THE TOOLS IN ACTION
Click to expand the tool phases below and learn more about how the tools were used across the four phases to make impact in Colorado.

Phase 1: Laying the Groundwork

In CUE’s research in Colorado, and across their long history of bringing racial equity tools to practitioners, they’ve found that the cognitive frame of equity-mindedness is a new concept to many, and stands in contrast to the common frames of deficit- or diversity-mindedness.

For example, one professor noted that the tools helped her shift from a “color blind” stance and gave her permission to view the class through a racial lens, noticing important differences in students’ experiences.

The foundational tools and activities in Phase 1 begin to build critical race-consciousness, a key component of equity-mindedness. They help practitioners see how institutionalized racism affects students and their outcomes, and how policies and practices presumed to be race-neutral may not be so at all.

A multi-racial participant said that this work was enlightening for her, and noted the change in her comfort level: “I was uncomfortable with race … [this work] gave me a lot of freedom in my classroom to ... talk about race.” Just the development of a new vocabulary can be immensely valuable. The tools both set the stage for thoughtful discussion and offer a “script” for the unfolding learning, which can point practitioners toward making real change.  

Phase 2: Defining the Problem

Disaggregated data serves a key role in this process: it spotlights where equity gaps exist, offers a sense of the magnitude of those gaps, and provides a baseline from which progress (or lack thereof) can be measured. Of course, institutions are inundated with data, but often it is too complex or too broad to serve as a useful learning tool for practitioners. The data tools help practitioners ask focused questions of the data, which result in actionable answers.   

A Latinx instructor noted: “It's staggering, when you look at some of this data that does show that a lot of students, whether they're Hispanic or Black or Asian … drop out. The retention is not there, it's not as high as I would want it to be. So what is the problem? What are we doing? What can we do to keep more students in school? What can we do to retain those students? What may we be doing wrong?” Hear more from him and other faculty in the data storytelling video on the Defining the Problem page.

Looking at more granular course- and student-level data and applying CUE’s formulas to measure both outcome equity and representational equity can bring home the idea that practitioners really can make a difference and produce equitable student outcomes by adjusting their own policies, practices, and approach.

A white female participant noted: “I didn't realize that there was this problem until I ran my data, and then I could see that there is an equity gap in my classes. And then as soon as I saw [that], I wanted to fix it right away.” Data serves as a steadfast companion in this work: a way to measure the impact of efforts. 

Phase 3: Creating Solutions Through Inquiry

Much like the Data Tools, the tools in this phase generate valuable information that can shed light on inequity—and begin to create a path forward. Many of the instructors in Colorado found immense value in the structure these tools lent to their work: rather than working from hunches or assumptions, they had guardrails for their inquiry and discussion.

A white male instructor noted: “I feel like…one of the biggest impacts that the work with CUE has had on me [is] the way that I observe, and now the way that I structure my debriefs when I'm talking with people.”

The classroom observations in particular can build the habit of more open discussions about the racial consequences of actions, and build a pattern of observing, reflecting, and making adjustments. A white male instructor said “When we got the classroom observations done … that changed our conversations dramatically, in the sense that we’re really looking at very specific … things that we might be able to change in the classroom. I would say it's good, I would say it's uncomfortable, I would say it's hard.”

Multiple instructors noted that observing their peers gave them new insight about their own classrooms, or ideas for how they might make students from minoritized racial/ethnic groups feel more welcome. Some examples of changes made included: revising syllabi to include quotes from Latinx mathematicians, rearranging classrooms to communicate that students’ voices—not just the instructor’s voice—matters, and rethinking how breaks could be used to make personal connections with students from minoritized racial/ethnic groups in particular. Instructors noted that they felt empowered to notice behavior with a racial lens, examining things like who’s called on in class, who speaks, and understanding how that impacts students’ experiences and outcomes.

Phase 4: Sustaining and Scaling the Work

As they reflected on their experience working with CUE, many of the instructors noted that they felt it was just the start of a promising journey of continually reforming their practices. CUE’s Racial Equity Tools lend themselves to re-use and evolution, and can be embedded in the cyclical process of reforming policies, practices, and mindsets. Disaggregated data can measure if changes have had impact, and continued race-conscious observation and inquiry can help spotlight new focus areas or uncover new ideas for change.

At the heart of this is the well-put question from a Latinx participant: “What can I do to be the best for my students?” Continually looking to the student experience—and student outcomes—is critical.

And as for scaling, there are many ways this work can spread and grow. Participants noted that they felt empowered to share what they’d learned, and in some cases, champion racial equity work on their campuses.

A white participant articulated it this way: “What I've learned through this work is that I am capable of taking a stand … If I don't say anything, if I don't interject this idea of race and ethnicity into these … conversations … it's not going to come up. [And] if it doesn't come up, then these structural inequities that occur are not going to be addressed, and it will continue.”

The CUE tools and the action-inquiry process they support provide structure to these necessary but often subverted or avoided conversations about race and racism. They offer something concrete that practitioners can both rely on as they grapple with their own self-change and share with their teams and peers.