Schoolwide Cultural Competence

DefinitionCultural Dimensions

ProcessExamples: Microaggression

Donna Gilbertson, PhD, Courtenay Barrett, PhD Lynn Adams, Lesther Papa, Christina Patterson

Utah State University

Schoolwide Cultural Competence

• How well a district’s policies, programs, practices, and behaviors

• 1) reflect the needs and experiences of diverse groups in the school

• 2) Promote behaviors that support social justice

• 3) Establish a safe setting where all students are respected and engaged in learning

• 4) Ensure the academic success of all children

– (Bustamante, 2006; National Center for Cultural Competence, 2005; Frattura & Capper, 2007)

Think about an experience when it was proud or painful

to be identified with one of the domains.

Multicultural Domains

Race EthnicitySocial Class

ReligionDisability Status

GenderSexual

Orientation

Privilege

1.  is a special advantage 2. is granted, not earned with effort3. is related to a preferred status4. is often outside of the awareness of the

person possessing it 5. results in the benefit of the recipient and

to the exclusion of others

(McIntosh, 1992; Robinson & Howard-Hamilton, 2000).

Model

$ $$ELL

ELL

$ELL

Male

Female

Majority

Minority

Not Disabled

Disabled

High SES

Low SES

Native English

English Language Learner

Heterosexual

LGBTQ

Difference Matters

Everyone has SOME privilege, but some have more privilege than others.

As people become aware of the differences, people are more open to learning how to

behave in ways that level the differences for everyone

Framework • Educators share knowledge while learning from all cultures • Acknowledge the strengths that students and staff bring with

them• Include multiple perspectives in decision-making and instruction • Validate students’ cultural identity in classroom practices • Acknowledge students’ differences and commonalities • Recognize and challenge the many forms of oppression that

produce the disparities in education• Become aware of one’s own cultural identify and views and the

influence those views have on classroom practices

• The following are not components of cultural competence: – Color-blindness or cultural neutrality – Cultural celebrations at designated times of the year – Making assumptions that all students from one culture operate in similar

ways and have similar experiences – Assuming that only minority teachers are culturally competent or that white

teachers are not culturally competent.

Benefits

Culturally responsive leadership positively influences – Academic achievement – Engagement– Equity– Climate– Absentees– Drop out rates

On going process

year Goals Activities Timeline

Staff Training

Resource

Data points

Results Next Steps

2013-2014

1. Assess schoolwide cultural competence• how is school responding to the needs of diverse

groups?

• What are school policies and practices?

2. Use data to examine strengths/inequities impacting outcomes

3. Make action plans for on going cultural competence development and to ensure equitable practices

Step 1• Rate at least 1 strong area

•Curriculum•Student Interaction and Leadership •Teachers•Conflict Management •Parents and Outer Community •Assessment

The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist

Bustamante and Nelson, 2007

SWCC Demonstration

Step 2• What is working well? (3.0 or above)– Join group at that poster – Jot down actions that worked

Step 3

• What is needing improvement? (Below 3.0)– What actions could your school implement to

improve your school’s specific challenges?– Do your teachers have the skills necessary to

implement it? If not, how much training is needed?

– Where has it been successful before? Do those schools match yours in demographics?

SWCC Demonstration

Jigsaw Method

• Content groups get together• Each person in the content group

becomes an expert in that content• The content groups break into

learning groups• Each learning group contains one

member from each content group

ModelTopic: Paiute Tribe

Housing

Food

Beliefs

History

Content Groups Learning

Groups

Empirical Evidence

• Shown to improve intergroup cohesion and Increases intragroup dependence (Aronson & Bridgeman, 1979; Walker & Crogan, 1998))

• Increased learning effects (Souvignier & Kronenburger,

2007; Walker & Crogan, 1998)

Microaggressions• Brief daily exchanges that are slights,

indignities, and insults to a target group such as students of color or with a disability (Sue et al., 2007)

• Why? – culturally destructive behavior – Frequent stressors–More harmful than overt racism

Types of microaggressions Activity

Verbal, nonverbal, actions, exclusionUnconscious and conscious

Common Themes • One’s cultural background and communication style are dysfunctional

or less valued than those of White culture • Colorblindness

• Denial of individual racism• A person of color is foreign born and therefore not a “true” American

• Assumptions of criminality or deviancy • Life chances are due solely to effort and race poses no obstacles

• Being treated as a second-class citizen • Lower ability

• Invisibility• Lack of privacy• Assumed helplessness

Bystander Poll

• Administrators /Educators • Race / Disability

What happens? Recipient

• TriggerPowerful reaction

– anger, frustration, fear, exhaustion, confusion

• Internal Questioning no action

– what occurred and why?

– was it intentional?

– to speak or not to speak?

– Will I be supported or invalidated?

• Few to “give voice”

Stepped in it • Aware Powerful reaction

– guilt, confused, defensive

• Ill prepared to react or discuss it

Individual Impact

ODRs, suspensionsAbsenteeism, Drop oust

Poor climateAcademic gaps

Systemic inequalities Bullying

System Impact

Frequent invalidation Impact ignored

Group identities are devalued

Feels unwelcome, isolated , invisible, disrespected

Lowers well being, health, participation, productivity, motivation, identity development

Ineffective• Ignore the issue

• Dismiss the importance• roll eyes, wave it off • “Just kidding”, “ didn’t mean

it”

• Blaming, excuse, justify• “ too sensitive”

• Stifles awareness • Lessens compassion• Precursor to bullying

Bell, 2002; Spanierman, Armstrong, Poteat, & Beer, 2006; Sue et al., 2009, Nadar, 2010

Breathesilence can be a powerful indicator of how you feel

Acknowledge or Explore what was said/did“I just want to make sure I am understanding your point of view…”“Help me understand more about…” “Tell me more about…”“Did I understand you correctly when you said…”

Responding choices Feel empowered to share the impact of the trigger - educateExplore solutions together

Responding When Triggered

Dr. Kathy Obear (www.allianceforchange.com)

Dr. Maura Cullen www.thediversityspeaker.com)

Coping with MA Stress

• Think positively and reframe negative thoughts

• Do not invalidate or minimize your experiences

• Take pride in one’s ethnic heritage• Seek social support from trusted peers,

mentors• Talk to someone you trust• Find an outlet • Pick battles + safety • Taking care of yourself

• Self-reward these efforts

Effective Error Recovery

1.Breathe to calm

2.Apologize– I hear how you are feeling– I am sorry– How can I help fix this for you, change things, or

make the you feel more comfortable

3.Respect and follow the person’s response

• “I am sorry that I made you feel bad or alone. • How can I make it better for you or fix it?”

Ongoing Self Reflection Recovery

• Consider the teachable potential. – Reflect on your role and awareness– Empathize with the person’s feelings or view– Seek more information– Consider privilege vrs oppression

• Do something nice to make the person feel better

• Ask the person later if they are OK• Advocate to teach respect

• Self-reward these efforts – this is not easy

Schoolwide Action Planning

• ↑ Teach coping skills

• ↑ Awareness and Knowledge with education

why some statements or actions are stressors

• ↑ Skills on what to do or say to make visible, error recovery

• (Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.)

Benefits

• Schoolwide Cultural competence• Targets all domains: disabilities, LGBTQI, gender, SES• Climate• Safety• Academic• Social well being• Inclusion• Absentees• Drop out rates• Violence • Social advocates/ Allies

Useful readings and resources• Sue, D.W., Capodilupo, C.M., Torino, G.C., Bucceri, J.M., Holder, A.M.B., Nadal,

K.L., Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271

• Sue, D.W. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. John Wiley & Sons. Hoboken, New Jersey.

• Websites:

• Southern Poverty Law Center Teaching Tolerance

– www.teachingtolerance.org

• Critical Multicultural Pavilion

– www.edchange.org

Student Training Example Tolerance, Respect and

Strengths

1. Respecting our class strengths

• Write one of special characteristic by each of your classmates name. You can use each one of these only two times though.

•The person who is most likely to…or who we can count on to…

• Encourage us Be generous to us• Organize us Be patient with us• Listen to us Keep promises• Support us Be fair to us• Take care of us Work with all of us• Problem solve for us Inspire us • Be loyal to us Calm us when needed• Be brave Be kind • Speak out for us Create for us• Be positive towards us Accept us• Compliment us

2. Why talk about disrespect?

– Leads to Feeling…– Less valued, unwelcome,

isolated ignored, disrespected, self doubting, frustration, hurt

– Poor physical health – Less participation with friends and

class– Less work done– Less motivation

3. One minute interviews

• Question 1- Describe a time when a classmate did something that you did not like. What did you do? Did it work?

• Question 2- When a classmate says “ I am just joking! Or “ you are too sensitive” to you or another classmate did you say something about it? How did it go? When you did not say anything, what stopped you?

• Question 3- Describe a time when a classmate TOLD YOU THAT he or she was hurt or frustrated about something YOU DID. How did you respond? How did it go?

4. Discuss Barriers• Powerful Emotions– anger, frustration, fear or guilt, confused,

defensive

• Slow reaction no action

– What just happened?

– Was it on purpose?

– Should I say something?

– Who will support me?

• Unaware made an error

• “Just kidding” or “too sensitive”

• What do I do?

5. Discuss Rights

• 1. Group: “Classmates have the right to…..”

• 2. Class prioritize 3 to 5 for poster• 3. Write individual responsibilities for

each right • “Every classmate has the

responsibility to ..”

6. Teach Apologizing

1.Breathe deep to get calm2.Take responsibility 3.Apologize

a. Say you heard how they are feelingb. Say your are sorryc. Ask how to fix, change things, or make the person

feel more comfortable4.Respect the person’s response to make it better

• “I am sorry that I made you feel bad or alone. • How can I make it better for you or fix it?”

RED disrespect that makes you feel boiling hot, oh my gosh, flipped out

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Orange a bit over my head, stressed, upset, getting tougher to handle

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Green disrespect: hurt and uneasy but can handle it____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Write examples of disrespect or stepping in it you have experienced or observed

7. Self reflection and Move on

• Take a break and reflect• Empathize with the person’s feelings or

view• Problem solve• Do something nice to make the person

feel better• Ask the person later if they are OK• Help others get respect • Reflect on what you can do next time • Reward your efforts • Compliments to replace disrespect

8. Self care for Stress

• Thinking positively and reframe negative thoughts

• Taking pride in one’s ethnic heritage• Seeking social support from others • Talking to someone you trust and

reporting it. Don’t ignore or minimize your experiences

• Finding an outlet • Taking care of yourself• Rewarding your efforts

Contact

• Donna Gilbertson, PhD Utah State University email: donna.gilbertson@usu.edu phone: 435-797-2034

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