Why Nonbinary Individuals Don’t Appear in the Student Pathways Data Story
By: Elizabeth Pierotti, PhD, C2C Research Data Specialist III
At this time, data on nonbinary individuals is not displayed in the Student Pathways Data Story. However, this data exists in the full Cradle-to-Career P20W dataset and will be available in the future.
Data collection on nonbinary gender identity has only recently become more common. Many of the data sources we rely on started collecting this information in the late 2010s. As a result, earlier years in our dataset do not include data on nonbinary individuals. In more recent years, individuals self-reported their nonbinary identity after high school graduation.
Data collection on nonbinary gender identity has only recently become more common. Many of the data sources we rely on started collecting this information in the late 2010s.
For the initial release of the dashboard, we chose not to include a filter for nonbinary individuals to comply with student privacy protections described in the Cradle-to-Career Data Suppression Protocol. To safeguard privacy, the dashboard does not display data for any group with fewer than 11 individuals. Additionally, we use a method called complementary suppression. With complimentary suppression, groups between 1 and 10 individuals and the next largest group are not displayed. We follow this procedure to prevent indirect identification.
We are committed to improving the representation of all student populations while maintaining strong privacy protections. As the data we receive evolves and we continue refining our approach, we will explore ways to expand the data stories.
How Does Complementary Suppression Work?
Complementary suppression is used to protect student privacy when reporting small populations. In most school districts, the number of students who select nonbinary is small—often fewer than 11 individuals. This is in part because of the limited availability of “nonbinary” as an available gender option to select. To prevent identification, we suppress data for both the small group and the next smallest category.
In the case of categories that have three possible options, like gender data, this results in a visualization that displays only one option. This in turn makes it impossible for the user to make comparisons, which is a key activity in everyday data use.
To balance privacy with data accessibility for the gender variable, we followed the approach used in the Canadian Census. At the district level, we maintain full gender counts by proportionally distributing nonbinary individuals across the male and female categories. While this results in slight adjustments to reported numbers, it allows both a complete count of students and protection of individual privacy.
Why is the Nonbinary Option Grayed Out?
The nonbinary gender category exists in the dataset, even if it is not currently available as a student population filter. Rather than hiding it completely, we chose to display it in a greyed-out state to acknowledge its presence and signal our commitment to expanding data accessibility in the future. The Student Pathways Data Story lays the foundation for many data stories and analytic tools to come.
The nonbinary gender category exists in the dataset, even if it is not currently available as a student population filter. Rather than hiding it completely, we chose to display it in a greyed-out state to acknowledge its presence and signal our commitment to expanding data accessibility in the future.
We’ve carried this process into other areas of our work. For example, we include nonbinary and Native American/Indigenous categories in our Governing Board demographic surveys, even if no one has self-reported in those categories yet. By keeping these options visible, we keep our long-term goals in mind as our data providers’ data collection evolves.
We recognize the challenges of reporting data for small populations while maintaining privacy. Our goal is to strike a thoughtful balance—complying with suppression policies while still making the data meaningful and useful. The first release of the Student Pathways Data Story is just the beginning, and we look forward to learning from our users as we refine and expand these tools.