1. Southern Regional Leadership Conference Excellence through Equity
Dr. Erick Witherspoon
Southern Regional Leadership Conference Excellence through Equity

2. Learning Agreements Tech check – phones, etc. Hand signals
Be 100% present
Enjoy the session!

3. What’s in a Name? Manual 3rd Ed., 217 An Inclusion Activity
Find 2 discussion partners who you do not know well
Wait for us to model activity
Share
Your complete name
Your preferred name
Who gave you your name
How you experience your name
How you think others experience your name
10. min.
Mix and Share: What’s in a Name?
Participants . . .
find two discussion partners who they do not know well.
share activity findings from the slide.

4. Intended Outcomes
Participants to view Cultural Proficiency as a shared priority
Participants to experience Cultural Proficiency as personal and professional work
Participants to view the Tools of Cultural Proficiency as a guide for addressing access and achievement gap issues.
Participants to explore the valuable contribution of the school leader in the implementation of a culturally proficient environment.

5. What is Cultural Proficiency?
Culturally proficient is defined as an ongoing process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, sexes, ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, abilities and other diversity factors “in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.”
(NASW, 2001)
3 min.
DEFINING CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
What it is & What it is not
Authors and Research
Inside/Out Approach of CP – begins with self

6. Cultural Proficiency
A way of being that enables both individuals and organizations to respond effectively to people who differ from them.
Cultural proficiency is not an off-the-shelf program. It is an approach; it provides tools and help for an increasingly diverse world with an increasing number of well-intentioned and fearful people.
The use of specific tools effectively describing, responding to, and planning for issues that emerge in diverse environments.
Policies and practices at the organizational level and values, beliefs and behaviors at the individual level that enables effective cross cultural interactions among employees, clients, and community.
DEFINING CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
What it is & What it is not
Authors and Research
Inside/Out Approach of CP – begins with self

7. Cultural Proficiency Functions as a…
Worldview
Perspective
Mindset
Mental model,
Lens through which to view your work
Manner in which we lead our lives.
DEFINING CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
What it is & What it is not
Authors and Research
Inside/Out Approach of CP – begins with self

8. Sinek’s Golden Circle WHY? HOW? WHAT? The Purpose
What is your cause? What is your purpose? What is your belief?
The Process
Specific actions taken to realize the Why.
The Result
What do you do? The result of Why. Proof.
By “why” means: What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of the bed in the morning and why should anyone care? That reaction naturally instilled their driving purpose.

9. Exercise: District Reflection
WHY do you do what you do in the district?
Express in terms of your underlying values, beliefs and assumptions that guide your behaviors?
Share with table members and look for common language, beliefs, and behaviors
10 min.
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
WHY – The purpose; How – The process; What – The Result
Why do you do what you do in the district?
Moral Purpose

10. Moral Purpose
Defined as: “acting with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of all stakeholders, and society as a whole” (p. 3).
Moral purpose is what infuses an organization with passion and purpose.
Fundamentally, “moral purpose and sustained performance of organizations are mutually dependent” (p.28).

11. Moral Purpose (Con’t)
One must have moral purpose in order to have a guiding force. It defines both the end product of leadership, and how one gets to the end product.
Moral purpose of the highest order is having a system where all students learn, the gap is greatly reduced, and what people learn enables them to be successful citizens and workers in a morally based knowledge society.

12. Equality vs. Equity
5 min.
Participants view the picture and provide an explanation to the underline message. “What resonant?”

13. What is Equity? (Not Equality!)
How do we ensure equity?
How do we create alliances to support equity?
How do districts create conditions for all students to excel by building powerful learning environments that ensure equity?
How does educational access inform the equity discussion?
5 min.
Participants share and discuss one of the four questions with their table group.

14. Cultural Connections Gap Gap Gap Gap Content
Teacher’s Cultural Background
Students’ Cultures and Languages
School Policies and Practices
Families’ Cultural Background
Gap
Gap
Gap
Gap
8 min lecture
Cultural manifestations in the classroom are embedded in multiple components; the teacher’s cultural background, the students’ cultures and languages, the school policies and practices and the curriculum and instructional delivery (student-teacher interaction)
In order to create culturally inclusive classrooms, the student/family cultural backgrounds (context) must be integrated into the instructional content
Before children step into a classroom who they are is a part of their family, social group, community, etc which shapes their attitudes, beliefs, experiences, aspirations expressed and practice over and over again. It is imperative that the system of education integrate the cultural background/experiences of students in the CONTENT of the learning
Think About. . .
What cultural gaps come to mind? What cultural gaps are you experiencing?

15. All Teaching is Cultural
We believe strongly that educators assumptions, beliefs and expectation for the students they teach influence how th educator interacts with students who are often culturally different than the educator.

16. Cultural Proficiency: An Inside-Out Approach
Is an inside-out approach
Is about being aware of how we – as individuals and as organizations - work with others
Is about being aware of how we respond to those different from us
Is about visible and not so visible differences
Is about preparing to live in a world of differences
Is a worldview, a mindset; it is the manner in which we lead our lives
Cannot be mandated, but can be nurtured

17. Questions that Guide Our Work
What barriers to student learning exist within the district, our schools, and us?
What are your, your school’s, and the board’s core values that support equitable learning outcomes for students?
What examples do you have for unhealthy and healthy language, behaviors, policies and practices used by you and your board and school colleagues?
What standards do you, district/school use to ensure equitable learning outcomes for students?
To what extent are you satisfied with student learning outcomes in your school and in your district?

18. The Framework for Cultural Proficiency Uses Four Unique Tools Schools, 3rd Ed, pages 4-7
The Guiding Principles
Underlying values of the approach
The Continuum
Language for describing both healthy and non-productive policies, practices, and individual behaviors
The Essential Elements
Five behavioral standards for measuring, and planning for, growth toward cultural proficiency
The Barriers
Two caveats that assist in responding effectively to resistance to change

19. Conceptual Framework Deepens Learning
1 min.
FOUR TOOLS OF CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
Introduction/Review
Expectation of use (Guiding Principles & Barriers)
Handout

20. Tool #1: Guiding Principles
The Guiding Principles are the core values, the foundation upon which the approach is built
Culture is a predominant force
People are served in varying degrees by the dominant culture
Acknowledge group identities
Diversity within cultures is important
Respect unique cultural needs
5 min.

21. Cultural Perceptions Manual, 3rd Ed., 214 Deepens Learning
Engage in the activity:
Select a partner that you do not know well.
A and B?
A shares her perceptions about B (next slide)
B responds to those perceptions
B shares his perceptions about A
A responds to those perceptions
15 min.
Cultural Perceptions Activity
Participants share perceptions about partner

22. Share your perceptions: How do you think your partner would respond?
Country of family origin and heritage
Languages spoken
Interests or hobbies
Favorite foods
Preferred types of movies, TV programs
Preferred types of music
Pets, if any, or favorite animals
Fantasy vehicle
Cultural Perceptions Activity
Participants share perceptions about partner

23. Systemic Tension: Conceptual Framework
The Guiding Principles are explicit or implicit demonstrations of core values and beliefs held by people, the foundation upon which the approach is built, that inform Precompetence, Competence & Proficiency
The Barriers are the demonstration of beliefs held by people who explicitly or implicitly resist change and foster a sense of privilege and entitlement that inform Destructiveness, Incapacity & Blindness

24. Tool #2: Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency
The barriers to cultural proficiency are systemic privilege, oppression, and resistance to change
The presumption of entitlement
Systems of oppression
Unawareness of the need to adapt
Resistance to change

25. Political Affiliation
Dimension of YOU
Self
Clubs
Political Affiliation
Race
Religion
Hobbies
1) Using a mind mapping technique, have students write their name in the center circle.
2) They should then fill in each satellite circle with a dimension of their identity that they
consider to be among the most important in defining themselves. Give them several
examples of dimensions that might fit into the satellite circles: female, Jewish, brother,
student, Asian American, middle class, etc.

26. Political Affiliation
Dimension of YOU
Self
Clubs
Political Affiliation
Race
Religion
Hobbies
Choose a dimension that is important to you and share with table members
1) Using a mind mapping technique, have students write their name in the center circle.
2) They should then fill in each satellite circle with a dimension of their identity that they
consider to be among the most important in defining themselves. Give them several
examples of dimensions that might fit into the satellite circles: female, Jewish, brother,
student, Asian American, middle class, etc.

27. Share a stereotype you heard about one dimension of your identity that fails to describe you accurately.
How does your “fill in the blank” response challenge common stereotypes?
Where do stereotypes come from?
How can we eliminate stereotypes?
“I am (a/an) ______________________ but I am not a/an________________________.”

28. Other Cultures The world in which you were born
is just one model of reality.
Other cultures are not
failed attempts at being you:
They are unique manifestations
of the human spirit
Wade Davis, Anthropologist

29. Reflective thought…
The world we have created is a product of our thinking. We cannot change things until we change our thinking.
-Einstein

30. Tool #3: The Continuum Schools 3rd Ed, Chapter 5, pages 111-123
There are six points along the cultural proficiency continuum that indicate unique ways of perceiving and responding to differences.
Cultural destructiveness
Cultural incapacity
Cultural blindness
Cultural pre-competence
Cultural competence
Cultural proficiency
40 min.
Cultural Proficiency Continuum Review

31. Cultural destructiveness
CULTURAL PROFICIENCY CONTINUUM
Cultural proficiency
See the differences and respond effectively in a variety of environments
Cultural pre-competence See the difference, respond inadequately
Cultural incapacity See the difference, make it wrong
Cultural blindness See the difference, act like you don't
Cultural competence See the difference, understand the difference that difference makes
The CP continuum is built on the Guiding Principles by providing language for differeiatiating unhealthly from healthy
There are six points along the cultural proficiency continuum that indicate unique ways of perceiving and responding to differences.
The continuum serves a tool to provide an opportunity to develop common language for describing the behavior of people, policies, and practices within your organization.
It provides a perspective for examining the three P’s – people, policies and practice, by giving reference points and a common language for describing past and current situations.
(Review the Continuum)
This work is both professional and personal.
It is about being aware of how we work with others. It is about being aware of how we react to those different from ourselves.
Language for describing both healthy and non-productive policies, practices, and individual behaviors
Some time during the first quarter - We ask that you model the process at your buildings – bring the results back in the second quarter
Each quarter we will continue our journey with CP tools and activities.
We invite you to learn with us.
Complete this activity with your staff and bring it back to the next training for further discussion.
Cultural destructiveness
See the difference, stomp it out
Handout
Adapted from: Cultural Proficiency by Randall B. Lindsey, Kikanza Nuri Robins, and Raymond D. Terrell (Corwin Press, 1999, 2003), and Culturally Proficient Instruction by Kikanza Nuri Robins, Randall B. Lindsey, Delores B. Lindsey, and Raymond D. Terrell (Corwin Press, 2001)

32. Cultural Destructiveness
“See the difference; stomp it out.”
Using one’s power to eliminate the culture of another.
Hostility/Negativity
Period preceding 1492 – Pre-Columbian
I don’t want those kids in my class/school
No such thing as autism
Physical abuse
‘They don’t value education’

33. “See the difference; make it wrong.”
Cultural Incapacity
“See the difference; make it wrong.”
Believing in the superiority of one’s own culture and behaving in ways that disempower another’s culture.
Dismissive/Blaming
Questioning qualifications
Mispronouncing unfamiliar names; making fun of
With an accent like that, they couldn’t be very smart
Their parents don’t care, why should I?
I’m very successful when working with ‘normal kids’

34. “See the difference; act like you don’t.”
Cultural Blindness
“See the difference; act like you don’t.”
Acting as if cultural differences do not matter or as if there are not differences among/between cultures.
Pretending/Unable to see Culture
Diversity/equity training separate from other PD
Ignoring access/achievement gaps
Really, I don’t see color; I treat all kids alike
What’s wrong with what we are doing; most are doing well
Don’t be so sensitive; I was ‘just kidding’

35. Cultural Pre Competence
“See the difference; respond to it inappropriately.”
Recognizing the limitations of one’s skills or an organization's practices when interacting with other cultural groups.
Begin to know what we don’t know; becoming aware of culture
Short-term PD is event based
Long-term PD is data driven; what is needed to be learned
Begin to recognize issues of disproportionality
We are trying to teach the kids who used to go to school here

36. “See the difference; respond positively. Engage and adapt.”
Cultural Competence
“See the difference; respond positively. Engage and adapt.”
Esteem culture; knowing how to learn about organizational culture; interacting effectively in a variety of cultural groups.
Doing/Speaking Up
Students and visitors can see images like and different from them
School is using disaggregated data to drive decision making
Access data gathered and analyzed for developing strategies for inclusion
School functions as a learning community
Multiple perspectives invite speaking out against unfairness

37. “See the difference; respond positively. Engage and adapt.”
Cultural Proficiency
“See the difference; respond positively. Engage and adapt.”
Esteeming culture; knowing how to learn about organizational culture; interacting effectively in a variety of cultural groups
Advocacy for Social Justice
Lived commitments to
Advocacy
Social justice; doing what’s right for students
Life-long learning
Realization that Cultural Proficiency is a ‘process’
Commitment to mentoring at 2 levels

38. Continuum Activity
First review the six points on the Continuum and the indicators for each point.
What was your reaction to the first three points of the continuum?
What was your reaction to the next three points of the continuum? `
Read in the Book
Ask Questions About…
Share with table members.`1
Some say that between Cultural Blindness and Cultural Pre=competence is a tipping point? Do you agree? If so, what is the significance of this tipping point?

39. Cultural Proficiency in Our Schools
Using the sticky notes provided at your table…
Record one example per sticky note of a situation, quote, scenario, or something you have heard that represents each of the six parts of the continuum.
Try your best to provide at least one examples of each:
Cultural Destructiveness
Cultural Incapacity
Cultural Blindness
Cultural Pre-Competence
Cultural Competence
Cultural Proficiency
When you are finished, place the sticky notes on the corresponding chart paper.
20 min.
While the group is completing this activity, circulate and facilitate the process.
When the group has finished, allow time for a gallery walk through the various chart papers which should contain various examples of each part of the continuum.
When the gallery walk is complete, discuss the process that took place:
What did you notice as you wrote or read the comments?
Did anything surprise you?
What does this make you feel, think, or wonder?
What does this say about our school, district, and community?

40. Continuum Activity Reflection
What did you learn about yourself in doing this activity? `
Read in the Book
Ask Questions About…
Share with table members.`1
Some say that between Cultural Blindness and Cultural Pre=competence is a tipping point? Do you agree? If so, what is the significance of this tipping point?

41. Tool #4: Essential Elements for Leaders 3rd Ed, Page 7
Assess Culture
Value Diversity
Manage the Dynamics of Difference
Adapt to Diversity
Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge
The Essential Elements of cultural proficiency provide the standards for individual behavior and organizational practices
3 min.

42. Cultural Proficiency is Attainable When. . .
We believe all students deserve high-level education
We believe students’ cultures are foundations upon which to build their educational experiences
We believe that we can educate our students

43. Thank you for your willingness to share and grow with us today!