Browsing by Subject "Cultural Proficiency"
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Item Culturally Responsive Leadership: Fostering the Environment for Inclusion and Equity(2021-11-12) Boddy, Troy; Bands, Kathleen; Hood College Department of Education; Organizational LeadershipThis phenomenological study explored the link between principals' level of cultural proficiency and their ability to identify and address institutional barriers. Principal preparation programs spend little time developing a future principal's ability to address the diversity present in schools today. This knowledge is critical for principals and teachers who remain, middle class and White, as student bodies grow more diverse. The field of pre-Kindergarten-12th grade education will benefit from this study by providing pathways for principals to lead for cultural proficiency and equity. The study draws on critical consciousness, cultural proficiency, critical race theory, and culturally responsive leadership research. This research aimed to identify what principals do to interrupt oppressive systems that serve as barriers for diverse learners. The following research questions inform the purpose. What influenced principals to lead through the lens of equity and cultural proficiency? How do principals categorize their cultural proficiency and equity stance? What shaped their approach to equity and cultural proficiency? How does the level of a principal's cultural proficiency and equity influence their leadership of equity in their buildings? The study examined six principals whose staff and students identified their school as culturally responsive on a survey given by the state. This approach provided rich data that revealed what principals do to create school environments that support their diverse learners' access and opportunities. The study took place in a large, diverse, Mid-Atlantic school district. It included elementary school principals selected using the 2019 State School Survey item on cultural responsiveness. Six Schools whose staff and students identified the school cultural responsiveness as favorable participated in a semi-structured interview and shared documents that represented their leadership. Participants completed a self-anchoring scale and sorting activity to identify their cultural proficiency level and equity stance. Data were triangulated to identify themes that emerged from the principals' lived experiences leading through the lens of cultural proficiency and equity. Results from the study indicated that principals had varied lived experiences that led them to lead their schools with a cultural proficiency and racial equity lens. The principals consistently identified a higher level of cultural proficiency than their stance on equity. Principals consistently demonstrated vulnerability and a combination of questioning and critical reflection to apply their cultural proficiency and racial equity lens. Discipline was an entry point for five of the principals in the study. Another key finding was that race and gender made a difference in leading this work. This was particularly true for the African American and White female principals in the study. The principals' experiences in the study aligned with the research detailed in chapter 2. To better prepare leaders to lead in our diverse schools, teaching and leadership preparation programs need to provide ongoing opportunities for critical reflection. Districts can create coaching and professional learning opportunities for leaders. Districts should also consider using affinity groups to provide leaders of color a supportive space for them to connect and discuss challenges and solutions for engaging in cultural proficiency and equity work. Finally, districts can align the systems cultural proficiency and equity work to the school improvement process to embed the work in existing processes used to serve students.Item Leadership Style, Leader–Follower Congruence, & the Implementation of a Cultural Proficiency Initiative(2019-07-13) Louers-Phillips, Eric; Cuddapah, Jennifer; Bands, Kathleen; Jose, Anita; Markoe, Michael; Education; Organizational LeadershipPrincipals play a critical role in addressing the institutional inequities that prevent students from fully accessing the benefits of public education. School leaders must work in concert with their staff to transform their school into inclusive environments where the social, emotional, and academic needs of all children are met. This case study on the phenomenon of leader–follower congruence examined the leadership style (LS) and culturally proficient leadership style (CP LS) of 11 principals in Pre K–12 settings and their staff in a large mid–Atlantic school district. The study took place at the end of the first year of implementation of a school–based cultural proficiency (CP) initiative. The study’s purpose was to determine principal–staff perceptual congruence of LS and CP LS; principal and staff questionnaires were used to collect data. The questions explored were: How does a principal’s LS influence his or her staff’s perception of the implementation of a school–based CP initiative? How is the principal’s leadership style perceived by themself and their staff? How does the principal’s leadership style influence the implementation of a CP school district initiative? What influence does leadership style have on a principal’s ability to implement a CP initiative in a manner that engages and supports staff? A conceptual framework was used to guide the study and answer these questions. Overall, findings show that principals’ perception of their LS is incongruent with staff perception across all leadership factors. Principals were viewed as leaders of the CP initiative by the majority of their staff in schools where principal–staff perceptual congruence of transformational LS and CP LS was high. The study informs: (1) leader–follower descriptions and perceptual congruence of LS; (2) the principal’s implementation of a CP initiative; and (3) the influence of transformational LS on staff perception of their principal’s leadership of a CP initiative. This study illuminates the importance of principals’ awareness of their LS and its influence on staff in their efforts to create inclusive schools for all students.Item Microaggressions in K-12 Schools: A Call for Culturally Proficient Leadership(2020) Mann, Sundra; Hood College Department of Education; Organizational LeadershipSchool districts operate within and contribute to the larger societal norms that systemically perpetuate inequitable academic and social emotional outcomes for students of color that often manifest in the form of microaggressions. Microaggressions in the classroom can be extremely damaging overtime, negatively impacting academic performance and related school behaviors by creating emotional turmoil and depleting psychological resources. Students of color describe racial microaggressions as patterns of being overlooked, under-respected and devalued because of their race. There is an urgent need to reverse unrelenting inequities within K-12 schools. School Leaders are the front-line of this work and are responsible for managing the dynamics of diverse school communities to ensure respect, support, and equitable outcomes for students, their families, and staff. The questions explored were: How are school leaders aware and understanding of the barriers to cultural proficiency that can lead to microaggressions in schools? In what ways do school leaders manage the dynamics of difference and embrace racial and cultural diversity to address microaggressions in schools? How do school leaders value the diversity of race and culture to prevent microaggressions in schools? How are school leaders and the school district institutionalizing the guiding principles of cultural proficiency to inform microaggressions in schools? A conceptual framework was used to guide the study and answer the questions. The overall findings show: (1) School leaders demonstrated a high level of self-awareness and understanding of the barriers to cultural proficiency; however, they were inconsistent in transferring the knowledge to their school leadership practices. (2) School leaders encountered a myriad of barriers to cultural proficiency under the themes of microaggressions, deficit thinking, whiteness, and entitlement while managing the dynamics of difference across their school communities. (3) School leaders communicated a surface level value of race and culture through school policies and practices. (4) School leaders expressed a disconnect between theory and practice within schools and across the district.Item School Administrators’ Perceptions of Self-Efficacy as Educational Equity Leaders: A Mixed-Methods Exploration(2023-05-02) Artis, Carrie; Hood College Education; Hood College Organizational LeadershipPublic school systems and school-based administrators are facing increasing expectations and accountability regarding educational equity. In their attempts to meet these expectations, school systems are training and providing professional development to educational leaders. The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed-methods case study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the self-efficacy of school-based administrators in successfully implementing equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. The study sample included current school-based principals and assistant principals from a large mid-Atlantic school system. The first phase of this study, the quantitative phase, included a survey of school-based administrators to measure their perceived self-efficacy. The second phase, the qualitative phase, included semi structured interviews with school-based administrators. The findings will be useful to school systems as they develop training and professional development for educational leaders to meet educational equity standards. This study found that most principals in the studied district have an intermediate level of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. This study also found that on average, principals serving in schools where the students of color represent over 50% of the student body had lower self-efficacy to meet equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. Lastly, this study found that mastery experiences were the strongest contributing factor of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership. This study also found vicarious experiences were a major contributing factor of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership. This study concludes with recommendations for school districts include increasing administrators’ opportunities for mastery and vicarious experiences to practice the Tools of Cultural Proficiency.