schools were deficient. The trial court further held that the "outputs" -- test results and graduation rates -- likewise reflected systemic failure and that the State's actions were a substantial cause of the constitutional violation. Finally, the court found a violation of Title VI, and directed defendants to put in place systemic reforms. A divided Appellate Division reversed, on the law and facts. The majority rejected the trial court's definition of a sound basic education, as well as the bulk of Supreme Court's findings of fact concerning inputs, outputs and causation. Lastly -- and on this point the panel was united -- the Appellate Division concluded that plaintiffs' Title VI claim failed in light of Alexander v Sandoval (532 US 275 (/supct-cgi/get-us-cite?532+275) [2001]), which postdated the trial court's decision. Plaintiffs appealed to us as of right on constitutional grounds. Plaintiffs' appeal presents various questions of law, but one is paramount: whether the trial court correctly defined a sound basic education. Further -- in light of the Appellate Division's express and implicit substitution of its findings of fact for those of the trial court regarding the inputs, outputs and causation -- we must determine which court's findings more nearly comport with the weight of the credible evidence ( see CPLR 5501 (/nyctapcgi/ez-nylaw?CVP+5501) [b]). We now modify, affirming for reasons stated by the Appellate Division so much of the decision as dismissed plaintiffs' Title VI claim,[1] and otherwise reversing the Appellate Division's order ( see, by contrast, Paynter v State of New York, __ NY2d __ [decided today]). I. Overview At the time of trial, the New York City public school system comprised nearly 1200 schools serving 1.1 million children and employing a staff of over 135,000, including 78,000 teachers ( see generally 187 Misc 2d at 19-23, 295 AD2d at 5-6). Some 84 percent of City schoolchildren were racial minorities; 80 percent were born outside the United States; and 16 percent were classified as Limited English Proficient ("LEP" -- persons who speak little or no English) -- most of the State's students in each of these categories. Upwards of 73 percent were eligible for the Federal free or reduced lunch program; 442,000 City schoolchildren came from families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; and 135,000 were enrolled in special education programs.