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School integration works with a greater focus on equity

By: Louis Moore
Patrick Noble
and Jessica Verdiglione
Your Turn
Guest columnists

..... As Governor Milie's Sherril begins her tenure as New Jersey's 57th chief executive, she has an opportunity and responsibility to engage New Jerseyans on a critical issue that political leaders frequently dodge but is clearly visible to students, families and educators. while decades of reform have improved many aspects of public education, segregation buy race and class remains New Jersey's hidden-in-plain-sight crisis more than 70 years after the Brown decision. in a state with some of the most segregated school districts in the United States, it is impossible to ignore the moral imperative of recognizing and confronting this issue.
..... Extensive research proves that school integration is among the most effective ways to close achievement gaps and promote excellence for all. Segregated schooling deprives students - regardless of their background - of the opportunity to learn and grow in diverse schools communities. Tearing down the walls that needlessly divide New Jersey students will help build a more equal and democratic society for everyone.
..... The benefits of inclusion however, extend beyond feel-good moments or staged DEI photo-ops. At its core, true integration is about the equitable distribution of power, resources and opportunity for all students, Black and Latino students - routinely and intentionally segregated into lower-income districts - pay the greatest price for this divided system, as they are denied the educational advantages that are commonplace in wealthier, predominantly White districts.
..... But the stakes require that we go beyond "separate but equal" remedies like improved state funding, which addresses only some of the side effects of institutionalized segregation without combating segregation itself. A recent report by a Harvard economist, for example, found that one of the strongest predictors of economic mobility is access to political and social capital. In communities where cross-class interaction occurs, low-income students are significantly more likely to advance than those concentrated in high-poverty districts.

Red Bank Regionals experience

..... red Bank Regional High School lists at the crossroads of these realities. The residential patterns of the core municipalities that send their students to Red Bank Regional mirror the familiar New Jersey divide. re Bank Borough Public Schools, a K-8 district, serves a student body that is 87% Latino and 70% economically disadvantaged. In comparison, the neighboring K-8 district of Little Silver and Shrewsbury are each more than 90% White, with fewer than 0.1% of students form low-income families. By contrast, the high school enrolls a strikingly diverse student body - about 45% Latino and 46% White, with the remaining student indemnifying as Black, multiracial or other backgrounds. About 40% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
..... That being said, the existence of diversity alone doesn't correct deep-seated inequality or magically reverse the negative impact of years of segregated schooling. A 2018 self-assessment at Red Bank Regional made that painfully clear: Students of color and those form low-income households were severely underrepresented in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and other advanced programs. Despite embracing diversity as a core value, our policies and school culture appeared to reinforce the very divisions we claimed to oppose.
..... In the wake of the study, our faculty and administration initiated a multi-year effort to boost participation and success in accelerated coursework and advanced learning options. Below-grade-level courses in math and science were phased out, and differentiated instruction was prioritized. Finally, an ambitious "all in" strategy was adopted in English language arts, in which every student is expected to compete at least one advanced course before graduation.
..... While we are proud of these efforts, we have come to understand that true transformation goes beyond improving curriculum. During the 2023-2024 school year, students, families, teachers and administrators at Read Bank Regional collaborated to cerate an Excellence and Equity Policy, which the Board of Education approved by an overwhelming vote.
..... The policy represents a binding moral and legal commitment to ensure that our school is not only integrated but truly inclusive. It establishes a school equity team to address critical issues and strengthen community connections, supporting advocacy organizations such as the Black American Cultural Association and the RBR Dreamers Club. a new parent group, Latino Adelante, was formed to fuhrer engage families. ultimately, we have learned that lasting reform requires ongoing effort to build trust and promote an inclusive school culture in which all communities are valued and respected.
..... The policy also helped to accelerate efforts to further open academic access. We have intensified efforts to align teaching practice with meeting the needs of a diverse and integrated student population. The school counseling department has also revamped and expanded planning services to ensure that all students and families have critical information about coursework and opportunities.

Signs of progress: integration has worked

..... At the sloe of he 2024-2025 school year, it was evident that all these efforts had started to deliver. More students from underrepresented backgrounds are enrolling in advanced classes and succeeding. Between 2018 and 2024, low-income enrollment jumped from under 4% to over 30% in AP U.S. history and IB history of the Americas. Gains were made across multiple disciplines, cutting into gaps that had persisted for years. Moreover, with the broader mix of students, performance has not dropped. grades and test outcomes have held steady or improved.
..... Foremost, this success has spilled over into other areas. Students are taking advantage of new opportunities through a partnership with Brookdeal Commyity College, signing up for certificate programs in fields like auto technology, medical and legal translation services, and media studies. This school year, [2025-2026] more than 100 students received college admission offers during an expanded instant Decision Day, securing over 45 million in scholarships.
..... Meanwhile, opportunity is inclusive have not triggered a negative reaction. in every core sending district, a growing percentage of middle school graduates - more than 80% form each community in 2025 - are crossing Red Bank Regional over private or county vocational high schools.
..... The lesson from Red Bank Regional's experience is clear: Integration workers. It allows all students to experience the benefits of a diverse and inclusive educational environment. It expands opportunities and ensures a fairer allocation of resources. But doing integration right requires an ongoing commitment to refining instructional practice, strengthening cultural competency, and dismantling hidden barriers to programs and resources. now is the time fro Sherrill and segregation in New Jersey and extend the benefits of integrated schools to more communities, schools and children.

..... Louis Moore is the superintendent of red Bank Regional high School. Patrick Noble is the president of the Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education. Jessica Verdiglione is the district's director of curriculum and assessment.

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