Calling All School Leaders! Reducing Disproportionality through Culturally Responsive Leadership (CRL)

1. Calling All School Leaders! Reducing Disproportionality through Culturally Responsive Leadership(CRL) Lisa Maria Grillo Tracy D. Dace University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM

2. Presentation Agenda • Introductions • Overview of Session and Significance • Core Principals of CRL • Creating a CRL Climate to Reduce Disproportionality • Case Study and Discussion • Question and Answer • Summary

3. Outcomes • Participants will gain knowledge of the core principles of CRL • Participants will engage in a research-focused discussion of ways to implement CRL in an effort to reduce disproportionality • Participants will receive clear examples of CRL strategies to address disproportionality

4. Significance of the Session • Significant increase of school-aged culturally, linguistically diverse children

5. What is Culturally Responsive Leadership? Definition: Culturally responsive leadership involves a set of leadership behaviors that demonstrate knowledge, understanding, affirmation, and appreciation of the various characteristics of a particular cultural community. Grillo and Dace, 2005

6. Culturally Responsive Leadership Culturally responsive leadership is one of the most important roles for contemporary school leaders. Juettner, 2003

7. CRL Core Principles • Sensitivity to cultural nuances in communication • Deliberate and sequential processes • Appreciation of one’s own cultural biases • Cultural responsiveness in education

8. CRL Core Principles Students are impacted by how school leaders respond to hierarchical systems. (Klingner, et al. 2005)

9. CRL Core Principles • Principal’s values and leadership style shape the school’s climate for learning and achievement. • School leaders have to address the cultural issues within the school context and external entities, such as school district and government agencies.

10. Foundational Knowledge • Cultural superiority (White Supremacy) • Racism • Dominant cultural values (Individualism, Achievement, Property, Materialism) • Segregation/Integration

11. Creating a CRL Climate • Deconstructing and recreating the current value system pertaining to low achieving students • Which values inhibit progress? Which values facilitate success? • Revisiting mission and value statements

12. The Medical Model • Searches for, diagnoses, labels, and prescribes treatment for problems. • The value of Deficiency-- looks for deficits in children who need “fixing.”

13. Affirmative Values • Every student is intelligent, able to learn, and worthy of success • As a school, we promote for every child: • Excellence • Achievement • Collaboration • Inclusiveness

14. Organizational Climate Chance and Chance (2002)

15. Milieu • Teachers are culturally-competent • Parents are invited and encouraged to participate • Focus on parental goals • Community response to support students • Students are constantly affirmed and reminded of their worth

16. Ecology • Classrooms/Learning space • Access to technology • Assistive technology • Visual aids and other devices to accommodate various learning styles

17. Organization • Communication is culturally-responsive, channels and networks are clearly defined, accessible, and effective • Culturally-responsive school-level policies • Replacing traditional suspension policies with school-based interventions that focus on support, counseling, and rehabilitation.

18. Culture • Authentic multicultural curriculum (Beyond Heroes and Holidays!) • Culture is affirmed, embraced, and included. • Culture is one which fosters achievement for ALL students.

19. Case Study and Discussion • Case study on culturally responsive leadership • Divide into small groups • Large group processing

20. Contact Information Tracy Dace Special Education Doctoral Student University of New Mexico (505) 248-1906 (home) tddace@aol.com Lisa Maria Grillo Assistant Professor Department of Educational Leadership University of New Mexico (505) 277-4387 (office) lgrillo@unm.edu