Hirono proposes bill to collect better student data on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D, Hawaiʻi) Thursday reintroduced the All Students Count Act of 2023, which would require more comprehensive and equitable disaggregation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) student data in K-12 schools, helping to ensure that AANHPI student groups are better accounted for and supported by schools across the country.

“In Hawaii, we especially understand the importance of diversity and how it impacts the experiences of our communities,” Hirono said. “Without data disaggregation, it’s harder for our schools to address the unique needs of our students. Every keiki deserves to be seen and supported by our education system—this bill will help ensure they are.”

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D, Wash.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“As someone who came to this country alone, at 16, with nothing in my pockets – I deeply understand the unique challenges in the US education system that immigrant communities face and persist for generations after,” said Jayapal. “Our students deserve visibility at all levels. By ensuring that the Department of Education, state education agencies, and school districts collect and report data for a minimum of 15 Asian American and six Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subgroups, we can work to close the education gap in our communities.”

School districts, state education agencies, and the federal government have made significant progress in disaggregating and improving data on K-12 student achievement for major racial and ethnic groups, including “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.” However, these two categories collapse dozens of distinct ethnic groups, each with unique histories and varying access to social and economic opportunities, making it difficult to identify or address disparities between students from those unique ethnic subgroups.

The All Students Count Act of 2023 would support equitable access to education by ensuring that the student data collections capture the diverse experiences of AANHPI children. Specifically, the bill would:

• Require the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies, and school districts to collect and report disaggregated data for a minimum of 15 Asian American and six Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subgroups; and
• Direct the Institute of Education Sciences to assess statistical methods to maximize reporting for these groups.

In addition to Hirono, the Senate bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Ed Markey (D, Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Elizabeth Warren (D, Mass.).

In the House, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Judy Chu (D, Calif.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Jimmy Gomez (D, Calif.), Al Green (D, Texas), Barbara Lee (D, Calif.), Mark Takano (D, Calif.), Shri Thanedar (D, Mich.), and Jill Tokuda (D, Hawaiʻi).

The All Students Count Act of 2023 has also been endorsed by over 70 organizations, including the Coalition of Asian American Leaders; Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; Empowering Pacific Islander Communities; Japanese American Citizens League (JACL); and National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE); and National Council of Asian Pacific Americans.

The full text of the bill is available here. A one-page handout explaining the proposal is available here.