When a school district in Deleware was ready to confront systemic inequity, Equity & Beyond helped turn good intentions into actionable, results-driven plans

When students, parents, and alumni at a school district in Delaware called attention to issues of inequity in the classroom, their leadership called Equity & Beyond to collaborate with teams at the district and campus level to identify actionable solutions.

Equity & Beyond worked with district leadership to develop a tailored three-phase Equity Fellowship to transform the district through individual growth, the revision of policies and procedures through an equity lens, and team-level alignment around an organization-wide vision for equity and belonging.

OUR METHODS GET RESULTS

97%

of trainees felt our training was highly effective and supported them in leading equity work.

50%

increase in overall district trainees agreeing that diversity, equity and inclusion are prioritized at their school post-training

83%

increase in overall district trainees agreeing that direct conversations about race, ethnicity and inclusion are important post-training

OUR CLIENTS

OUR SOLUTIONS

ORGANIZATIONAL EQUITY AUDIT

Using qualitative and quantitative survey instruments, Equity & Beyond established a data-driven baseline for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Equity & Beyond engaged with stakeholders across the district, including board members, campus leadership teams, and DEI personnel to inform and engage the equity planning process

EXECUTIVE COACHING

Equity & Beyond held regular coaching sessions with District Equity Teams and campus leadership

AIDE TRAINING

Staff members on 75% of the district’s campuses began their own personal journeys through seminars designed to root the AIDE work in their individual experiences and identities.

STRATEGIC EQUITY PLANNING

District leadership worked with Equity & Beyond to set intentions, define its path to equity, and level-set regarding anti-racism, inclusion, diversity, and equity (AIDE) work. Leadership worked with campus-level stakeholders to determine the most critical needs, set high-level goals, and develop a thoughtful course of action.

“Equity and Beyond does not work with communities as helpers or with the intention of fixing people; they work in solidarity with communities, recognizing that structural racism and economic marginalization can only be torn down through collective will and action. Their expertise and methodology aligns with our internal commitment to create a sense of belonging for all staff and students, so that they can exist fully as themselves in our district.”

Dr. Joseph Jones, Superintendent, NCCVT

When it comes to taking on equity work in your system, it requires a provider who respects and understands how to build an organization's internal capacity, can develop an action plan that is unapologetically grounded in equity, and who creates a professional development plan carefully sequenced to shift and build an equitable culture through authentic discussions with people at various levels of readiness and awareness. Ernest Blackwell and his team at Equity and Beyond team are skilled in each of these elements. Having had a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the preparation with his various partners, I can attest that what sets the work apart is the careful tailoring of the work, that comes from truly listening to the client and responding to the needs from their needs assessment tools before setting the strategy. Be ready to be transformed.

Dr. Shelley Rouser

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CHAIR | DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY