Brooklyn School Diversity Plan Is Working, New Data Shows

BROOKLYN, NY — A first-of-its-kind plan to make Brooklyn's District 15 middle schools more diverse is starting to work, bringing its 11 schools more in line with the diverse student population, new data shows.

Preliminary enrollment data released by the Department of Education on Thursday shows that the first class of sixth graders since the Brooklyn district overhauled its admissions process has dramatically shifted the makeup of students in nearly all of the 11 middle schools.

The district — which stretches from Carroll Gardens down to Sunset Park — took out admissions screens from its middle schools last year to prioritize about half the seats for its neediest students.

The shift has brought eight of the 11 middle schools, including the typically most white and affluent, in line with the goal of having 40 to 75 percent of students be English language learners, from low-income families or in temporary housing, the data shows. Only three schools were in that range last year.

"This is another promising sign of how we can work with and support our communities to create diverse, meaningfully integrated schools," Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said. "Our schools are stronger when they reflect the diversity of our city, and communities in all five boroughs should look to this plan as an example of how we can achieve greater equity for all students."

The most dramatic shifts were among the district's most white, affluent schools, including Park Slope's M.S. 51, where Mayor Bill de Blasio's children once went. The percentage of needy students at M.S. 51 jumped from 34 percent last year to 56 percent this year, the data shows, while its white student population dropped from 47 percent to 28 percent.

Another Park Slope school, New Voices School of Academic and Creative Arts, had the biggest shift in its needy-student population. Last year, only 25 percent of students were English learners, from low-income families or temporary housing, and this year 58 percent were, the data shows.

But there is still a ways to go for some of the district's neediest schools, where the number of students in that category trickled down only a few percentage points.

Sunset Park's I.S. 136 and Sunset Park Prep's needy student population dropped from 95 percent last year to 92 and 89 percent, respectively. Their white student population, though, did see a bigger shift, moving from a negligible percent last year to 10 and 9 percent this year, the data shows.

District 15's ultimate goal is to have all 11 of its middle schools meet the 40 to 75 percent goal.

"Now the hard work continues – truly meeting each one of these children’s needs as they progress through 6th grade and through middle school," Superintendent Anita Skop said.

The data also showed that worries that the plan would lead to a mass exodus of white and affluent families from the public school system were largely unfounded, at least so far, the Daily News noted.

Sixth grade enrollment dropped only 7 percent from last year. School officials told the News that the 76 percent of fifth graders who stayed in the district for sixth grade is an average number for the past five years.