For years, educators have defined equity gaps based on the disparities in educational outcomes among different groups of students. Educators declare success in closing equity gaps when marginalized and racially minoritized students reach the same performance level as majority students. But doesn’t this process for identifying equity gaps center whiteness as the norm and the definition of excellence for all students, reinforcing notions of privilege and racism with our systems, structures, and policies for student success?

While research over the last two decades has shown that high-impact practices are sound educational pedagogies and propelled their popularity at colleges and universities, implementation matters far more than the “high-impact” label. What do we know about if and how well our institutions are implementing HIPs? And which students have access to these high-quality experiences?