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Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency
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Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency
An Equitable Approach to Race and Social Class in Our Schools



February 2022 | 416 pages | Corwin

The pathway to uncovering and dismantling inequities

Educational leaders who work in the district, site, or classroom level know that opportunity gaps have long been a focus of education policy in the United States. Leadership can be a critical lever for advancing policies that oppose racism and confront systemic inequities. In meeting this challenge, educators have found that acknowledging beliefs and behaviors is critical. Still, deficit-based thinking, especially due to privilege, remains a barrier to equity. Among the most damaging blind spots is the continuation of practices that are grounded in the values of entitled groups.

Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency tells the story of a school community in the midwest United States that contended with its approach to teaching and valuing students of diverse backgrounds. Featuring the research-based Cultural Proficiency Framework and Tools, the book provides a clear road map to advancing equity across schools and districts. Designed to support leaders and school communities in developing policies and practices that respond to the needs of all students, this book

  • Guides school leaders in a journey of learning the theory and strategies that improved student achievement and improved the working conditions in this district
  • Features a real-life case study of a school community using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency and the Framework
  • Provides vignettes and data, based on work conducted across an actual school district, that resulted in improvements in school climate, achievement, mindset, and equitable educational practices
  • Includes powerful reflection, dialogic, and action activities for use in a variety of community learning modalities
  • Is grounded in assets-based assumptions with respect to students, families, and the school community

With a focus on engagement, leadership, implementation frameworks, and collaborative learning, the authors demonstrate how to uncover and remedy inequities. Designed for education leaders at all levels of the education system, this is the ideal foundational text for implementing Cultural Proficiency in your setting as you open doors for all students to thrive.

 
Foreword
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Part I: School Leadership: Educational Debt, Race, Social Class, and Change
 
1. Leading Equity Starts With “Why”
Calibration

 
Why You?

 
Why District and School Leadership?

 
Why Cultural Proficiency?

 
Why Race and Social Class?

 
Why Do We Even Have to Consider Our "Why"?

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to our Next Destination

 
 
2. The Cultural Proficiency Framework: Research and Planning
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Planning, Research, and Cultural Proficiency

 
The Framework and Tools of Cultural Proficiency

 
A Case Study: Narratives as Illustrations of an Organizational Change Process Using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency

 
Inquiry: A Guide for Leading Organizational Change Toward Equity, Access, and Inclusion

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to our Next Destination

 
 
3. The Intersectionality of Race and Social Class
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to the Intersectionality of Race and Social Class

 
A Word About Nomenclature: Words Matter

 
Theoretical Frameworks

 
Race and Social Class in Education

 
Opportunity, Access, and Educational Gaps

 
Equity by Whatever Means It Takes

 
Today’s Inequities

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
4. Individual and Organizational Change Leadership
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Leading the Change

 
Identification

 
Culturally Proficient Leadership for System Transformation

 
Being Present and Involved in the Work

 
Foundational Leadership Research on the Case of Eaveston

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
Part II: The Framework of Cultural Proficiency
 
5. Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency
Stories from Eaveston

 
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency

 
Identifying Barriers to Cultural Proficiency

 
Acknowledging and Overcoming Barriers

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to our Next Destination

 
 
6. Relying on Our Inclusive Core Values; The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency for Organizational Change
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Relying on the Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency

 
The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency

 
Turning Inward and Relying on the Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency

 
Eaveston’s Reliance on the Guiding Principles

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
7. Telling Our Stories and Changing the Conversations: The Cultural Proficiency Continuum
Stories from Eaveston

 
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to the Cultural Proficiency Continuum

 
The Cultural Proficiency Continuum

 
Eaveston’s Voices

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
8. Committing to Standards of Equity-Focused Change Through Improvement and Growth with the Essential Elements
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to the Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency

 
The Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency

 
The Essential Elements Guide Development of a Transformational Equity Action Plan

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
Part III: Commitment to Planning, Collaboration, Growth, and Improvement
 
9. Implementation: Planning for Challenges Along the Journey
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Challenges of Implementation and Sustainability

 
Preparing for the Challenges of the Journey

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
10. Lessons Learned and Recommendations for School Leaders
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Recommendations for School Leaders

 
Diverse Family and Community Engagement

 
Professional Learning Communities

 
Continuous School Improvement

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
11. Implementation and Sustainability: Commitment to Action Planning
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to a Commitment to Learning, Planning, and Ensuring Equity

 
Commitment to Learning and Action Planning

 
Strategic Planning for Implementation and Sustainability

 
Transformational Action Planning

 
Looking in the Rearview Mirror

 
On to Our Next Destination

 
 
12. Sustainability: Commitment to Ensuring Equitable Outcomes
Calibration

 
On-Ramp to Ensuring Equitable Outcomes

 
Cultural Proficiency Policy to Practice

 
Building the Critical Mass

 
Race, Social Class, and Cultural Proficiency: Ensuring Equity for All

 
 
Resources
 
References

The authors do an excellent job of making connections between theory and practice, providing clear guidance and examples of how to bridge the two. This book provides a practical tool that can be applied immediately to help principals assess the alignment of their plans with continually moving toward being a culturally proficient organization.

Jeff Ronneberg
Superintendent Spring Lake Park Schools

Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency is a must-read for anyone in education who wants to be the voice of educational reform so that all students feel valued and are able to achieve success regardless of race and/or socioeconomic status.

Melissa Miller
Sixth-Grade Science Teacher Farmington Middle School

For instructors

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