Reports, News & Updates

New recommendations from the High School Application Advisory Committee offer a clear, equity-driven roadmap to improve NYC’s middle and high school admissions processes.

Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education, where does New York City stand on school integration? NYU Metro Center and New York Appleseed take stock of policy shifts, community action, and the road ahead. Download the full report for insights and recommendations.

As New York City enacts a new law capping class sizes, this report highlights a practical, equity-driven solution: intentional school mergers. Drawing on a successful case in District 13, the report shows how thoughtful consolidation can reduce class sizes, promote integration, and strengthen under-resourced schools.

New York Appleseed and over 400 supporters have called on Chancellor David Banks to permanently eliminate middle school screens in NYC. Backed by data and community support, the letter urges the DOE to adopt equitable admissions policies that promote inclusion and integration.

New York City’s middle and high school admissions processes reinforce inequity and create barriers for under-resourced students. This brief outlines actionable steps the NYCDOE can take to build a fairer system, starting with the 2022–2023 school year.

New York Appleseed responds to the city’s decision to expand Gifted and Talented programs, calling it a setback for equity.

This new resource challenges the myth that gifted programs must be separate and competitive. Instead, it presents a vision for inclusive enrichment in integrated classrooms that benefits all students.

This resource brings together key history, laws, policies, and campaigns that shape the movement for Real Integration in NYC. A must-read for advocates and leaders alike.

The Integration Coalition outlines urgent priorities to desegregate NYC schools and build a system rooted in equity and inclusion. Grounded in the student-led 5Rs framework, the briefing calls for bold action across admissions, curriculum, and school climate.

NY Appleseed and the Fordham Law Feerick Center’s Advisory Council call for bold reforms to NYC’s high school admissions system. Their report, The Next Step, outlines immediate and long-term actions to eliminate exclusionary screening, enhance family supports, and build a more equitable, integrated school system.

New York Appleseed applauds the decision to phase out NYC’s segregated Gifted and Talented programs, marking a major step toward equitable, integrated classrooms for all young learners

New York Appleseed’s Within Our Reach series explores how racial and economic segregation persists in NYC schools—and what can be done to change it. These briefings, developed with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, demonstrate that meaningful integration is both possible and necessary.

Real Integration as defined by IntegrateNYC requires equitable distribution of resources across schools. Students and parents often hear that New York City’s system of “fair student funding” was designed to address resource equity, and yet most of us have a sense that a small number of schools are still receiving more than their fair share.

A new issue briefing from New York Appleseed breaks down how zoning and screening policies shape segregation in NYC middle schools, and what needs to change.

New York Appleseed’s latest briefing challenges the false divide between school-by-school and systemic integration strategies, showing how set-aside admissions plans can drive equity and meaningful reform citywide.

In this new film from New York Appleseed and Epic Theatre Ensemble, New York City high-school students star in the student-written and -performed play Laundry City. This is one of the most sophisticated treatments of the issue of school segregation you will ever see

Decades of research and on-the-ground experience show that resources alone are not enough—student well-being and belonging are essential to meaningful integration. This briefing explores what “Real Integration” looks like in practice, guided by the 5Rs framework created by NYC students and supported by school leaders across the city.

New York Appleseed celebrated a key milestone in 2015 when NYC Chancellor Carmen Fariña approved diversity admissions priorities at seven additional schools in gentrifying neighborhoods. This win built on years of advocacy and marked an important step toward addressing demographic shifts with equity and inclusion.

New York Appleseed celebrates another step forward for integration as the NYC Department of Education expands its school diversity pilot program. Building on the success of PS 133, this development opens the door for schools citywide to adopt admissions plans that promote equity and inclusion.

New report reveals stark disparities in teacher experience and qualifications between schools serving students of color and low-income communities and those serving predominantly White, affluent students.