What leaders love most is the way Cultural Proficiency lays the groundwork for powerful organizational growth with resources to: Engage colleagues in collaborative dialogue about creating powerful teaching and learning environments Recognize and respond to both individual and group differences to break down barriers Use the Cultural Proficiency Continuum to assess the limitations of school practices and identify opportunities to shift the culture

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.

Through a rich combination of analysis, activities for team and individual study, and a case study, this book guides educators in using the lens of Cultural Proficiency as basis for creating school-wide conditions that make the Common Core accessible to all students, including those groups that have been historically underserved. The book includes a number of reflective and professional learning dialogic activities, tools, and case stories to guide educators and school leaders to understand their own assumptions, know their values relative to equitable issues, create change within their own practice, and create teaching and learning environments that are relevant and rigorous for all learners.

In this third edition, the authors invite you to reflect on how you influence what goes on in your classroom and how you engage with your colleagues as a community of learners. Each chapter contains reflective activities and group work to guide readers. A well-documented case study provides an opportunity for readers to experience cultural proficiency in practice. This best-seller has been extensively revised to include:New case stories and references Updated discussion of standards-based education Conceptual framework chart Expanded discussion of barriers and the microagression concept

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