New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) recently took another small step toward equity and one giant leap toward integration, with the release of the initial recommendations by the School Diversity Advisory Group (SDAG), inclusive of Metro Center. The report, titled Making the Grade: The Path to Real Integration and Equity for NYC Public School Students, paves the way for greater school equity and access across New York City Schools.
The report strategically focuses on enrollment policy, resource equity, curriculum, pedagogy and school climate, school discipline, and faculty diversity. By embracing a participatory approach to designing reform the power of SDAG’s recommendations reside in the collective voices of multiple stakeholder groups — and notably, these voices include those of students who attend NYC DOE schools. The report’s guiding recommendations grew out of the work of student advocates — Integrate NYC’s 5 R’s Framework!
Following this initial release, the SDAG will continue to meet to explore further recommendations based on community input and engagement. A subsequent report with additional recommendations on school screens, gifted and talented (G&T) programs, and school resources will be released by the end of the school year.