Culturally Proficient Practices: Changing the …marinschools.org/ECE/Documents/2012_13 Prof Dev/Changing...Culturally Proficient Practices: Changing the Conversation Learning Agreements

Culturally Proficient Practices: Changing the Conversation

Learning Agreements

Tech check – phones, etc.,

Hand signals, chimes

Be 100% present,

Participate to seek and understand,

Learn about self and others, and

Enjoy the day!

Delores & Randall Lindsey 2 Marin COE

Intended Outcomes

Participants to envision Cultural Proficiency as a shared priority – PreK3 thru 12

Participants to experience Cultural Proficiency as personal and professional work

Participants to develop Culturally Proficient efficacious practices in site-level applications including family engagement

Participants to use Cultural Proficiency book as a guide for addressing school climate as well as access and achievement gap issues.


In appreciation of the gifts from

Terry Cross


‘Our Community of Practice’

Raymond Terrell

Kikanza Nuri

Delores B. Lindsey

Randall B. Lindsey

Brenda CampbellJones

Franklin CampbellJones

Laraine Roberts

Richard M. Martinez

Stephanie Graham

R. Chris Westphal, Jr.

Cynthia Jew

Linda Jungwirth

Jarvis Pahl

Keith Myatt

Michelle Karns

Diana Stephens

Carmella Franco

Maria Ott

Darline Robles

Reyes Quezada

Richard Diaz


Margaret Wheatley says . . .

Conversation is different . . .


What’s in a Name?

Find 2 discussion partners who you do not know well

Share Your complete name Your preferred name Who gave you your

name How you experience

your name How you think others

experience your name

Marin COEDelores & Randall Lindsey 7

Expectations

What do you want to achieve today?

What do you want to learn?

What are you willing to do to make this session successful for you and your colleagues?


Ordered Sharing: Most Important Points - MIPs

You will work in a small task group with Chapter 1 from Culturally Proficient Learning Communities.

Take 20 minutes to read the chapter and to locate 2-3 Most Important Points.

Then, share a MIP– the most important finding, or key idea from the reading. (15 min)

Discuss themes or commonalities or differences that emerge from your chapter. (5 minutes)

In what ways might the information from the reading apply to quality teaching and learning at your school?


Cultural Proficiency

Is an inside-out approach and the theme for our sessions 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; it can be nurtured


Cultural Proficiency functions as

A worldview,A perspective,A mindset,A mental model,A lens, through which

to view your work

The manner in which we lead our lives.

Cultural Proficiency Institute 6 11 8/2/12

Cultural Perceptions

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


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


The Tools of Cultural Proficiency

The Barriers Caveats that assist in responding

effectively to resistance to change

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


Reflection and Dialogue

Reflection and Dialogue are essential processes for individuals and organizations engaged in a journey toward Cultural Proficiency: Reflection is the discussion we have

with ourselves to understand our values and behaviors

Dialogue is the discussion we have with others to understand their values and behaviors

Reflection and Dialogue are fundamental to probing and understanding organizations’ policies and practices


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 district’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 district and school colleagues?

What standards do you, district/school use to ensure equitable learning outcomes for Pre K-3 through high school students?

To what extent are you satisfied with student learning outcomes in your school and in your district?


The presumption of entitlement

Systems of oppression

Unawareness of the need to adapt

Resistance to change

The barriers to cultural proficiency are systemic privilege, oppression, and resistance to change

Barriers to Cultural Proficiency


List 5 things about you, that if taken from you, you would not be the same person you are today


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

The Guiding Principles are the core values, the foundation upon which the approach is built

Focus on Assets: Guiding Principles


Guiding Principles, con’t

The best of both worlds enhances the capacity of all

The family, as defined by the culture, is the primary system of support in the education of children

School systems must recognize that marginalized groups have to be at least bicultural‘Community-centric’ vs ‘School-centric’

Schools must recognize and adjust to effects of historical oppression - over representation in special education and under representation in gifted programs


Systemic Tension – Conceptual Framework

The Barriers are the manifestations of beliefs held by people who explicitly or implicitly resist change and foster a sense of privilege and entitlement that inform Destructiveness, Incapacity & Blindness

The Guiding Principles are explicit or implicit manifestations of core values and beliefs held by people, the foundation upon which the approach is built, that inform Precompetence, Competence & Proficiency


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


What are you thinking?

Paired Verbal Fluency


The Continuum

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.


Cultural Destructiveness

Any policy, practice or behavior that effectively eliminates all vestiges of other people’s cultures.


Cultural Incapacity

Any policy, practice or behavior that presumes one culture superior to others.


Cultural Blindness

Any policy, practice or behavior that ignores existing cultural differences or that considers such differences inconsequential.


Cultural Precompetence

Characterized by people and organizations who recognize that their skills and practices are limited when interacting with other cultural groups.


Cultural Competence

Any policy, practice or behavior that uses the Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency as the standards for the individual or the organization.


Cultural Proficiency

Manifest in organizations and people who esteem culture, who know how to learn about individual and organizational cultures, and who interact effectively with a variety of cultures. Such people and organizations are committed to Advocacy,

Social Justice, and

Life-long learning


Two Views

Windows Mirrors


Chimamanda Adichie:

The Danger of a Single Story



Stand-up Dialogues

Join with 3 colleagues

Suggested prompts: What is your reaction to the video? What is ‘the single story?’ What single stories do you see in your work? Describe if you have been an agent/target of a single

story.

Large group comment, discussion


‘Shadow’ or ‘Light’?

“I think . . . of educators who create the conditions under which young people must spend so many hours: some shine a light that allows new growth to flourish, while others cast a shadow under which seedlings die.”

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak, 2000, 78


Essential Elements for Cultural Competence

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


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, AnthropologistDelores & Randall Lindsey 37 Marin COE

Voices that Resonate I


Culturally Proficient Practices: Changing the Conversation

Learning Agreements

Tech check – phones, etc.,

Hand signals, chimes,

Be 100% present,

Participate to seek and understand,

Learn about self and others, and

Enjoy the day!


Intended Outcomes

Participants to envision Cultural Proficiency as a shared priority – PreK3 thru 12

Participants to experience Cultural Proficiency as personal and professional work

Participants to develop Culturally Proficient efficacious practices in and site-level applications and family engagement

Participants to use Cultural Proficiency book as a guide for addressing climate, access and achievement gap issues.


Give One, Get One

Reflecting on yesterday’s session, record in any of the 3 boxes what you learned/affirmed that is important to you and your role as an educational leader for Marin County Schools. Be prepared to share your responses.

42Delores & Randall Lindsey Marin COE

Provide illustrations of unhealthy language informed by barriers.

Provide illustrations of healthy language informed by advocacy, learning, & socially just actions.

43 Marin COEDelores & Randall Lindsey

Unpacking the Rubrics:‘Verbs & Adjectives’ or ‘Assumptions’ Tasks

Group A:

Study your rubric beginning with ‘Destructiveness’ and proceeding to ‘Proficiency’ for each of the 5 Essential Elements to study changes in verbs and adjectives.

Group B:

Study your rubric by examining 2 columns – ‘Informed by Barriers’ and ‘Informed by Guiding Principles’ to summarize assumptions about students.


Culturally Proficient Learning Communities

Members of culturally proficient learning communities are willing to explore and assess their knowledge about the diversity of their communities, recognize the assumptions one makes about the cultural groups within the communities, and become more informed in order to be a more effective educator.

From Culturally Proficient Learning Communities, Preface


Culturally Proficient Learning Communities

Build a school culture that promotes and values high expectations, accountability, learning, collaboration, ownership and involvement, respect, diversity, positive relations, and ethical practice.


Learning communities exist and grow as trusting relationships develop

Trust is built over time

Relationships are formed among colleagues with parents and students

Diversity is expected and required in collaborative communities

Collaboration & Communication


What is your curiosity about your work?

To what degree are you willing to be disturbed and curious about teaching and learning at your school?

To what degree are you willing to ask breakthrough questions about teaching and learning at your school?

To what degree are you willing to create a disturbance?


What have we done or not done to cause the patterns that persist?

How can we recognize what is going on in order to effectively intervene?

How can we recognize and change our behaviors to get the results we want?

What is it about my thinking and beliefs that allow the results to persist?


What is your role in disturbing patterns of racial and or cultural disparity in your schools?

What changes are you willing to lead to improve student experiences and achievement?

What role will you play in bringing about equity in your schools and districts?


Characteristics of Thinking Questions

They are invitational

They are facilitated through use ofApproachable voicePlural formsExploratory languagePositive presuppositionsOpen ended


Thinking Questions . . .

Engage specific cognitive processes: Input - Recall, define, name, listProcess - compare, infer, analyze,

summarizeOutput - predict, evaluate, speculate,

imagine, hypothesize


Thinking Questions . . .

Address and analyze content and context: Lesson plans Teaching style Observations Assessment data Values and beliefs Student behaviors


Questions as Barriers or Breakthroughs for Thinking

Barriers: Yes or no answers

Provoke defensive responses (Why?)

Distracts or interrupts thinking

Breakthroughs: Mediates thinking from stuck to moving

Helps shift thinking: (inquire to broaden: probe to focus)

Creates new possibilitiesDelores & Randall Lindsey 54 Marin COE

Characteristics of Breakthrough Questions

Uses the essence of one or more Essential Elements for Cultural Proficiency to shape the action in the question;

Uses exploratory, plural, and inclusive language;

Uses positive intentionality;

Uses language to mediate thinking and/or action toward goals; and

Uses language that redirects thinking from certainty to curiosity and possibility.


…

Locate a new partner.

Read through the barrier questions.

Select “barrier” questions or write new ones and develop “breakthrough” questions.


Planning to Plan

Team Action Planning – In what ways might Cultural Proficiency inform and influence your work at your school?


Action Plan Template

Start with your Vision and Mission

What is your Current Reality? Data and Rationale?

What is your Desired State/Outcomes?

Then, build your Action Steps.


Culturally Proficient Action Planning

Use Cultural Proficiency Proficiency to support your SMART Goals.

In what ways will Cultural Proficiency support you in achieving your Goals?

In what ways will Cultural Proficiency Proficiency support you as you Benchmark and measure for success?


Mindful Action Steps

Engage in Culturally Proficient book studies by faculty groups;

Participate in on-going data collection and analyses for curriculum alignment;

Use reflective practice and dialogue to strengthen instruction;

Collaborate with parent and community groups;

Support extended learning through Quality Instruction for all learners, all the time;

Actively engage in benchmarking sessions; and,

Align all actions with Vision and Mission!


Our Task & Responsibility

If the gaps are to be closed, as well-intentioned and well-informed educators and laypersons, we must step forward as leaders to examine our values and behaviors and the policies and practices that shape teaching and learning at our schools.

We can make a difference for our students and their communities when we listen to who our students say they are and what their needs are. Too often our needs or the needs of the school system take precedent over the needs of our students and their communities.


What It Will take to be Culturally Proficient

Focus on moral purpose of the work.

Develop and manage support structures and practices.

Invite, require, and value multiple perspectives.

Focus on student achievement and results.

Develop a critical mass ofeducator leaders.


Voices that Resonate II


National Center for Cultural Competence:

http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/

Education in and for Democracy

The best case for public education has always been that it is a common good.

As the main institution for fostering social cohesion in an increasingly diverse society, publicly funded schools must serve all children, not simply those with the loudest or most powerful advocates. This means addressing the cognitive and social needs of all children, with an emphasis on including those who may not have been well served in the past.

Michael Fullan, The Moral Imperative of School Leadership


The Function of Education

Is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically, intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr.


Cultural Proficiency Institute 2013

June 26 & 27, 2013

Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by Corwin and Authors


Contact Point

Randy – [email protected]

Delores – [email protected]

Margaret Wheatley concludes . . .

There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about . . .


Thank youFor your willingness to engage in this work

Your commitment to the students of your communityYour commitment to each other

Your honest reflections and participation
