Programs and Services
For Schools

Educational Equity and Access:  Equity Scholar in Residence Program

Despite the best efforts of many educators, historically under-served learners continue to experience deep inequities in schools. At the same time, educators struggle to balance ongoing demands of their work with emerging understandings about equity, and to teach in the context of and in response to fast-changing cultures. Generally, social equity is addressed with training or policy approaches to address these challenges. While each has merit, they also have limitations and sometimes unintended negative consequences, for example not addressing community or classroom-specific issues in real time, and increasing resistance to equity interventions.

To address these concerns, the ILI undertook a two-year action research pilot in collaboration with educators at a Middle-High school in Central Vermont. The result of that collaboration is the ILI Equity Scholar in Residence model. The ESR model offers and new and unique approach to social equity in schools, combining genuine relationship, learner-centered pedagogy, restorative approaches, and responsive scholarship. A seasoned scholar-educator embedded in the school provides on-call consultation, context-based professional development, and up-to-date resources tailored to the equity-related needs, questions, concerns and challenges faced by the school

An independent evaluation completed in July 2021 demonstrated that the ESR model effectively increased educators’ capacity to advance educational equity. Our research will continue this year, in seven schools serving two districts, seeking qualitative and quantitative insights into the impact of ESR services on educators’ practice, and the degree to which ESR services mitigate concerns about educational equity initiatives.

To learn more about the ESR Program for K-12 Schools, click here.

To speak with us about the ESR program for your school or district, or to be connected with a school or district leader who has implemented the program, please email or call the ILI Director at 802-522-9129.