We are coming to the end of an era! For many years we have been stating that the categories of race/ethnicity used in representing degree attainment will soon be changed. The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics has begun the process to change the structure of race/ethnicity categories to align with the U.S. Census Bureau methods for collecting racial/ethnic data (that is, including a separate yes/no question regarding Hispanic origins and then multiple choices of racial/ethnic group allowing the respondent to choose “all that apply”). The data reported in this year’s editions of the Top 100 series represent the last time the old categories will be in place, sort of. Use of the new race/ethnicity categories will be mandatory in 2011 for reporting degree completions. However, starting this past year and continuing through next, use of the new categories was optional.

So how will things look different? At first, they will not, at least on the surface. We will be able to continue reporting numbers within the same categories: African-American, Asian American, Hispanic and Native American. However, the content of the categories will begin to differ, and in two years we will be able to introduce a new category: two or more races.

Unfortunately, beneath the surface there will be changes that make any trend comparisons suspect. One category, Hispanic, should be relatively unaffected. According to the reporting rules issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, anyone who responds “yes” to the question regarding Hispanic origins will be reported as Hispanic. Beyond that, only students who choose a single race/ethnicity will be counted under that category and everyone who chooses more than one will be counted under the “two or more races” category. By this logic, Barack Obama and Tiger Woods will no longer be African- American (that is, if they report their mixed lineage as such).

We are beginning to see research literature emerge on this change, suggesting that there will be noticeable shifts in such statistics as academic performance gaps that are entirely due to the reporting change and not to any actual change in performance levels.