The Impact of DEI Data Reflection: Beloved Community’s Equity Audit Debriefs

Purpose & objective

The purpose of this session is two fold. First we hope to introduce audience participants to Beloved’s free online tool, the Equity Audit. Second we plan to devote most of the EdTalk to sharing lessons learned from Beloved Community’s Equity Audit Debriefs, a process wherein teams leverage data reflection to catalyze the institutional transformation needed to improve student experiences around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The session objectives are as follows:

1) To share knowledge about a freely available tool, Beloved’s Equity Audit, which assesses schools standards of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
2) To share knowledge about Beloved’s Equity Audit Debriefs, in depth sessions that enhance data interpretation by integrating guided DEI data reflection
3) To share critical learnings from school leaders and educators on the Equity Audit debrief process, and highlight this process as central to implementing sustainable, data-driven school change
4) To invite participants to reflect on the diversity, equity and inclusion practices of their own school organizations, and identify potential growth areas

Outline

1. Presenter Introduction (5 min)
2. Warm Welcome: Interactive ice breaker question to engage audience participation (5 min)
3. Overview (10 min)
3a. What is an Equity Audit?
3b. What is an Equity Audit Debrief?
4. Lessons Learned from Equity Audit Debriefs: The power of guided reflection on school DEI data (25 min)
4a. Overview of Qualitative Data Analysis Methodology (5 min)
4b. Summary of 7 Themes from Equity Audit Debriefs (5 min)
4bi. The Need for Data Resources Across the Board
4bii. DEI as an Action Instead of a Noun: Many Equity Audit Debrief Users Agree That It Takes Work to Implement DEI
4biii. The Disconnect Between Organizational Aspirations for DEI & Reality
4biv. Diversity Occurring in Pockets vs. Institution Wide
4bv. Variances in Implementation Practices
4bvi. One Step at a Time/Everything is a Learning Process
4bvii. The Need To Engage Diverse Stakeholders
4c. Small Group Reflection: Think/Pair/Share Activity (peer-to-peer interaction) (10)
4ci. Think: Ask participants: Do any of the themes described resonate with experiences at your school or organization? If so, in what ways?
4cii. Pair: Instruct participants to share their insights and thoughts with a nearby partner
4ciii. Share: Choose 2-3 volunteers to do a whole group share out of what was discussed in pairings
4d. Equity Audit Debrief Testimonials (5 min)
5. Question and Answer Session (15 min)

Supporting research

Harris, J., Carrington, S., & Ainscow, M. (2017). Promoting equity in schools. Collaboration, inquiry and ethical leadership. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kozleski, E. B. (2020). Disrupting what passes as inclusive education: Predicating educational equity on schools designed for all. In The Educational Forum (Vol. 84, No. 4, pp. 340-355). Routledge.