All Students Count Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Cory Booker and 7 co-sponsors

Requires state report cards to disaggregate Asian American and NHOPI data into detailed subgroups aligned with Census classifications.

Introduced in Senate

All Students Count Act of 2026 (S. 4579)

Purpose and intent

The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to ensure that annual State report cards reflect the same race and ethnicity categories used by the decennial U.S. Census. The goal is to improve the granularity and accuracy of data on student performance by disaggregating information for detailed Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHOPI) subgroups, recognizing the diverse experiences within these communities.

Key provisions and changes

Disaggregation of data in State report cards (Section 3):

Replaces the current reference to a generic “ethnic group” with a more granular structure.
Requires subcategories under:
Asian American: Chinese; Asian Indian; Filipino; Japanese; Korean; Vietnamese; Pakistani; Cambodian; Hmong; Laotian; Thai; Taiwanese; Burmese; Bangladeshi; Nepalese; and additional practicable subgroups such as Lao and Montagnards.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHOPI): Native Hawaiian; Samoan; Chamorro; Tongan; iTaukei (Fijian); Marshallese; and additional practicable subgroups such as Chuukese and Palauan.
This amendment aligns state reporting with more detailed Census classifications.

Definition of subgroups for accountability (Section 3, subsection (b)):

Requires that the State accountability framework (State-wide accountability system) incorporate the disaggregated subgroups described above, ensuring data collection and reporting reflect these categories.

Effective date (Section 3, subsection (c)):

The new subcategory definitions and the related amendments take effect 18 months after enactment.

Who/what is affected

Eligible states that produce annual State report cards under ESEA will need to collect and publish disaggregated data for the specified Asian American and NHOPI subgroups.

Students and communities within Asian American and NHOPI groups may benefit from more precise data to identify and address educational disparities, resource needs, and program targeting.

Education agencies and state education departments will undertake changes to data collection systems, reporting templates, and public dashboards to accommodate the expanded subgroup categories.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 20, 2026, and referred to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

If enacted, the new data disaggregation requirements would begin 18 months after enactment, providing states time to adjust data collection and reporting processes.

Summary

S. 4579, the All Students Count Act of 2026, aims to modernize and refine reporting of student performance by mandating detailed disaggregation of data for Asian American and NHOPI subgroups in annual state accountability reports. By aligning state data with Census classifications and extending detailed subgroup reporting to the State accountability framework, the bill seeks to better identify, understand, and address educational needs and disparities across diverse student populations.