on states while ensuring that critical civil rights protections remain firmly in place. For too long, the Department has imposed burdensome and proactive compliance requirements on CTE programs that are duplicative of OCR’s existing compliance structure. These requirements pull resources away from states as they work to invest in students’ success and improve outcomes for students,” Richey continued, “By eliminating the redundant MOA program, the Department is cutting red tape, continuing to ensure the compliance of CTE programs with federal law, and empowering states to focus more attention and resources on their students.”
The Department also rescinded Appendix B to Title 34, Part 100 of the Code of Federal Regulations related to enforcement under Title VI. This action does not affect obligations for institutions receiving federal financial assistance; recipients administering CTE programs must still comply with all laws enforced by OCR.
The substantive obligations outlined in current regulations—as well as OCR’s investigative and enforcement authorities—remain unchanged. Students, parents, or advocates who believe they have experienced discrimination or retaliation can file an electronic complaint through ED-OCR’s website.