"What is best about this remarkable book is its constant reminder that the courage to do what is just and right for the ′underserved′ comes to those who face the ′brutal facts,′ listen to the difficult questions, and seek support and guidance from educators in the field. This book is an inspiring companion needed now more than ever."—Sidney Morrison, PrincipalHoward Wood Elementary School, Torrance, CA"Provides the information and tools needed to create powerful learning communities in which the academic and co-curricular needs and the well-being of all students are addressed through purposeful inquiry and culturally proficient practices. This text is a must-read for educational leader preparation programs and for all educational leaders who want to make a difference."—Linda Purrington, Director, Educational Leadership AcademyPepperdine UniversityUse inquiry to promote equity and transform your school′s educational environment!Imagine improving student and teacher performance and enriching the culture in your school while implementing deeper goals for educational equity and long-term success. Using the lens of cultural proficiency, the authors lead practitioners through the process of gathering and analyzing data to meet the needs of historically underserved students. This book provides educators with a critical evaluation process and rubrics to examine why some students are not being educated to their full potential. The chapters carefully guide readers through the steps of analyzing and using data to:Encourage discussions about promoting educational equity for all studentsCreate a realistic picture of the cultural and economic diversity of your schoolInitiate authentic systemic changeEffectively respond to NCLB legislative mandatesWith a CD-ROM of tables and spreadsheets for data entry, Culturally Proficient Inquiry provides a model for framing professional conversations and making data-based decisions to ensure that all children receive the education they deserve.

"This new application for cultural proficiency is a testament to the educator-student relationship based on respect, understanding, and a common purpose, no matter what the background or culture of the student happens to be. We can't afford for more students to disengage from education. Thankfully, the authors provide a framework that builds on where we are and that moves us toward a positive, asset-building environment rather than a destructive deficit mind-set."—Kathleen Gavin, Coordinator of Professional DevelopmentGreat Prairie Area Education Agency, Burlington, IA

Develop culturally proficient policies and practices that create opportunities for students of poverty!

Written to counter the perspective that students from low-income backgrounds come to school with certain deficits that prevent them from learning, this timely resource provides educators with the knowledge and skills to maximize educational opportunities for all students, independent of students' socioeconomic status.

The authors examine equity and social issues through the lens of cultural proficiency, an approach that emphasizes how educators can break down self-imposed barriers to student success through self-reflection, personal change, and organizational reform. Focusing on students' strengths, this guide provides:

An examination of how poverty intersects with other groupings, such as race, ethnicity, language acquisition, and genderEffective teaching and leadership strategies grounded in the latest researchVignettes and case studies showing the faces of poverty and the barriers they faceReflective activities and self-check protocols that guide readers toward effective practices

Culturally Proficient Education helps teachers and school leaders clear the path to success for students of all social and economic backgrounds.

"Cultural proficiency challenges learning communities to go even deeper when inquiring about student barriers to success. This perspective is necessary to truly address the achievement and expectation gaps in our schools. Before we ask ourselves why our students are not succeeding, we must understand and examine our own perceptions and assumptions about them."—Timothy A. Bias, AdministratorPomona Unified School District, CA

Close the achievement gap with equity-focused professional learning communities!

Professional learning communities (PLCs) can be a powerful force for creating equitable, inclusive schools where all students succeed. Integrating the four Tools of Cultural Proficiency with the PLC framework, this relevant guide offers school leaders, district administrators, and staff developers a collaborative approach to address bias and inequity.

Culturally Proficient Learning Communities discusses the impact of our history on cultural understanding and provides a wealth of practical PLC-building strategies—including assessment and inquiry-driven planning, instructional design, curriculum development, coaching, leadership, and shared decision making. The authors examine the goals, purpose, and process of creating and sustaining equity-focused PLCs through:

Templates, protocols, activities, and rubrics for deconstructing inequity in student achievementStories, tools, and thinking prompts to guide an inside-out transformation toward cultural proficiencyAn extended example of one school district's journey in becoming a culturally proficient learning community

Schools that view diversity and differences as assets and opportunities will experience stronger holistic growth and increased academic achievement!

Are you doing all you can to improve teaching and learning?

Culturally proficient instruction is the result of an inside-out journey of teaching and learning during which you explore your values and behaviors while evaluating the policies and practices of your workplace. The journey deepens your understanding of yourself and your community of practice. In the newest version of their best-selling book, the authors invite you to reflect on how you engage with your students and your colleagues as a community of learners. The third edition features a case study to show cultural proficiency in practice and:

An updated discussion of standards-based education guidelinesA conceptual framework for the tools of cultural proficiencyNew language for understanding the microaggressions of dominant cultures An integrated guide for use with study groups

Each chapter contains reflective activities and group work conducive to collaborative professional development. Culturally Proficient Instruction is invaluable for anyone dedicated to creating an environment in which all learners can succeed. 

Help your English learning students achieve academic success!U.S. demographics are quickly shifting, and it is more important than ever to reach and teach English learning students. Designed to empower educators to become agents of change in their classrooms, schools, and communities, this guide introduces the principles of Cultural Proficiency and how they can help improve educators' ability to effectively teach English language learners. This book features:

Activities that build core Cultural Proficiency skills and promote personal transformationA chapter-by-chapter rubric for working effectively with English learning studentsA conversation-starting case story featuring the River View School DistrictStrategies for using action research to improve the success of English learning students

By focusing on Cultural Proficiency—and the underlying causes of EL achievement gaps—educators can uncover ways to break down academic barriers and use students' cultural background as educational assets.

"This is a valuable resource for staff developers creating culturally proficient learning environments to close the achievement gap. This work focuses on English learning students with the same 'inside out' approach as the authors' previous work. A perfect asset for a professional learning community book study!"—Linda Fisher, Staff Development CoordinatorLincoln Unified School District, Stockton, CA

"The book provides the school leader with the tools to engage themselves and others in making English learning students a priority. It is a must read for educators to get those hard and healthy conversations started and to examine our school practices and policies."—Lori Henderson, Assistant Superintendent of Educational ServicesManitoba, Canada

Equity expertise from premier educators

The Best of Corwin series showcases key chapters from critically acclaimed Corwin publications for a powerful compilation of perspectives on important education issues and topics. The Best of Corwin: Equity features a variety of stellar authors who believe in making education accessible and successful for all students and ultimately creating a stronger democratic society. Offering a unique perspective on overcoming barriers to student achievement, these authors share academic research, creative ideas, and concrete, practical strategies. Key topics include:

The tools of cultural proficiencyCourageous conversations about raceHow to analyze data to uncover and eliminate inequities Equity auditsPowerful classroom strategiesReflecting on practice

This book is aimed at all educators, with particular emphasis on teachers and those who support teachers. Learn from the best as you strive to make our schools places of excellence where all students have the same opportunity to learn.

An introspective response with LGBT communities for positive change

A Culturally Proficient Response to LGBT Communities is a guide for educators to collaboratively combat issues of discrimination, inequity, and bullying through the review of current policies, practices, and deeply held assumptions about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered (LGBT) communities. This inside-out approach carries readers through a personal journey of reflection to action by using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency to examine their values, beliefs, and assumptions about how LGBT communities are served educationally. 

 Creating safe and welcoming schools includes both setting effective and appropriate policies and the inside-out analyses of one’s own beliefs and values. Resulting cultural proficiencies, steeped in self-reflection, boost empathy and improve learning environments. On this simple, powerful premise, readers will find:

Inside-out growth through personal stories and case-studies Reflection through activities and prompts appropriate for individuals and teams Insight into current responses to bullying

Using this first step for positive systemic change, school leaders can elevate understanding and propel schools toward safe and diverse-friendly environments.

"This book provides essential tools for educators who want to make schools safe and welcoming for all students.  I could not put this book down. In my nearly 25 years of education I have not come across a resource that handles the needs of LGBT students as sensitively and supportively as these authors have using the tools of Cultural Proficiency." —Gunn Marie Hansen, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Orange Unified School District, CA

The groundbreaking guide to cultural proficiency in schools, updated to meet today’s challenges  The first edition of The Culturally Proficient School opened new dialogue about diversity and cultural dignity that had an immediate impact on educators, becoming the go-to resource for ideas about how to serve all students equitably. This second edition incorporates reader feedback and up-to-date research on closing access and achievement gaps, delivering a guide to cultural proficiency that is more relevant, accessible and effective than ever. New content includes:• Instructive vignettes that reflect contemporary truths about educational diversity and moral leadership• Emphasis on skills development, including the art and science of conversation• A conceptual framework that makes clear the first steps to take towards a more culturally proficient schoolThe face of educational diversity is changing. Now more than ever, this book is the key to mastering the challenges and opportunities it presents. "In The Culturally Proficient School, the authors take the reader on a journey of personal reflection and capacity building. This authentic examination of our assumptions and practices creates a necessary, healthy tension to move from simply learning to changing our practices in schools. In a nutshell, an educational leader can take this book and create a learning community that aligns the work of adults around a commitment to creating a culturally proficient school that benefits each student."— Jeff Ronneberg, SuperintendentSpring Lake Park Schools, MN

Professional development that increases educator effectiveness and student success! Learning Forward is a leader in understanding and advancing professional learning that leads to student success.  This series explores Learning Forward’s seven Standards for Professional Learning which outline the characteristics of effective professional learning that, collectively, advance teaching and learning. This volume gives teachers and administrators a detailed roadmap for implementing the Outcomes standard. Deepen you knowledge of this standard with:  

An original essay by Delores B. Lindsey and Randall B. Lindsey on using the lens of Cultural Proficiency to highlight the theme of educational equity that is embedded in the standard Practical tools that guide leaders in finding coherence between performance standards for educators and curriculum standards for students A powerful case study to illustrate how the standard was enacted across a major urban school district

With this book, educators will reach new heights in professional growth and students will reap the benefits!

 

General approaches to multiculturalism run the risk of overlooking an increasingly diverse student population that deserves special consideration and attention: students from immigrant backgrounds whose families toil the fields in order to provide better educational opportunities for their children. This book’s purpose is to guide educators to think deeply about their roles and responsibilities in the education of children of farmworker families in our nation’s schools. Readers will view their classrooms, schools, districts, and the migrant programs they lead in a broad and inclusive manner through the lens of cultural proficiency. The initial steps when embracing cultural proficiency entails thinking reflectively about one’s own values and behaviors and the school’s policies and practices toward children of farmworker families. Cultivating a willingness, openness and commitment to meeting the challenges and opportunities of this often-invisible aspect of diversity is an important first step for the development of effective educational practices for migrant students and their families. The cultural proficiency framework can inform staff development models for working effectively with migrant students and their families.

General approaches to multiculturalism run the risk of overlooking an increasingly diverse student population that deserves special consideration and attention: students from immigrant backgrounds whose families toil the fields in order to provide better educational opportunities for their children. This book’s purpose is to guide educators to think deeply about their roles and responsibilities in the education of children of farmworker families in our nation’s schools. Readers will view their classrooms, schools, districts, and the migrant programs they lead in a broad and inclusive manner through the lens of cultural proficiency. The initial steps when embracing cultural proficiency entails thinking reflectively about one’s own values and behaviors and the school’s policies and practices toward children of farmworker families. Cultivating a willingness, openness and commitment to meeting the challenges and opportunities of this often-invisible aspect of diversity is an important first step for the development of effective educational practices for migrant students and their families. The cultural proficiency framework can inform staff development models for working effectively with migrant students and their families.

Lead a Common Core implementation that closes achievement gaps!

 

Will your Common Core implementation promote equity, access, and inclusion?

 

This illuminating book shows how central Common Core tenets—rigor, meaningful curricula and assessment, and higher order thinking—can become educational realities for every child in your school or district.

 

Written by a team of respected authors known for guiding schools and districts towards cultural proficiency, this resource enables readers to

Understand how underlying beliefs related to historically-underserved students may create roadblocks to effective instruction Create a school culture where diversity is valued, including developing relevant professional learning Compile and analyze meaningful data that enables faculty to better reach students from all backgrounds Advance the goal of college and career-readiness for all learners

 

With a compelling call to action and practical strategies, this timely book points the way to a Common Core implementation that benefits every student.

 

"The authors have ensured that the use of cultural proficiency by educators provides the Common Core State Standards with the 'step towards the place where equity and access are realized for all learners.' Equity and access, two of the pillars of equity in education, are essential if meeting individual student needs are truly to occur."

—Dr. Kenneth R. Magdaleno, Associate Professor

Kremen School of Education, Fresno State, CA

 

“This resource gives not only theory and rationale for this important change in thinking, but also the guided steps to collaborate and reflect as part of the change process."

—Dr. Carol Van Vooren, Assistant Professor

California State University, San Marcos

 

See how one school district made Cultural Proficiency real—and how you can too! In spite of Brown vs. Board of Education, true integration and corresponding equality of educational opportunity is still far from reality in American schools.   Opening Doors tells the story of Ventura Unified School District's successful implementation of cultural proficiency, which opened long-closed doors for marginalized students and returned gains on every key success metric. Most importantly, it will empower you to do the same for your school or district. Resources include:

A method for evaluating the impact of educational decisions on students' access to learning A clear three-year implementation plan for making your school culturally proficient A content-rich companion website that includes templates and forms for implementing the book’s suggestions

It is long past time to make cultural proficiency real by ensuring universally equal access to educational resources for all students. This book removes the remaining barriers to the achievement of this ideal. 

  “This powerfully insightful and thought provoking book, takes us on a journey to culturally proficient actions.” —Rosemary Papa, Professor Northern Arizona University “The book is full of compassion, conviction and hope—pure heart, pure corazón—in the quest to tackle inequality and the opportunity gap head on.” —Gilberto Q. Conchas, Professor of Educational Policy and Social Context University of California, Irvine

Becoming a culturally proficient leader requires the kind of courage, clarity, and insight that can only come from looking inward first. It’s a personal learning journey of will and skill, and if you’re up to the challenge, one that will change how you see your school, your students, and yourself as you build your own cultural competence. Consider this second edition of Culturally Proficient Leadershipyour personal road map for navigating that journey.    Each chapter of Culturally Proficient Leadership invites you to put your experiences up front and challenges you to reframe your story based on multiple viewpoints—now, notably, with the addition of new coauthors Delores Lindsey and Eloise Kemp Terrell, who have their own remarkable stories and insight to share. Overall, all four authors will help you answer the critical question “Is what we say what we do?” utilizing the tools of Cultural Proficiency to 

engage in Reflections and Cultural Interviews to explore what you learn about those who are culturally different from you  develop a Cultural Autobiography to provide a picture of the cultural memberships that have influenced who you are as a person  use the Cultural Proficiency Continuum to examine your progress as a leader in serving your students and communities prepare an intentional Leadership Plan that summarizes your journey from Cultural Precompetence to Cultural Proficiency

The central “inside-out” premise of Cultural Proficiency is that engaging in deep introspection around one’s personal beliefs, values, and behaviors in response to human differences is the first step toward systemic educational reform. We invite you to embark on this journey of self-awareness, of moral courage, and of the life-affirming power of human diversity.    

“I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together—unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and may not come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction: toward a better future for our children and our grandchildren.”  —Barack Obama, Los Angeles Times, 2008   

This is a book for everyone who teaches.  Whether you are responsible for your organization’s training and development, you are providing basic education in an elementary school, or you are creating workshops for professional development, this book will help you manage the dynamics of difference necessary to create an environment where all students can learn.  Use this book as a workbook for small groups, or as a guide for improving the cultural competence of your teaching. “This book is a riveting and unparalleled resource for all educational merchants of hope. . . . The insights, learning strategies, and professional development structures in this edition illuminate a path for all leaders to successfully commit to the journey of being equity champions!” --Dr. Erick E. Witherspoon, National Director of Equity Professional Development Services Generation Ready  “There is no greater honor than to have one’s professional work become the inspiration for a new way of thinking, and transformative literature and action that change the world for schools and the children and youth they serve. I am grateful that the ideas have been so skillfully brought to scale by these authors.” --Dr. Terry L. Cross, MSW, Founder and Senior Advisor National Indian Child Welfare Association 

A call-to-arms for educators in tumultuous times In times of social disruption and uncertainty, we must return to our core values and remember why we entered education in the first place: to make a difference in the lives of all children. Cultural Proficiency can provide us with essential tools for acting on the promise of American public schooling. The Cultural Proficiency Manifesto places today’s political divisiveness in the context of greater historical change and provides a roadmap to interrupting the cycle of hostility towards marginalized groups. Readers will find: • Esteemed author Randall Lindsey’s latest thinking on Cultural Proficiency • A deliberately brief format that unpacks the Cultural Proficiency Framework and offers practical guidance  • Tools and guiding principles to help educators move their school community toward inclusivity  • Prompts for individual reflection and team dialogue Now more than ever, our students need educators to uphold our commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion for all.    "Lindsey's manifesto is a call to action for educators to ensure we are creating culturally responsive environments to support all learners. It teaches us how to authentically engage in the work of educating our wonderfully diverse population." —Julie A. Vitale, Superintendent Romoland School District, CA “This manifesto is indeed timely and essential. Dr. Lindsey's vast experience as an expert and leader in cultural proficiency reminds us that now is the time to acknowledge and address the vast number of diversity, equity, and social justice issues at hand." —Kenneth R. Magdaleno, Executive Director Center for Leadership, Equity, and Research

How often do you hear, “The only parents who showed were the parents who didn’t need to be here.” But how often do you consider time of day, lack of child care, cost of dinner, transportation, lan­guage of the presentation, even relevance of the topic—all real-world barriers for families of our historically underserved students. Here at last is a resource that will open up access and reveal all-new ways to forge more culturally inclusive partnerships with families and communities . . .  partnerships that extend well beyond parent-teacher conferences, PTA meetings, and the occasional bake sale. The two big services Equity Partnerships provides? Using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency, you’ll

Discover new concepts and strategies to engage families and communities—and reduce, if not eliminate, barriers--through four essential principles: communication, connection, collaboration, and community Engage in frequent opportunities to reflect on your own assumptions and values, then collaborate with colleagues to co-create systemic practices and policies for devising, implementing, and assessing family and community engagement actions in your schools and districts

We know inherently that family and community engagement is critical to the success of our stu­dents. Let Equity Partnerships be your go-to tool for breaking down the walls that for too long have limited all of us.

“Raising the next generation is a shared responsibility and privilege. These authors have been first responders for decades by pro­moting Cultural Proficiency as a means to ensure equity and access for all. In Equity Partnerships, they identify the powerful and critical link of family, school, and community engage­ment to strengthen families, build community support, and increase student success.”  --TRUDY ARRIAGA, Associate Dean for Equity and Outreach, California Lutheran University, and Coauthor of Opening Doors

Why a new edition of Culturally Proficient Coaching? Why now, especially? Because several polarizing years later, there’s even greater urgency for us all to critically examine our attitudes, beliefs, and practices when working with students who look or sound “different.” No matter how broadly you define coach, no matter which coaching model you follow, this is the resource to help you get started.   With the first edition, the authors’ big goal was to shift our thinking in service of standards-based teaching and leading, and equitable interactions that support all students achieving at highest levels. Now, with this second edition, the authors add a third goal: to encourage a more holistic mindset and expanded contextual uses. New features include:

Enhanced research on the effectiveness of coaching in educational settings New data on response to implicit bias and microaggressions--subtle and unintentional, yet destructive, forms of discrimination that continue to marginalize Refinement and updating of the Tools of Cultural Proficiency, which enable you to provide equitable life-affirming experiences to all cultural groups Expanded models of Culturally Proficient Coaching Conversations A special section on crafting Breakthrough Questions to shift entrenched mindsets and barriers to Cultural Proficiency  

By design, Culturally Proficient Coaching is an intentional, inside-out approach that mediates a person’s thinking toward values, beliefs, and behaviors that enable effective cross-cultural interactions and equitable learning environments. Here’s your opportunity to serve as that expert and trusted mediator, boosting educators' cultural confidence and consciousness, while honing their coaching skills. "We owe it to ourselves and to our children to productively embrace and engage diversity, with all of its tensions, for the sustainability of humanity. These authors have given us the invitation, the road map, and the call to action. the embarkment is up to each one of us."  --Carolyn M. McKanders, Director Emeritus  Center for Adaptive Schools and Thinking Collaborative 

"What is best about this remarkable book is its constant reminder that the courage to do what is just and right for the ′underserved′ comes to those who face the ′brutal facts,′ listen to the difficult questions, and seek support and guidance from educators in the field. This book is an inspiring companion needed now more than ever."—Sidney Morrison, PrincipalHoward Wood Elementary School, Torrance, CA"Provides the information and tools needed to create powerful learning communities in which the academic and co-curricular needs and the well-being of all students are addressed through purposeful inquiry and culturally proficient practices. This text is a must-read for educational leader preparation programs and for all educational leaders who want to make a difference."—Linda Purrington, Director, Educational Leadership AcademyPepperdine UniversityUse inquiry to promote equity and transform your school′s educational environment!Imagine improving student and teacher performance and enriching the culture in your school while implementing deeper goals for educational equity and long-term success. Using the lens of cultural proficiency, the authors lead practitioners through the process of gathering and analyzing data to meet the needs of historically underserved students. This book provides educators with a critical evaluation process and rubrics to examine why some students are not being educated to their full potential. The chapters carefully guide readers through the steps of analyzing and using data to:Encourage discussions about promoting educational equity for all studentsCreate a realistic picture of the cultural and economic diversity of your schoolInitiate authentic systemic changeEffectively respond to NCLB legislative mandatesWith a CD-ROM of tables and spreadsheets for data entry, Culturally Proficient Inquiry provides a model for framing professional conversations and making data-based decisions to ensure that all children receive the education they deserve.

"This new application for cultural proficiency is a testament to the educator-student relationship based on respect, understanding, and a common purpose, no matter what the background or culture of the student happens to be. We can't afford for more students to disengage from education. Thankfully, the authors provide a framework that builds on where we are and that moves us toward a positive, asset-building environment rather than a destructive deficit mind-set."—Kathleen Gavin, Coordinator of Professional DevelopmentGreat Prairie Area Education Agency, Burlington, IA

Develop culturally proficient policies and practices that create opportunities for students of poverty!

Written to counter the perspective that students from low-income backgrounds come to school with certain deficits that prevent them from learning, this timely resource provides educators with the knowledge and skills to maximize educational opportunities for all students, independent of students' socioeconomic status.

The authors examine equity and social issues through the lens of cultural proficiency, an approach that emphasizes how educators can break down self-imposed barriers to student success through self-reflection, personal change, and organizational reform. Focusing on students' strengths, this guide provides:

An examination of how poverty intersects with other groupings, such as race, ethnicity, language acquisition, and genderEffective teaching and leadership strategies grounded in the latest researchVignettes and case studies showing the faces of poverty and the barriers they faceReflective activities and self-check protocols that guide readers toward effective practices

Culturally Proficient Education helps teachers and school leaders clear the path to success for students of all social and economic backgrounds.

"Cultural proficiency challenges learning communities to go even deeper when inquiring about student barriers to success. This perspective is necessary to truly address the achievement and expectation gaps in our schools. Before we ask ourselves why our students are not succeeding, we must understand and examine our own perceptions and assumptions about them."—Timothy A. Bias, AdministratorPomona Unified School District, CA

Close the achievement gap with equity-focused professional learning communities!

Professional learning communities (PLCs) can be a powerful force for creating equitable, inclusive schools where all students succeed. Integrating the four Tools of Cultural Proficiency with the PLC framework, this relevant guide offers school leaders, district administrators, and staff developers a collaborative approach to address bias and inequity.

Culturally Proficient Learning Communities discusses the impact of our history on cultural understanding and provides a wealth of practical PLC-building strategies—including assessment and inquiry-driven planning, instructional design, curriculum development, coaching, leadership, and shared decision making. The authors examine the goals, purpose, and process of creating and sustaining equity-focused PLCs through:

Templates, protocols, activities, and rubrics for deconstructing inequity in student achievementStories, tools, and thinking prompts to guide an inside-out transformation toward cultural proficiencyAn extended example of one school district's journey in becoming a culturally proficient learning community

Schools that view diversity and differences as assets and opportunities will experience stronger holistic growth and increased academic achievement!

Are you doing all you can to improve teaching and learning?

Culturally proficient instruction is the result of an inside-out journey of teaching and learning during which you explore your values and behaviors while evaluating the policies and practices of your workplace. The journey deepens your understanding of yourself and your community of practice. In the newest version of their best-selling book, the authors invite you to reflect on how you engage with your students and your colleagues as a community of learners. The third edition features a case study to show cultural proficiency in practice and:

An updated discussion of standards-based education guidelinesA conceptual framework for the tools of cultural proficiencyNew language for understanding the microaggressions of dominant cultures An integrated guide for use with study groups

Each chapter contains reflective activities and group work conducive to collaborative professional development. Culturally Proficient Instruction is invaluable for anyone dedicated to creating an environment in which all learners can succeed. 

Help your English learning students achieve academic success!U.S. demographics are quickly shifting, and it is more important than ever to reach and teach English learning students. Designed to empower educators to become agents of change in their classrooms, schools, and communities, this guide introduces the principles of Cultural Proficiency and how they can help improve educators' ability to effectively teach English language learners. This book features:

Activities that build core Cultural Proficiency skills and promote personal transformationA chapter-by-chapter rubric for working effectively with English learning studentsA conversation-starting case story featuring the River View School DistrictStrategies for using action research to improve the success of English learning students

By focusing on Cultural Proficiency—and the underlying causes of EL achievement gaps—educators can uncover ways to break down academic barriers and use students' cultural background as educational assets.

"This is a valuable resource for staff developers creating culturally proficient learning environments to close the achievement gap. This work focuses on English learning students with the same 'inside out' approach as the authors' previous work. A perfect asset for a professional learning community book study!"—Linda Fisher, Staff Development CoordinatorLincoln Unified School District, Stockton, CA

"The book provides the school leader with the tools to engage themselves and others in making English learning students a priority. It is a must read for educators to get those hard and healthy conversations started and to examine our school practices and policies."—Lori Henderson, Assistant Superintendent of Educational ServicesManitoba, Canada

Equity expertise from premier educators

The Best of Corwin series showcases key chapters from critically acclaimed Corwin publications for a powerful compilation of perspectives on important education issues and topics. The Best of Corwin: Equity features a variety of stellar authors who believe in making education accessible and successful for all students and ultimately creating a stronger democratic society. Offering a unique perspective on overcoming barriers to student achievement, these authors share academic research, creative ideas, and concrete, practical strategies. Key topics include:

The tools of cultural proficiencyCourageous conversations about raceHow to analyze data to uncover and eliminate inequities Equity auditsPowerful classroom strategiesReflecting on practice

This book is aimed at all educators, with particular emphasis on teachers and those who support teachers. Learn from the best as you strive to make our schools places of excellence where all students have the same opportunity to learn.

An introspective response with LGBT communities for positive change

A Culturally Proficient Response to LGBT Communities is a guide for educators to collaboratively combat issues of discrimination, inequity, and bullying through the review of current policies, practices, and deeply held assumptions about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered (LGBT) communities. This inside-out approach carries readers through a personal journey of reflection to action by using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency to examine their values, beliefs, and assumptions about how LGBT communities are served educationally. 

 Creating safe and welcoming schools includes both setting effective and appropriate policies and the inside-out analyses of one’s own beliefs and values. Resulting cultural proficiencies, steeped in self-reflection, boost empathy and improve learning environments. On this simple, powerful premise, readers will find:

Inside-out growth through personal stories and case-studies Reflection through activities and prompts appropriate for individuals and teams Insight into current responses to bullying

Using this first step for positive systemic change, school leaders can elevate understanding and propel schools toward safe and diverse-friendly environments.

"This book provides essential tools for educators who want to make schools safe and welcoming for all students.  I could not put this book down. In my nearly 25 years of education I have not come across a resource that handles the needs of LGBT students as sensitively and supportively as these authors have using the tools of Cultural Proficiency." —Gunn Marie Hansen, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Orange Unified School District, CA

The groundbreaking guide to cultural proficiency in schools, updated to meet today’s challenges  The first edition of The Culturally Proficient School opened new dialogue about diversity and cultural dignity that had an immediate impact on educators, becoming the go-to resource for ideas about how to serve all students equitably. This second edition incorporates reader feedback and up-to-date research on closing access and achievement gaps, delivering a guide to cultural proficiency that is more relevant, accessible and effective than ever. New content includes:• Instructive vignettes that reflect contemporary truths about educational diversity and moral leadership• Emphasis on skills development, including the art and science of conversation• A conceptual framework that makes clear the first steps to take towards a more culturally proficient schoolThe face of educational diversity is changing. Now more than ever, this book is the key to mastering the challenges and opportunities it presents. "In The Culturally Proficient School, the authors take the reader on a journey of personal reflection and capacity building. This authentic examination of our assumptions and practices creates a necessary, healthy tension to move from simply learning to changing our practices in schools. In a nutshell, an educational leader can take this book and create a learning community that aligns the work of adults around a commitment to creating a culturally proficient school that benefits each student."— Jeff Ronneberg, SuperintendentSpring Lake Park Schools, MN

Professional development that increases educator effectiveness and student success! Learning Forward is a leader in understanding and advancing professional learning that leads to student success.  This series explores Learning Forward’s seven Standards for Professional Learning which outline the characteristics of effective professional learning that, collectively, advance teaching and learning. This volume gives teachers and administrators a detailed roadmap for implementing the Outcomes standard. Deepen you knowledge of this standard with:  

An original essay by Delores B. Lindsey and Randall B. Lindsey on using the lens of Cultural Proficiency to highlight the theme of educational equity that is embedded in the standard Practical tools that guide leaders in finding coherence between performance standards for educators and curriculum standards for students A powerful case study to illustrate how the standard was enacted across a major urban school district

With this book, educators will reach new heights in professional growth and students will reap the benefits!

 

General approaches to multiculturalism run the risk of overlooking an increasingly diverse student population that deserves special consideration and attention: students from immigrant backgrounds whose families toil the fields in order to provide better educational opportunities for their children. This book’s purpose is to guide educators to think deeply about their roles and responsibilities in the education of children of farmworker families in our nation’s schools. Readers will view their classrooms, schools, districts, and the migrant programs they lead in a broad and inclusive manner through the lens of cultural proficiency. The initial steps when embracing cultural proficiency entails thinking reflectively about one’s own values and behaviors and the school’s policies and practices toward children of farmworker families. Cultivating a willingness, openness and commitment to meeting the challenges and opportunities of this often-invisible aspect of diversity is an important first step for the development of effective educational practices for migrant students and their families. The cultural proficiency framework can inform staff development models for working effectively with migrant students and their families.

General approaches to multiculturalism run the risk of overlooking an increasingly diverse student population that deserves special consideration and attention: students from immigrant backgrounds whose families toil the fields in order to provide better educational opportunities for their children. This book’s purpose is to guide educators to think deeply about their roles and responsibilities in the education of children of farmworker families in our nation’s schools. Readers will view their classrooms, schools, districts, and the migrant programs they lead in a broad and inclusive manner through the lens of cultural proficiency. The initial steps when embracing cultural proficiency entails thinking reflectively about one’s own values and behaviors and the school’s policies and practices toward children of farmworker families. Cultivating a willingness, openness and commitment to meeting the challenges and opportunities of this often-invisible aspect of diversity is an important first step for the development of effective educational practices for migrant students and their families. The cultural proficiency framework can inform staff development models for working effectively with migrant students and their families.

Lead a Common Core implementation that closes achievement gaps!

 

Will your Common Core implementation promote equity, access, and inclusion?

 

This illuminating book shows how central Common Core tenets—rigor, meaningful curricula and assessment, and higher order thinking—can become educational realities for every child in your school or district.

 

Written by a team of respected authors known for guiding schools and districts towards cultural proficiency, this resource enables readers to

Understand how underlying beliefs related to historically-underserved students may create roadblocks to effective instruction Create a school culture where diversity is valued, including developing relevant professional learning Compile and analyze meaningful data that enables faculty to better reach students from all backgrounds Advance the goal of college and career-readiness for all learners

 

With a compelling call to action and practical strategies, this timely book points the way to a Common Core implementation that benefits every student.

 

"The authors have ensured that the use of cultural proficiency by educators provides the Common Core State Standards with the 'step towards the place where equity and access are realized for all learners.' Equity and access, two of the pillars of equity in education, are essential if meeting individual student needs are truly to occur."

—Dr. Kenneth R. Magdaleno, Associate Professor

Kremen School of Education, Fresno State, CA

 

“This resource gives not only theory and rationale for this important change in thinking, but also the guided steps to collaborate and reflect as part of the change process."

—Dr. Carol Van Vooren, Assistant Professor

California State University, San Marcos

 

See how one school district made Cultural Proficiency real—and how you can too! In spite of Brown vs. Board of Education, true integration and corresponding equality of educational opportunity is still far from reality in American schools.   Opening Doors tells the story of Ventura Unified School District's successful implementation of cultural proficiency, which opened long-closed doors for marginalized students and returned gains on every key success metric. Most importantly, it will empower you to do the same for your school or district. Resources include:

A method for evaluating the impact of educational decisions on students' access to learning A clear three-year implementation plan for making your school culturally proficient A content-rich companion website that includes templates and forms for implementing the book’s suggestions

It is long past time to make cultural proficiency real by ensuring universally equal access to educational resources for all students. This book removes the remaining barriers to the achievement of this ideal. 

  “This powerfully insightful and thought provoking book, takes us on a journey to culturally proficient actions.” —Rosemary Papa, Professor Northern Arizona University “The book is full of compassion, conviction and hope—pure heart, pure corazón—in the quest to tackle inequality and the opportunity gap head on.” —Gilberto Q. Conchas, Professor of Educational Policy and Social Context University of California, Irvine

Becoming a culturally proficient leader requires the kind of courage, clarity, and insight that can only come from looking inward first. It’s a personal learning journey of will and skill, and if you’re up to the challenge, one that will change how you see your school, your students, and yourself as you build your own cultural competence. Consider this second edition of Culturally Proficient Leadershipyour personal road map for navigating that journey.    Each chapter of Culturally Proficient Leadership invites you to put your experiences up front and challenges you to reframe your story based on multiple viewpoints—now, notably, with the addition of new coauthors Delores Lindsey and Eloise Kemp Terrell, who have their own remarkable stories and insight to share. Overall, all four authors will help you answer the critical question “Is what we say what we do?” utilizing the tools of Cultural Proficiency to 

engage in Reflections and Cultural Interviews to explore what you learn about those who are culturally different from you  develop a Cultural Autobiography to provide a picture of the cultural memberships that have influenced who you are as a person  use the Cultural Proficiency Continuum to examine your progress as a leader in serving your students and communities prepare an intentional Leadership Plan that summarizes your journey from Cultural Precompetence to Cultural Proficiency

The central “inside-out” premise of Cultural Proficiency is that engaging in deep introspection around one’s personal beliefs, values, and behaviors in response to human differences is the first step toward systemic educational reform. We invite you to embark on this journey of self-awareness, of moral courage, and of the life-affirming power of human diversity.    

“I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together—unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and may not come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction: toward a better future for our children and our grandchildren.”  —Barack Obama, Los Angeles Times, 2008   

This is a book for everyone who teaches.  Whether you are responsible for your organization’s training and development, you are providing basic education in an elementary school, or you are creating workshops for professional development, this book will help you manage the dynamics of difference necessary to create an environment where all students can learn.  Use this book as a workbook for small groups, or as a guide for improving the cultural competence of your teaching. “This book is a riveting and unparalleled resource for all educational merchants of hope. . . . The insights, learning strategies, and professional development structures in this edition illuminate a path for all leaders to successfully commit to the journey of being equity champions!” --Dr. Erick E. Witherspoon, National Director of Equity Professional Development Services Generation Ready  “There is no greater honor than to have one’s professional work become the inspiration for a new way of thinking, and transformative literature and action that change the world for schools and the children and youth they serve. I am grateful that the ideas have been so skillfully brought to scale by these authors.” --Dr. Terry L. Cross, MSW, Founder and Senior Advisor National Indian Child Welfare Association 

A call-to-arms for educators in tumultuous times In times of social disruption and uncertainty, we must return to our core values and remember why we entered education in the first place: to make a difference in the lives of all children. Cultural Proficiency can provide us with essential tools for acting on the promise of American public schooling. The Cultural Proficiency Manifesto places today’s political divisiveness in the context of greater historical change and provides a roadmap to interrupting the cycle of hostility towards marginalized groups. Readers will find: • Esteemed author Randall Lindsey’s latest thinking on Cultural Proficiency • A deliberately brief format that unpacks the Cultural Proficiency Framework and offers practical guidance  • Tools and guiding principles to help educators move their school community toward inclusivity  • Prompts for individual reflection and team dialogue Now more than ever, our students need educators to uphold our commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion for all.    "Lindsey's manifesto is a call to action for educators to ensure we are creating culturally responsive environments to support all learners. It teaches us how to authentically engage in the work of educating our wonderfully diverse population." —Julie A. Vitale, Superintendent Romoland School District, CA “This manifesto is indeed timely and essential. Dr. Lindsey's vast experience as an expert and leader in cultural proficiency reminds us that now is the time to acknowledge and address the vast number of diversity, equity, and social justice issues at hand." —Kenneth R. Magdaleno, Executive Director Center for Leadership, Equity, and Research

How often do you hear, “The only parents who showed were the parents who didn’t need to be here.” But how often do you consider time of day, lack of child care, cost of dinner, transportation, lan­guage of the presentation, even relevance of the topic—all real-world barriers for families of our historically underserved students. Here at last is a resource that will open up access and reveal all-new ways to forge more culturally inclusive partnerships with families and communities . . .  partnerships that extend well beyond parent-teacher conferences, PTA meetings, and the occasional bake sale. The two big services Equity Partnerships provides? Using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency, you’ll

Discover new concepts and strategies to engage families and communities—and reduce, if not eliminate, barriers--through four essential principles: communication, connection, collaboration, and community Engage in frequent opportunities to reflect on your own assumptions and values, then collaborate with colleagues to co-create systemic practices and policies for devising, implementing, and assessing family and community engagement actions in your schools and districts

We know inherently that family and community engagement is critical to the success of our stu­dents. Let Equity Partnerships be your go-to tool for breaking down the walls that for too long have limited all of us.

“Raising the next generation is a shared responsibility and privilege. These authors have been first responders for decades by pro­moting Cultural Proficiency as a means to ensure equity and access for all. In Equity Partnerships, they identify the powerful and critical link of family, school, and community engage­ment to strengthen families, build community support, and increase student success.”  --TRUDY ARRIAGA, Associate Dean for Equity and Outreach, California Lutheran University, and Coauthor of Opening Doors

Why a new edition of Culturally Proficient Coaching? Why now, especially? Because several polarizing years later, there’s even greater urgency for us all to critically examine our attitudes, beliefs, and practices when working with students who look or sound “different.” No matter how broadly you define coach, no matter which coaching model you follow, this is the resource to help you get started.   With the first edition, the authors’ big goal was to shift our thinking in service of standards-based teaching and leading, and equitable interactions that support all students achieving at highest levels. Now, with this second edition, the authors add a third goal: to encourage a more holistic mindset and expanded contextual uses. New features include:

Enhanced research on the effectiveness of coaching in educational settings New data on response to implicit bias and microaggressions--subtle and unintentional, yet destructive, forms of discrimination that continue to marginalize Refinement and updating of the Tools of Cultural Proficiency, which enable you to provide equitable life-affirming experiences to all cultural groups Expanded models of Culturally Proficient Coaching Conversations A special section on crafting Breakthrough Questions to shift entrenched mindsets and barriers to Cultural Proficiency  

By design, Culturally Proficient Coaching is an intentional, inside-out approach that mediates a person’s thinking toward values, beliefs, and behaviors that enable effective cross-cultural interactions and equitable learning environments. Here’s your opportunity to serve as that expert and trusted mediator, boosting educators' cultural confidence and consciousness, while honing their coaching skills. "We owe it to ourselves and to our children to productively embrace and engage diversity, with all of its tensions, for the sustainability of humanity. These authors have given us the invitation, the road map, and the call to action. the embarkment is up to each one of us."  --Carolyn M. McKanders, Director Emeritus  Center for Adaptive Schools and Thinking Collaborative