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Impact: Transformative Client Case Studies
Read how we work with organizations to build inclusive, supportive, and accountable environments through impactful case studies.
CASE STUDIES
How an Equity Audit Helped A District Disrupt Bias and Confront Chronic Absenteeism
District leaders were looking for a way to address systemic challenges they were seeing—besides a public incident of racism in one of the schools, the administration was also committed to addressing disparities in student discipline and problems with chronic absenteeism. They’d heard stories about people in education having a hard time talking about race and how that impacts some educators’ expectations of students, whether implicitly or explicitly. Ultimately, they kept hearing some version of, ‘I hear some things that bother me, and I’m not really sure what to do or say about it.’ They were interested in bringing in an outside team to audit their current systems and policies, looking for areas for improvement.
After vetting three agencies, they partnered with Epoch Education for an Equity Audit, and the insights and recommendations pushed the district forward. Specifically, Epoch Education helped the district develop an ongoing process for their own data audits in the future and in strategic planning conversations, teaching them to reflect on and discuss that data through the RIR Protocol. This led to root cause conversations and qualitative data gathering.
As a result, the district implemented listening circles for students and staff, hired additional social workers and interns to explore the root causes of high absentee numbers, and hired two full-time restorative justice coaches who teach the RIR Protocol to teachers, staff, and even in classrooms to students as early as second grade. The district also shifted from punitive to restorative discipline practices, offering alternatives to suspension. For example, if a student does something that’s a suspendable offence, they go to a “restorative reset” off-campus where they work to understand the impact of their actions on themselves, their fellow students, and their community. As of fall 2024, absenteeism in the district shrunk from approximately 30% to 16%.
Today, the district continues to reflect and grow, tackling questions such as “Why are mutli-lingual learners sometimes held to a lower standard?” and “Why are Black students less likely to enroll in AP courses?” District leaders report they are confident their root-cause and action-based approach will yield answers and progress, specifically because Epoch Education’s Equity Audit helped embed a way of talking about these issues throughout the district that transcends the audit itself.
“This was never something that we felt like was done to or for us. It was done with us.” Dr. Sparks
How an Educator Used the RIR Protocol to Prioritize Progress
An educator with more than three decades of experience–some as a classroom teacher, some implementing positive behavior intervention, and some leading other equity specialists—faced a recurring challenge: although she knew the RIR Protocol, she had the tendency to feel like equity work needed to be perfect and often felt a hesitancy rooted in “not wanting to make a mistake or say the wrong thing.” This inaction often led to guilt.
By sharing Dr. Nancy Dome’s The Compassionate Dialogue Journey with her peers, the group explored specific tools and prompts to address binary thinking, conflict, and matters of identity. Together, they were able to move from theoretical to practical, real-world application and now practice the RIR Protocol freely, leading to more healthy and fruitful engagement among educators, students, staff, and parents. Guilt as a result of inaction has been replaced with a focus on forward motion and an internalization that it’s okay to not have all the answers all the time.
“Doing equity work, I constantly have to remind myself and encourage my team about this,” Diane Stevenson, M.A., P.P.S, said. “We need to give ourselves and each other grace. It’s reassuring to think, ‘I don’t have to do all of the things right now. What is the next step I’m willing to take? What can I do today?”
READ THE FULL CASE STUDY HERE
How Compassionate Dialogue Helped One Leader Proactively Manage Offensive and Triggering Comments
A senior leader struggled with a lack of assuredness in how to handle triggering moments with colleagues and often felt guilt in instances of personal inaction or non-response. Specifically, they felt challenged by reconciling their own personal identity in equity-based conversations.
In working with Epoch Education and Dr. Nancy Dome, they explored the “why” behind Compassionate Dialogue and developed a more specific practice with the RIR Protocol. This deep practice included utilizing tools such as the Cycle of Inference, which provides a frame through which we can be conscious of how our thinking can be conditioned if we’re not aware of external influences, ultimately helping us put our thoughts and interactions in perspective.
As a result, they were able to see triggering situations as opportunities to learn and connect while feeling empowered by their ownership of their own identity in equity-based conversations. This renewed approach prioritizes growth, which has led to deeper internal awareness and more external action.
“I used to struggle with showing up as a white heterosexual woman in these equity conversations,” Jennifer Horton, College & Career Coordinator, said. “Now I know how important it is to show up and use those identities so we can connect more and start from a place of honesty. Now, when I’m introducing myself for work, I’ve been challenging myself to come in and say something like, ‘this is who I am.” It’s great to be able to think it through together in conversation. . . . Even away from work, I’ve been able to have deep conversations with family members that wouldn't have been possible before. I’ve learned that it’s not my job to change someone’s mind. What I want to be responsible for is being compassionate with myself and other people.”
“Now I know how important it is to show up..." - Jennifer Horton
How Compassionate Dialogue Empowered One Black Educator
As one of the few Black leaders in her organization, Angie Barfield Ed.D had many conversations in the post-George Floyd era about the difference between allyship and action but often felt she had to self-edit around the stereotype of being perceived as the “angry Black woman.” She came to the work of EPOCH Education because she believes “we clearly need to be able to talk about these things in a real way,” and she wanted to find a strategy for bringing her colleagues along to all empower each other to help the district and community.
In exploring Compassionate Dialogue and The RIR Protocol, Angie particularly resonated with the Equity Avatar activity–one in which you choose an external source (piece of art, song, etc.) that describes where you feel you’re at on your equity journey.
“. . . It challenged me to look deep into who I am and how I felt about where I am,” she said. “I can use this with others to have them begin the process, too. If we’re going to have a compassionate conversation, it’s helpful to be able to say, ‘let’s get in touch with who you are first,’ because nothing is going to move or impact you more than understanding and loving yourself first. The avatar activity is a great example of this. When I invite others to do this, a lot of times, they’re like, ‘whoa.’”
Angie says the RIR Protocol and CDJ have given her another way forward, allowing her to show up in spaces fully and unapologetically.
“I know now that it’s okay to say sometimes, ‘I can’t help you with that, but here are some resources.’ And if someone still feels like I’m the angry Black female or dismissive, that’s not my bucket of water to carry,” she said. “I took away from all of this how to be who I am as a Black woman in these conversations and how to protect myself without leaving a wreck. We need tools. Even firefighters wear suits.”
“It has been transformative for leaders to have a clear tool to walk away with. They have guiding questions and it's something they can do. It's not a theoretical big-picture discussion…our community and students feel heard and seen.”
K-12 School District Participant
