Dive Brief:
- New York City Council's education committee has voted 13-0 to approve a diversity reporting bill, which requires the city's Department of Education to release annual statements documenting efforts to diversify community school districts, including charter schools.
- The DoE must report data on percent of students receiving special education services and free or reduced lunch, as well as how many live in temporary housing, attend school in a neighborhood outside of their traditional school district and how many are English Language Learners.
- The committee also passed a resolution, which acknowledges that school diversity is a benefit that should be strived for and asks that the DoE create a plan for increasing diversity.
Dive Insight:
According to the Huffington Post, many of America's schools are still segregated, with high-minority populations relegated to schools with fewer resources and educational opportunities.
This was confirmed last fall when the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights released a letter explaining how schools serving more students of color were less likely to have experienced and qualified teachers, offer Advanced Placement courses (or even mainstays such as chemistry and calculus), or have consistent access to technology.