Guided Toward Equity: Communities of Practice and Organizational Change in Community Colleges

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although community colleges advance equity by providing opportunities for marginalized students to pursue higher education, barriers to earning credentials remain, particularly for students of color. Higher education stakeholders are investing in “equity work” as organizations take responsibility for ensuring equitable outcomes. While ample research explores individual organizational change efforts, the impact of cross‐institutional interventions such as guided communities of practice (COPs) remains understudied. This article examines the effects of one such intervention, the Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) initiative. The ILEA initiative engaged 25 colleges and universities across the state of Illinois in an effort to operationalize “equity‐mindedness” and catalyze institutional change. Drawing on qualitative case study data from three participating community colleges, we trace how guided equity planning translated into specific organizational practices, analyzing the distinct understandings of equity formed at each college, the diagnosis of inequities through the use of disaggregated data, and the development of interventions to promote more equitable student outcomes. These findings offer insights into the promise and limits of communities of practice as a mechanism for racial equity reform in higher education and beyond.