1. From Tolerance to Transformation:
Developing Cultural Proficiency: Educating for Diversity, Equity,
and Success for All Students
Stephanie Graham, Consultant
School Equity & Student Achievement
Los Angeles County Office of Education
(562)

2. Outcomes
• Shift conversations from equality to equity, and from tolerance for diversity to systemic transformation cultural proficiency.
• Deepen understanding about gaps that indicate that one or more groups are being better served than others.
• Understand how the dynamics of difference and cultural power contribute to equity gaps.
• Learn to use the Cultural Proficiency Continuum as a tool to assess and analyze school policies, practices, and behaviors.
• Plan next step to lead for cultural proficiency.

3. It’s All About Students - Equity and Equal Access
Focusing on gap reduction is the moral responsibility of all educators. They must understand the bigger picture and reach out beyond themselves to work with others.
Educational reform: reducing the gap between high and low performers at all levels (classroom, school, district, state) is the key to system breakthroughs.
Fullan, Change Forces with a Vengeance

4. Educational Equity
“Equity is the principle of altering current practices and perspectives to teach for social transformation and to promote equal learning outcomes for students of all racial, cultural, linguistic and socio-economic groups.”
Enid Lee, New Teacher Center
(Next Four Quotes)

5. “Equity can mean treating some students differently in order to treat them fairly.”

6. “Different treatment is needed because students from some social groups enter our schools on an uneven playing field.”

7. “To ensure that all students, regardless of background have equal opportunities and outcomes in learning, system-wide transformation must occur that will create the chance for students on the margins of our educational system to become central to it and perform to their fullest potential.”

8. ONE Shared Vision for Cultural Proficiency
Equity will be a reality when children
from minority racial, cultural, socio-
economic, and linguistic backgrounds
experience statistically similar rates of
meeting high standards as do children
from the majority culture.
(Bay Area Educational Equity Task Force)

9. What We Can Learn From Multicultural Education Research
Gloria Ladson-Billings
 Beliefs About Students Matter
 Content and Materials Matter
 Instructional Approaches Matter
 Educational Settings Matter
 Teacher Education Matters

10. So What is Cultural Proficiency?
A model
A mind set
A way of being
The use of specific tools for effectively describing, responding to and planning for change that meets the needs of under-served populations.
Policies and practices at the organizational level and values and behaviors at the individual level that enable effective cross cultural interactions among employees, clients, and community.

11. What does it look like? Your core values
Your organizational structure and systems
Your language and behavior
Your organizational norms, traditions and practices
Infused, transformed, and bolstered with the tools of Cultural Proficiency

12. What are the Four Cultural Proficiency tools?
1. The Continuum
Language for describing both healthy and non-productive policies, practices and behaviors
2.  The Essential Elements
Five behavioral standards for measuring, and planning for growth toward cultural proficiency
3.  The Guiding Principles
Underlying values and assumptions of the model
4.  Understanding the Barriers to Change
_ Unawareness of and resistance to difference
Privilege, entitlement, and agentry
Unawareness of the need to adapt

13. The Continuum 1. Cultural destructiveness
Cultural incapacity
Cultural blindness
Cultural pre-competence
Cultural competence
Cultural proficiency
There are six points along the cultural proficiency continuum that indicate unique ways of perceiving and responding to differences.

14. Six Levels of Cultural Proficiency
Cultural Destructiveness
“See the difference; stomp it out.”
Eliminating other people’s cultures
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
Cultural Blindness
“See the difference; act like you don’t.”
Acting as if cultural differences do not matter or as if there are no differences among/between cultures

15. Cultural Precompetence
“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
Cultural Competence
“See the difference; understand the difference that difference makes.”
Interacting with others using the five essential elements of cultural proficiency as the standard for behavior and practice
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

16. The Essential Elements2.
1. Value Culture
2. Assess Culture
3. Leverage and Manage the Dynamics of Difference
4. Use Knowledge to Adapt to Diversity
5. Engage Others and Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge
The Essential Elements of cultural proficiency provide the standards for individual behavior and organizational practices

17. The Five Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency and
FROM:
TOLERANCE FOR DIVERSITY
Destructiveness, Incapacity & Blindness
The focus is on them
TO:
TRANSFORMATION FOR EQUITY
Precompetence, Competence & Proficiency
The focus on our practices

18. Assessing One’s Own Cultural Knowledge -
Demographics are viewed as a challenge
Demographics are used to inform policy and practice
Valuing Diversity -
Tolerate, assimilate, acculturate
Esteem, respect, adapt
Dealing with Conflict- Prevent, mitigate, avoid
Dealing with Conflict- Manage, leverage, facilitate

19. Integrating Cultural Knowledge - Information contributed or added to existing policies, procedures, practices
Integrating Cultural Knowledge - Information integrated into system, provoking significant changes to policies, procedures, practices
Adapting to Diversity - System-wide accountability to meet changing needs of a diverse community and reduce cultural dissonance and conflict.
Adapting to diversity - System-wide accountability for continuous improvement and responsiveness to community. Staff understands, operates, and perseveres on the edge of often rapid and continuous change.

20. The Guiding Principles3.
Culture is a predominant force
Acknowledge group identities
Respect unique cultural needs
Diversity within and between cultures is important
People are served in varying degrees by the dominant culture
The Guiding Principles are the core values, the foundation upon which the approach is built

21. Barrier n. 1. Anything built or serving to bar passage
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

22. Understanding the Barriers4.
• Difference
Privilege
Unawareness of the need to adapt
The barriers to cultural proficiency are resistance to difference, unawareness of one’s privilege entitlement and agentry, and unawareness of the need to adapt to difference.

23. Removing Barriers to Cultural Proficiency
Dynamics of Difference
Dynamics of Cultural Power
Privilege
Entitlement
TARGETS/ AGENTS

24. Dimensions of Cultural Identity
Adapted from Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener, Worldforce America” (Business One Irwin, 1991)
Dimensions of Cultural Identity
Personality
Income
Management Status
Functional Level/ Classification
Work Content/ Field
Division/ Department/ Unit/
Group
Recreational Habits
Union Affiliation
Work Location
Seniority
Geographic Location
Marital Status
Parental Status
Appearance
Work Experience
Educational Background
Religion
Personal Habits
Sexual Orientation
Physical Ability
Ethnicity
Gender
Race
Age
Organizational Dimensions
External Dimensions
Internal Dimensions

25. Primary Cultural IdentityME
age,
age-group
religion
gender
(optional)
physical ability capacity
race ethnicity
Income level, class
sexual orientation

26. ME racism sexism ageism classism ableism + anti-semitism -
heterosexism ME

27. TARGET
AGENT  
EMPOWERED
ALLY T
ARGET

28. CULTURAL IDENTITY PROFILE QUESTIONS
1. What do you notice about your profile? What “isms” are you an agent of? What “isms” are you targeted by? What thoughts, feelings or emotions are triggered by this awareness?
2. How might your profile impact your effectiveness as a leader?
How does your understanding of the dynamics of cultural power inform your next steps as a leader for cultural proficiency?

29. Given our review of Cultural Proficiency today, what two next steps will you take to provide leadership for Cultural Proficiency and closing learning and achievement gaps in your school/department?

30. maintain the dynamic tension between “pluribus” and “unum.”
To honor diversity is to
maintain the dynamic
tension between
“pluribus” and “unum.”

31. -___________+ Classroom, School and Districtwide
Practices and Behaviors
Essential Element of
Cultural Proficiency
VALUE DIVERSITY
- Believe and expect that ALL students can achieve    high standards and do rigorous work.
- Believe and expect that all students, parents, and staff     make valuable contributions.
- Teach and lead with a culturally and linguistically      inclusive approach.
- Teach and expect students, parents, and staff to seek    and understand multiple perspectives about issues,    themes, events, and concepts.
-  Seek and value ideas, solutions, and approaches    different from one’s own.
-  Assess progress by allowing students and staff to    demonstrate and apply knowledge and skills in a    variety of ways.
-  Learn about your students, their families, and staff    members in authentic contexts.
-___________+

32. -___________+ Classroom, School and Districtwide
Practices and Behaviors
Essential Element of
Cultural Proficiency
ASSESS CULTURE
- Identify and assess multiple aspects of one’s own    cultural identity.
-  Examine how one’s cultural identity affects ones         communication, work, teaching, and/or management    style.
-  Assess how one’s cultural identity influences his/her    work effectiveness and productivity.
-  Respect and expect students and staff to apply    knowledge and demonstrate skill in a variety of ways.
-  Learn about self, students, families, and staff in    authentic contexts. -
-___________+

33. -___________+ Classroom, School and Districtwide
Practices and Behaviors
Essential Element of
Cultural Proficiency
LEVERAGE, MANAGE THE DYNAMICS OF DIFFERENCE  
- Understand, use and model conflict and difference of     opinion, misperceptions, as tools to learn and grow.
-  Teach and use conflict resolution skills.
-  Discourage competition and promotion based on         hierarchy and status. Promote cooperation/     cooperative learning.
-  Seek inclusion and multiple contributions to common     learning/work decisions and tasks.
-  Understand that racial, linguistic, gender, economic     and other cultural differences may require varied and     flexible learning opportunities and alternate ways of     demonstrating classroom/work effectiveness and     school/work success.
-  Collect, disaggregate, analyze, and track data about         student achievement and staff effectiveness to ensure     that all student/staff groups are making progress and     achieving outcomes equitably.
-___________+

34. -___________+ Classroom, School and Districtwide
Practices and Behaviors
Essential Element of
Cultural Proficiency
- Adapt your communication, work, management, and     teaching style to meet the needs of others, not your own     needs.
-  Make time for and engage in on-going opportunities to     increase your knowledge about culture and language to     enhance your skills in cross cultural communication.     Don’t just delegate this to others.
-  Observe and learn from others who have been successful     in cross-cultural communication, interaction, and     teaching.
-  Serve as a resource to others. Share successes as well as     challenges. Solicit input and involvement from     colleagues.
-  Provide and solicit input about culturally proficient     policies, practices, and procedures, especially for
working with all student groups.
-  Partner with students and parents to learn how to better     meet the needs of students in all cultural communities.
-  View and promote all students, parents, and staff as     sources of knowledge and strength.
ENGAGE AND ADAPT
TO DIVERSITY
-___________+

35. -___________+ Classroom, School and Districtwide
Practices and Behaviors
Essential Elements of
Cultural Proficiency
Model and share the ways that learning about yourself     and others has shifted your own attitudes, perceptions
and  behavior.
-  Teach students how to become smart.
-  Ask for feedback about your own cultural competence.
-  Create environments that acknowledge, include, and     respect student, parent, and staff cultural/religious     differences, and multiple work and communication styles.
-  Learn and use the language of students, parents, and staff.
-  Assess student/staff progress and skills in a variety of    ways.
-  Give frequent, timely, specific,relevant feedback about        progress.
-  Provide accommodations to meet the cultural, linguistic,     communication, learning, and work styles of students
and staff.
-  Interact with students, parents, and staff who are
different from you.
USE, INSTITUTIONALIZE, INTEGRATE CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE
-___________+

36. SEVEN STAGES OF CULTURAL IDENTITY
Pre-encounter Stage 1
• Internalizes negative stereotypes.
• May not be aware of this.
Encounter Stage 2
• Acknowledges personal impact of prejudice, discrimination, oppression.
• Anger at “other” group.
Immersion/Emersion Stage 3
• Surrounds self with obvious symbols of one’s identity and avoids experiences of “other” group(s).
• “Other-focused” anger dissipates and sense of self is reaffirmed.
Contact Stage 1
• Not aware of oppression of others or of own privilege.
• Curious about and intrigued by difference.
Disintegration Stage 2
• May feel guilty or ashamed about one’s advantage.
• May try to “convert” others.
• Cognitive dissonance.
Reintegration Stage 3
• Re-direct, refocus anger at “other” group. Blame “other” group.
• Cannot continue to challenge close friends or abandon long-held beliefs.
• Continued dialogue needed to move to next stage.
“Target Cultural Identity” “Agent Cultural Identity”

37. • Less need to assert “super__” attitude.
Plateau: Cultural Equilibrium Stage 4
• Prefers interactions with own group; maintains polite, politically correct interactions with members of dominant group.
• May not challenge members of dominant group out of frustration/cynicism/ fear; may not seek to educate members of other group.
Internalization Stage 5
• Less need to assert “super__” attitude.
• Coalition building (with same and “other” groups).
Internalization-Commitment Stage 6
• Can perceive and transcend race.
Autonomy/Interdependence Stage 7
• Has good relationships with other group without feeling guilty/ compromised.
• Constantly re-evaluating own attitudes, beliefs, behaviors.
• Forms alliances/advocacy for others.
Plateau: Cultural Insulation Stage 4
• Awareness of issues of others and own good intentions leads to political correctness; pseudo-relationships with members of other groups’ denounces racism in others.
• May wish to blame problems not on race/ ethnicity/culture and conditions of otherness, but on “the system,” i.e., class and socio economics.
Pseudo-Independent Stage 5
• With encouragement, can question own attitudes and relationships.
• Actively begin to affiliate with “other” group.
Immersion/Emersion Stage 6
• Seeks out new, improved, alternative ways to belong to his/her group.
• Seeks out ways to become ally.
• Has good relationships with “other group without feeling guilty/compromised.
• Constantly re-evaluating own attitudes, beliefs, behaviors.
• Forms alliances/advocary for others.
Adapted by Graham, S From Cross, W.E. Jr, Helms, J.E., and Tatum, B.D.

38. Four Levels of Curriculum Reform
James A. Banks, “Approaches to
Multicultural Curriculum Reform”
Levels of Integration of Ethnic Content
Level         The Social Action Approach   Students make decisions on          important social issues and take             actions to help solve them.
Level The Information Approach The structure of the curriculum is changed to enable students to view concepts, issues, events, and themes from the perspective of diverse ethnic and cultural groups.

39. Content, concepts, themes, and pers-
Level 2
The Additive Approach
Content, concepts, themes, and pers-
pectives are added to the curriculum
without changing its structure.
Level 1
The Contributions Approach
Focuses on heroes, holidays, and
discrete cultural elements.

40. Insights
Next Steps