Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion

Audit for Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

The importance of including students’ individual experience and background in their learning experience has become increasingly valued since the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and as globalization and multicultural communities increase. DEI - or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - strategies have been developed at educational institutions alongside upholding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, n.d.). At the time of this Change Implementation, these initiatives are being attacked at an institutional level by the United States’ current presidential administration, claiming it is “harmful” (U.S. Department of Education Takes Action to Eliminate DEI, 2025). However, there is an impregnable wealth of research that highlights the value of celebrating inclusivity in the classroom, and higher education institutions (Casey & Gecker, 2025) and state education departments (Asmar, 2025) are fighting to uphold the value of an inclusive environment. Additionally, eliminating inclusivity from pedagogy and classroom activities at this point in curriculum provision and teacher instructional capability would take a significant amount of time. As a non-federally funded institution, RP has vowed to continue to uphold its values of inclusivity through continued DEI initiatives and tutor training. This Change Implementation Plan maintains the importance of individual student and tutor voice in the development of learner growth towards informed citizenship.

The shift in programming addressed in this blueprint is a reactionary and clarification programming change, as opposed to an active and top-down restructuring of programming. In this sense, the source of the change fully implements inclusion in a more expansive way by putting more weight on the values and goals of the families and students that use our services, rather than impressing a specific perspective of what tutoring should look like. By assessing the families’ individual needs, RP is integrating more “student voice and participation”, deepening student engagement, inviting exploration into diverse points of view, and working through challenges in a truly inclusive atmosphere (Caetano et al., 2020). The one-on-one environment affords the student encouragement to include their personal perspective, history, and way of being (culturally, economically, linguistically, learning ability, etc.) into meaning making and connection to material.

There are still aspects requiring consideration in this Change Plan which are additionally largely reactionary. For one, as the student body grows and more families choose an “on demand” tutoring program, their engagement with a self-matching tool increases. The tutors, then, are at the mercy of matching availability and family interest in bios (which include a picture, educational history, and teaching approach sections). This opens up the match to bias of all kinds, which tutors already have had experience with (Corsino & Fuller, 2021). While RP can increase DEI training, we cannot influence how families act on their own biases. Additionally, the increase in “on demand” tutoring is instigated through a program that funnels more economically and culturally diverse families into our system. While we do not capture demographics of enrolled students, the addition of more diverse communities into the student population requires additional training in cultural sensitivity, pedagogy for engaging students with learning disabilities, communication strategies for students and parents learning English as an additional language, and limited access to technology. Finally, the advisors that interact directly with families upon enrollment also need the increased skills to communicate with diverse populations and reinforce that programming is inclusive regardless of immediate or long-term educational goal. It is imperative that families’ intentions are not belittled or overlooked due to bias or lack of previous awareness.

Integration of Diversity Principles for Equitable Outcomes

RP’s intentions to remain a fully inclusive employer and educational institution are reflective in their support for tutors when biased action occurs by families, in our hiring practices, and in their emphasis on clear and considerate communication. They also do not capture demographic, language, economic, or learning data in their system. Therefore, quantifying growth in diversity or academic improvement in different demographics is not possible. However, shifts in programming goals and an increasingly diverse student population does require continued professional development and policies

The planned professional developments, training, and individual meetings will include multiple considerations of student choice and experience. Explanation and reiteration of the extent of 504 plans and IEPs will be outlined, techniques for working with English as Second Language students (ESLs) will be discussed, varying technological work-arounds and communicating requests for required video and audio participation will be outlined, and many elements of Culturally Responsive Education will be introduced (including using culturally responsive materials, engagement question options, and instruction on communicating with parents with limited English proficiency). Research is beginning to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in DEI training, which may be an engaging method to introduce as we adapt to using more AI in our PD development (Thomas et al., 2025). Team meetings will include break-out rooms for tutors to discuss their experiences, share their individual perspectives and history, and brainstorm approaches to difficult experiences regarding learning challenges, culture classes, communication barriers, and differences in expectations. They have already experienced quite a few challenges with families expecting SAT or ACT score growth or academic performances that require student dedication that is outside of the “Standard American Experience”. Collaborative learning regarding inequity from standardized testing will also be emphasized (Markson et al., 2023). Much of the training that is provided to tutors will be adapted for the advisors as well, with an emphasis on clarifying programming goals. The core of this shift in programming is identification of the family’s placement of value on tutoring, and it is imperative that all perspectives are considered.

Feedback Mechanism to Assess Diversity and Inclusion Effectiveness

Data acquisition on DEI initiatives specifically at RP will be a challenge, as methods of collecting feedback from families will not deviate from current practices. This feedback from families is collected through verbal requests (by tutors, advisors, and Customer Success Managers) and through two different surveys (Trustpilot and Delighted). Neither of these methods require identification of demographic, cultural association, languages spoken, or learning adaptations, and these questions are too personal to require tutors/advisors/CSMs to request these aspects when receiving informal feedback. The continuing method of communication of feedback includes forwarding positive reviews to tutors and advisors, sharing successes on a Slack channel and in company and team meetings, and investigating lower survey scores for causes of concern.

Surveys will be sent out to tutors through the implementation of this plan asking for feedback, and questions regarding perceived inclusion will be incorporated, as well as questions regarding implementation of CRT in virtual classrooms. CRT strategies will be discussed further in one-on-one meetings with tutors to ensure they are confident their ability to incorporate students’ rich cultural experiences into the lesson, regardless of whether it’s as simple as using a preferred cartoon character in an addition example in an academic lesson, or reading through a student chosen book together in a more holistic program.