D15 Diversity Plan

Schools, School District Plans

Brooklyn, NY

2018

Setting the Standard for Engagement and School Integration Planning Nationwide

WXY facilitated the community-led District 15 Diversity Plan in 2018 and completed an evaluation of its impacts in 2024. This plan, which focused on middle schools in a large area of Brooklyn, served as a blueprint for districtwide integration plans and paved the way for broader systemic change in education policy and practice.

People interact with a colorful wall display covered in sticky notes and information panels. — Community members engage with an interactive planning board, contributing ideas and feedback.

School segregation has been one of the most contentious and intractable issues in New York City’s history. Despite federal mandates in the 1960s aimed at desegregating public schools, deeply ingrained racial biases and discriminatory housing practices have continued to fuel the issue in many neighborhoods.

New York City introduced school choice in the 1990s and 2000s in response to declining enrollment that had begun in the 1970s and 1980s. While families started to choose schools outside their neighborhoods, many middle schools began to select their students using “screens” such as test scores, grades, auditions, and attendance records.

In District 15, these practices contributed to worsening segregation. Recognizing the complexity of family choice, the WXY team focused on facilitating a trusted process with clear, actionable recommendations.

“
...in Brooklyn, a public school district that covers both poor and affluent neighborhoods has shown it is possible to integrate schools—without rancor or a mass exodus of white families—when parents and school officials value integration as a benefit in itself.
”
— Brent Staples, editorial board member, The New York Times

Map of student race distribution for grades 6-8 in Brooklyn neighborhoods. — Demographic map displays racial distribution of middle school students across Brooklyn’s District 15.

WXY set a new standard for elevating community expertise in shaping education policy in New York City through the plan’s design. A WXY-facilitated Working Group, composed of stakeholders from across the district, guided both the engagement process and the development of recommendations.

The plan maintained a commitment to school choice, allowing families to rank any D15 middle school with a priority lottery for students from low-income families, multilingual learners, and students in temporary housing. Recommendations outline multiple implementation approaches, including removing student screens from the admissions process and addressing inclusion practices within the schools, such as curricular and disciplinary approaches.

Community members participate in a workshop discussion around a table. — Engaged community members discuss ideas and share insights at the District 15 diversity workshop.

Using various interactive models, infographics, meetings, surveys and conversations, our approach to developing the plan allowed the broader D15 community to develop the approach themselves. Through candid discussions on race, class, diversity, and integration, we were able to create solutions directly tailored to the diverse needs of D15’s communities.

The entire process prioritized inclusivity and accessibility. By offering multiple translators, subway and bus passes, food, and childcare, we designed all workshops to meet the needs of a wide range of community members – particularly those historically excluded from public planning.

Workshop notes for the D15 Diversity Plan with handwritten comments and discussion questions. — Discussion guide from the D15 Diversity Plan workshop, with notes.

Handwritten notes from the D15 Diversity Plan workshop with participant names and discussion topics. — Workshop notes from D15 Diversity Plan session, capturing community concerns on school access and equity.

Person adding feedback on a colorful community board with sticky notes and voting dots. — Community member provides input on multilingual board during the D15 Diversity Plan workshop.

Based on the findings of WXY’s D15 Evaluation and Reflection Report (2024), the impact on the level of school integration has been significant. The work continues to support the city’s goal “that all students deserve diverse, high-quality learning environments close to home, and that we need to constantly reflect on our progress to ensure continuous improvement.”

Before the D15 Plan, D15 middle schools had ranked as the second most socioeconomically segregated among all school districts in New York City. By the 2022-23 school year, D15 middle schools ranked 19th out of all 32 districts.

Fostering more integrated and inclusive schools via D15 has helped build trust between a city agency and the people it serves, amplifying the perspectives of residents and stakeholders across these communities. The process sets a strong precedent for recognizing the expertise of community members in shaping DOE planning and policy. It lays the groundwork for broader systemic changes in education policy and practice.

“
The District 15 middle-school integration plan is a real step forward for our students, and for inclusive democracy in our city. We can’t teach our kids that they all have equal potential, or that the future of our city depends on working together across lines of race and class, when we don’t put it into practice for our middle-school students.
”
— Brad Lander, New York City council member