Equity Calculator

The Equity Calculator is a tool to help estimate whether there are noteworthy differences* in program outcomes across groups. It will issue a green flag if outcome numbers across groups are similar, a yellow flag if they are potentially noteworthy differences in outcomes, and a red flag if they are definitively noteworthy, meaning you are observing substantial differences in outcomes between groups.

Description

Anyone can enter frequency (count) data to evaluate outcomes associated with their programs. After identifying positive and negative cases, the agency can determine if there are significant differences seen between identified groups. To begin, the user can determine how many groups they want to compare (2, 3, or 4). For example, a user could compare 2 groups - Veterans and non-Veterans; 3 groups - Male, Female, and Other Identities; or 4 groups - White non-Hispanic, African American, Hispanic, and Native Americans. Once the user identifies the number of groups and their labels, the frequency counts can be entered into the calculator to determine if they are observing equitable (similar) outcomes across the different groups.

Method

In the background, a Chi-Square test of Independence is being conducted to compare what expected outcomes would be versus actual outcomes to determine if there are noteworthy differences* between what is observed and what comparable outcomes would be. In other words, the test estimates what outcomes we would expect to see if there were no systematic differences across groups, and then this is compared to the actual outcomes observed.

*Noteworthy differences are differences in outcomes across groups that are large enough to be considered “statistically significant”.