Leading Change Through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency

An Equitable Approach to Race and Social Class in Our Schools

Jaime E. Welborn, Tamika Casey, Keith T. Myatt, Randall B. Lindsey

• Publisher: Corwin
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781071823699
• eBook ISBN: 9781071823675
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Administration

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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Acknowledgements
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Part I School Leadership: Educational Debt, Race, Social Class, and Change
• Chapter 1 Leading Equity Starts With “Why”
• Chapter 2 The Cultural Proficiency Framework: Research and Planning
• Chapter 3 The Intersectionality of Race and Social Class
• Chapter 4 Individual and Organizational Change Leadership
• Part II The Framework of Cultural Proficiency
• Chapter 5 Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency
• Chapter 6 Relying on Our Inclusive Core Values: The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency for Organizational Change
• Chapter 7 Telling Our Stories and Changing the Conversations: The Cultural Proficiency Continuum
• Chapter 8 Committing to Standards of Equity-Focused Change Through Improvement and Growth With the Essential Elements
• Part III Commitment to Planning, Collaboration, Growth, and Improvement
• Chapter 9 Implementation: Planning for Challenges Along the Journey
• Chapter 10 Lessons Learned and Recommendations for School Leaders
• Chapter 11 Implementation and Sustainability: Commitment to Action Planning
• Chapter 12 Sustainability: Commitment to Ensuring Equitable Outcomes
• Resources
• References
• Index
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