Dale Ellis, Ed. D
Superintendent
Montgomery County Schools
January 9, 2013
Chapter 1: Cultural
Proficiency

Cultural Proficiency is a mind-set,
a worldview, a way a person or an
organization make assumptions for
effectively describing, responding
to, and planning for issues that
arise in diverse environments.
The Four Tools

 The Barriers
 The Guiding Principals
 The Continuum
 The Essential Elements
The Barriers

 The presumption of entitlement and privilege makes
some people blind to barriers experienced by others.
 Systems of oppression and privilege are forces that
affect some individuals based upon membership in a
distinct cultural group.
 Unawareness of the need to adapt is a type of
resistance to change where some individuals believe
other groups need to change to adapt to the
dominant group.
The Guiding Principals

 Culture is a predominant force…You can’t not have
a culture.
 People are served in varying degrees by the
dominant culture.
 Group identity of individuals is as important as
individual identities.
 Diversity within cultures is vast and significant.
 Each group has unique cultural needs.
 The family, as defined within the culture, is the
predominant force in a child’s education.
The Guiding PrincipalsCont.’

 Marginalized populations have to be at least
bicultural, which creates unique issues.
 Cross-cultural interactions are dynamic and must be
acknowledged, adjusted to, and accepted.
 The school system must incorporate cultural
knowledge into practice and policy making.
The Continuum

 Cultural Destructiveness – Seeks to eliminate
cultures within the school.
 Cultural Incapacity – Trivializing and stereotyping
other cultures….making others inferior to the
dominant group.
 Cultural blindness – Not noticing or acknowledging
other cultures and being blind to the need for
differentiation.
The Continuum – Cont.’

 Cultural Precompetence – Increasing awareness of what
you and the school don’t know about working in diverse
settings. Can move forward or regress from here.
 Cultural Competence – Inclusive of different views in
such a way that healthy and positive interactions can take
place.
 Cultural Proficiency – Holding the vision that you and the
school are instruments for creating a socially-just
democracy; interacting with your colleagues, your
students, their families, and their communities as an
advocate for lifelong learning to serve effectively the
educational needs of all cultural groups.
The Essential Elements

 Assess Culture – Identify the differences
 Value Diversity – Embrace the differences
 Manage Difference – Reframe the differences so it is
not viewed as a problem to be solved
 Adapt to Diversity – Teach and learn the differences
so you can respond effectively
 Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge – Change
systems to ensure healthy and effective responses
A Historical Context

Pre-1950’s – Segregation
1950’s – Desegregation
1960’s – Integration, equal access, equal
rights
1970’s – Equal benefits, multiculturalism
1980’s – Diversity
1990’s – Cultural Competence
2000’s – Cultural Proficiency
Table Time

 In what decade do you feel your faculty members
reside?
 Discuss your findings on the question above in light
of “The Culturally Proficient Professional” on page
21. Is there no gap, a mud puddle, or a crevice?
Chapter 2 – A Cultural and Historical Context
for Our Unfolding Democracy

 An inside-out approach = those external of the
school are relieved of the responsibility of
adaptation.
 Requirements include an informed and dedicated
faculty/staff, committed and involved leadership,
and time.
Important Points to
Remember

 A culture is a group of people identified by their shared
history, values, and patterns of behavior.
 When thinking of culture, most think of ethnic culture
associated with people who are different from them.
 Social cultures are groups of people who share a common
interest.
 Occupational cultures involve groups who share a
vocation.
 Organizational culture is shared by all who work for the
school system
The “Legacy” (pp.29-41)

 Segregation
 Exclusion
 Immigrant/Caste systems
 Social Darwinism
 Eugenics
 Racism
 Sexism
 Heterosexism
Ch. 3 – Leadership for
Today’s Schools

 Principals working in a transactional world are
expected to produce transformational changes
- Lindsey, Daly, & Ibarra (2009, p.7)
Transformational
Leadership

 Idealized Influence – You’ve got to stand for
something or you’ll fall for anything.
 Inspirational Motivation – I believe I can fly…
 Intellectual Stimulation – Change is good.
 Individualized Consideration – How may I help
you?
Key Leadership
Characteristics

 Taking responsibility for one’s own learning.
 Having a vision for what the school can be.
 Effectively sharing that vision with others.
 Assessing one’s own assumptions and beliefs.
 Understanding the structural and organic nature of
schools.
 How can you use this knowledge to advance cultural
proficiency in YOUR school?
Collaborative
Leadership

 In your words, what does this look like at your
school?
 Take 2 minutes with a neighbor.
The Culturally Proficient
Leader

 You must be able to identify issues of class, caste,
culture, and gender.
 You must develop a vision and a mission that serves
the needs of all students.
 You must guide others in challenging assumptions
and translating perspectives, perceptions, values,
and goals into agendas for school change.
 You must be able to support and lead school
personnel in formulating plans for school change.
Case 1

 In a SIT discussion, a teacher exclaims, “I am having
the hardest time reaching these kids. These kids can’t
learn!”
 Discuss how you would handle with your neighbor
in 2-3 minutes.
Case 2

 A parent wants to meet with you. After the
discussion, you confirm through witnesses that a
teacher made a derogatory statement in class about a
student. The student is perceived as gay by students
and staff although the student has neither confirmed
nor denied it. The teacher’s statement was in relation
to the student’s sexual orientation.
 Discuss how you would handle with your neighbor in 2-3
minutes.
Case 3

 In reviewing class discipline, you notice that a
teacher had 15 referrals last month. Fourteen of the
referrals were for African American males. African
American males make up just 10 percent of the
teacher’s class list.
 Discuss how you would handle with your neighbor
in 2-3 minutes.
Review Activity

 Review pp. 55-56
 Answer the “Going Deeper” questions on page 56 in
the reflection area.
 The depth at which you take this with your faculty is
up to you, based upon school need. We will study
the entire book and you can use the salient tools as
you see necessary. Be prepared to discuss next steps
at your 3rd quarter coaching session.