The Ministry of Education provides schools with equity funding, in addition to their core funding, so they can work in different ways to help students with socioeconomic barriers reach their potential. Through Budget 2022, the Government has provided a 50% ($75 million) increase in equity funding. From January 2023, the Ministry has used the Equity Index (EQI) to determine a school's level of equity funding, replacing the existing decile system. Equity funding is an important contribution to addressing equity in our education system. A key consideration for this research is the extent to which EQI system changes would enable shifts in practice consistent with the intent of equity funding allocation. We expected that, as for decile funding, schools will use equity funding based on the EQI in many different ways, in line with their unique contexts, challenges, and needs. The report highlights findings from across the case study schools, providing nuanced understandings of how schools perceive and react to the EQI changes. It provides a deep dive into how 15 English-medium schools from across Aotearoa New Zealand already support their students achieve equitable outcomes, and how that might change with the introduction of the EQI.