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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides an opening for states and local school districts to include racial and socioeconomic (SES) diversity as components of their improvement plans. While only one state (New York) took advantage of this opportunity in the initial round of state ESSA plans, there are several ways that school districts can include integration and reduction of racial or SES isolation into their local ESSA implementation plans, consistent with the goals set out in their state plans. Two of the most important planning documents are the Title I Comprehensive Support and Improvement Plans and the Targeted Support and Improvement Plans. Title IV of ESSA is also a potential source of integration-related funds for districts. This guide explores some of the openings that are most apparent to the National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD). We hope that sharing these ideas will help state and local leaders and advocates generate even more ideas.

This manual was written to help guide education stakeholders--including parents, students, school board members, community activists, administrators, policymakers and attorneys--in their efforts to promote racial diversity and avoid racial isolation in suburban school systems. Critical information on the current legal, political and policy issues that inform those efforts is provided. It first addresses the critical importance of creating diverse learning environments in racially changing suburban school districts. The manual then addresses the legal landscape governing school integration policy, in addition to outlining general principles for creating racially diverse schools. It also examines the vital role that teachers and administrators play in building successfully integrated schools and classrooms. The second half of the manual includes a number of specific examples of suburban school districts experimenting with strategies to promote integrated schools. The authors dedicate the final chapter to describing methods for building the political will in communities for voluntary integration policies. A list of further reading materials is provided at the end of each section. The appendix contains an extensive list of education and legal resources that may further assist in the reader's voluntary integration efforts. Fact sheets on magnet schools, redistricting, social science findings about school integration, the state of segregation, and transportation are also included.