Focused on providing readers with the knowledge and skills to maximize the educational opportunities for children raised in low socio-economic conditions, Culturally Proficient Approaches to Conditions of Poverty provides a context for helping teachers and school leaders understand school equity issues that are related to social class. The authors frame this timely subject within the lens of cultural proficiency-a perspective that emphasizes how one works with people different from one's self in a non-judgmental, pro-social manner to help ensure effective practices. This strengths-based approach contrasts with previous deficit models that have targeted what isn't working and what doesn't exist for the child, rather than building on children's strengths, regardless of their socio-economic status.
Create inclusive educational environments that benefit ALL learners! As schools become more diverse with students of differing abilities and needs, this self-reflective and action-oriented guide helps you create and support more inclusive schools and classrooms that intentionally educate all students. Using the Five Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency as a roadmap, this book presents: Students' learning differences as just that - differences rather than deficits Strategies that show you how to break though the common barriers to culturally proficient and inclusive schooling Assessments that gauge your awareness and show you how to best serve every student's needs
A Lens for Identifying and Examining Educational Gaps
"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, Principal Howard 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 Academy Pepperdine University Use 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 students Create a realistic picture of the cultural and economic diversity of your school Initiate authentic systemic change Effectively respond to NCLB legislative mandates With 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.
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 guidelines A conceptual framework for the tools of cultural proficiency New 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.
Like other works in the Cultural Proficiency series, the book begins with a focus on one's self with the premise that one cannot adequately lead change in schools or other organizations until one truly knows and understands one's self as a leader. In Cultural Proficiency as a Journey, the authors model self-disclosure and reflection by offering personal narratives describing their respective journeys toward Cultural Proficiency. They also provide readers with numerous prompts for individual reflection that ultimately result in the creation of "Cultural Autobiographies." Through engagement in this process, leaders are challenged to interrogate their experiences and perceptions through the lens of Cultural Proficiency, openness to difference, and celebration of the Other.
Confronting Inequities Through Collaborative Curiosity
"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, Administrator Pomona 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 achievement Stories, tools, and thinking prompts to guide an inside-out transformation toward cultural proficiency An 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!
Confronting Inequities Through Collaborative Curiosity
'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, Administrator, Pomona 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 achievement - Stories, tools, and thinking prompts to guide an inside-out transformation toward cultural proficiency - An 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!
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 transformation A chapter-by-chapter rubric for working effectively with English learning students A conversation-starting case story featuring the River View School District Strategies 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.
"Dispels the myths regarding culturally diverse learners and provides concrete strategies that any teacher can easily implement. The book contains current research from the most reputable sources in the field and is a must-read for every teacher." -Akina Luckett-Canty, Special Education Teacher Brighton Middle School, Birmingham, AL "This text addresses the literacy needs of learners who have been 'left behind.'" -Ursula Thomas-Fair, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education University of West Georgia Give students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds the literacy skills to succeed! All students bring unique cultural and language experiences to their learning. Offering perspectives from experts in diversity and literacy, this clearly organized, comprehensive resource illustrates how teachers can improve reading achievement for students from diverse backgrounds by combining research-supported best practices with culturally responsive instruction. Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction connects students' backgrounds, interests, and experiences to the standards-based curriculum. Teachers will find effective practices to help plan, implement, manage, and evaluate literacy instruction for students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This book provides: A range of interventions that support five critical areas of reading instruction-phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension Learning materials that take advantage of multicultural literature, themes, and topics Guidelines for helping students connect language and literacy tasks to their own cultural knowledge and experiences Make a significant difference in all your students' reading success with effective, culturally responsive teaching practices!
