Equity Audit

An equity audit is a study of the fairness of an institution’s policies, programs, and practices. Such audits represent a significant investment in resources, both human and material. Thus, it is worthwhile to anticipate potential challenges and develop a plan for addressing them. The goal is that the process will move as smoothly as possible, and the results will help inform the next steps. The tool presented here is designed to facilitate equity audits in educational settings. This tool helps to critically examine policies, programs, and practices that directly or indirectly impact students or staff relative to their race, ethnicity, gender, national origin (English Learners), language, disability, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, or other socioculturally significant factors. A regular organizational audit may have an equity component, but that is not its specific purpose.