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Equity and Outcomes Assessment

Introduction Engagement & Commitment Equity & Outcomes Assessment Process & Practice Assessment Improvement & Evaluation Review & Reflection

Equitable student outcomes are a fundamental component of Pathways to Results, and discussions throughout this process provide the foundation for understanding improved outcomes and equity for students. Through the Equity and Outcomes Assessment, the Pathways to Results team determines— through data, information collection, and analysis—where equity gaps exist to guide the Pathways to Results process. This process of identifying, selecting, and analyzing disaggregated student-outcomes data is introduced using the Pathways to Results definition of equity. To disaggregate student data means to break the information into subgroups of the students based on categories such as race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. 

The Equity and Outcomes Assessment is intentionally designed so that all team members individually and collectively analyze and interpret data. This process begins with an activity that helps the team to center its Pathways to Results work on issues of educational equity. Through this process, team members engage with one another on issues of equity and select data that are analyzed to reveal gaps in student access and outcomes. Team members are asked to think about equity gaps and consider how student outcomes are different for various groups while analyzing student-outcomes data. Additionally, they identify gaps and develop a problem description and goals that guide the Pathways to Results process moving forward.

Purpose The primary purpose of Equity and Outcomes Assessment phase is to determine, through data collection and analysis, where equity gaps exist to guide the Pathways to Results process. An emphasis on equity is explicit in this process through the collection and analysis of disaggregated student data, which involves breaking down the data into segments of the student population based on categories such as race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Goals

The goals of this phase are to:

  1. Identify, collect, and interpret disaggregated student-outcomes data.
  2. Understand and use Pathways to Results equity concepts when analyzing student data.
  3. Identify and begin to understand equity gaps. An emphasis on equity is explicit in this process through the collection and analysis of disaggregated student data.
Equity in PTR The Pathways to Results process supports improving student outcomes with a focus on equity. This means a commitment to ensuring that students persist and graduate at equitable rates at the secondary and postsecondary levels. An exploration of disaggregated student outcomes enables the identification of problems that impact student groups. Applying an equity lens does not mean treating all students or individuals in the same way. Equity in this context means investing resources and designing programs that address the needs of students with different experiences and educational backgrounds. Targeted investment and program design should produce equal outcomes—the ultimate goal of an equity-minded process.