A brief overview at culture, cultural competency, frameworks, and tools for independent schools looking to approach cultural competency in individual, interpersonal, and institutional ways, followed by discussion of school practices.

1. The Philadelphia School
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Cultural Competency
in Independent Schools
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2. About Seattle Girls’ School
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3. Goals
 The Case for Cultural Competency
 Assessing Where You Are
 Priming for Change (or Sustaining It)
 Dialogue At the Ground Level
 Assessing and Reassessing
 Questions
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4. Culture [consists] primarily of the
symbolic, ideational, and intangible
aspects of human societies… It is the
values, symbols, interpretations, and
perspectives that distinguish one
people from another.
James A. Banks
What is Culture?
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5. Dimensions of Identity and Culture
This model of identifiers and culture was created by Karen Bradberry and Johnnie Foreman for NAIS Summer Diversity Institute,
adapted from Loden and Rosener’s Workforce America! (1991) and from Diverse Teams at Work, Gardenswartz & Rowe (SHRM 2003).
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6. Cultural Competency:
Many Models
Cultural competence is a set of
congruent behaviors, attitudes and
policies that come together in a
system, institution or individual and
enable that system, institution or
individual to work effectively in cross-
cultural situations.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Terry Cross

7. Cultural Competency: Key Elements
Value Orientation
Diversity as Value Added
Respect
Relationships
Equity
Thought Orientation
Knowledge
Awareness
Systems Thinking
Action Orientation
Consciousness Building
Capacity Building
Assessment
Adaptation
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8. 21st Century Education and Excellence
 Critical Thinking
 Collaboration
 Communication
 Creativity
 Cosmopolitanism
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9. An Educational Imperative
The Moral Case
The Academic Case
The Economic Case
Institution Excellence
Teacher Excellence
Student Excellence
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10. An Institutional Approach
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11. Developmental Model of Intercultural
Sensitivity (DMIS) Schematic
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12. From Exclusive to Inclusive:
Developmental Stages
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13. Hallmarks of Earlier Phases
 People feel pressure to fit in
 People fear speaking up
 “Who you know” is more important than “what you
know” (relationship-based culture)
 You only trust those closest to you (cliques)
 Denial of differences is considered a virtue (“we
don’t see differences here”)
 It’s hard for outsiders to learn the rules (sink or
swim to prove yourself)
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14. Hallmarks of Later Phases
 People can bring their full selves to school
 The school encourages and welcomes people to
contribute different opinions and points of view
 There is a performance driven culture
 People form dynamic and diverse groups (trust)
 Differences are seen as additive and productive
 Success is explicitly defined, and the school supports
people in achieving it
 The school has an interactive culture
 People have the competencies to adapt to different
cultural contexts.
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15. Identifying Growth Zones – The 5Ps
• Policy – Enumeration of the school’s diversity
commitment through mission, strategic plan,
handbooks, websites, etc.
• Programming – Diversity training and programming for
all constituencies (board, admin, faculty, staff,
students, families, etc.). Diversity and inclusivity
curriculum.
• Practice – Consistent and meaningful revisit of policy
and programs. Climate assessments, proactive
changes, and meaningful responses to incidents.
• People – Critical mass of people who are supportive
AND active on all levels.
• Pecuniary – Funding, people, and time allocated in the
strategic plan and daily life for supporting diversity
efforts.
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16. Process Break
Where do you feel your
school is currently in its
development toward cultural
competency? What makes
you think so? What are
some initial thoughts on what
areas the school can
improve?
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17. Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Break

18. Priming For Improvement
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19. Schools Have ZPDs, Too!
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Status Quo:
Reliance on what the
school does already
and naturally
Zone of Proximal
Development:
Mindful and strategic
change toward the
next stage of growth
Too Much, Too Fast:
Unrealistic demands
on the community

20. Success vs Failure of Initiatives
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------ + Consensus + Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Confusion
Vision + ------ + Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Sabotage
Vision + Consensus + ------ + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Anxiety
Vision + Consensus + Skills + ------ + Resources + Action Plan = Resistance
Vision + Consensus + Skills + Incentive + ------ + Action Plan = Frustration
Vision + Consensus + Skills + Incentive + Resources + ------ = Treadmill
Vision + Consensus + Skills + Incentive + Resources + Action Plan = Change
*Adapted from T. Krosier’s “Managing Complex Change.”
DON’T FORGET TO ADD PLENTY OF HEART!!!

21. Cultural Values
 Values
 Value Priorities
 Norms of Behavior
 Decision Making
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22. CulturalValueDifferences
RELATIONAL
Individualism
self-reliance, independence
(selfish)
Collectivism
group interdependence
(mindless follower)
Informality
directness, give and take discussion
(rude and abrupt)
Formality
indirectness, protect "face"
(stiff and impersonal)
Competition
individual achievement
(egotistical, show-off)
Cooperation
group achievement
(avoiding doing work or taking responsibility)
AUTHORITY
Egalitarianism
fairness, belief in equal opportunity
(being picky, on a soapbox)
Hierarchy
privilege of status or rank
(power hungry or avoiding accountability)
TEMPORAL
Use of Time
"Time is money"
(doesn’t get the important things in life)
Passage of Time
"Time is for life"
(lazy and irresponsible)
Change/Future
Adaptability ensures survival
(muckraker, stirs up trouble)
Tradition/Past
Stability ensures survival
(old-school, afraid of change)
ACTIVITY
Action orientation
"Make things happen"
(rushes without thinking)
"Being" orientation
"Let things happen"
(indecisive and slow)
Practicality
Efficiency is always best
(impersonal and unscrupulous)
Idealism
Always maintain principles
(naïve and impractical)
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23. Safety versus Comfort
Safety: I feel that, in this space, I can ask questions without
fear of judgment. I can voice my perspective and know that
I will be validated for the fact that that is my truth. Others
may challenge my ideas, but that challenge is in the spirit of
greater shared understanding and growth.
Comfort: I feel that, in this space, my reality will be agreed
with, validated, and unchallenged. I don’t have to explain
myself to be understood, and I don’t have to justify my
perspective, as everyone shares it.
True dialogue happens in an environment where everyone is
safe but not always comfortable...
SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN AND GROW.
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24. Safe Spaces 2.0 – Brave Spaces
 Controversy with Civility
 Own your own intent and impact
 Challenge by choice – with reflection
 Respect in all its multiplicity
 No personal attacks, but pointed
challenges are okay
 Be mindful of the true source of your
emotions
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25. Examining a Practice
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26. Reflection
What are some of your
thoughts, feelings or
other reflections of our
discussion?
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27. Looking Ahead
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28. Final Questions or Comments?
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29. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

30. Resources
• Cornell University ILR Management Programs
(www.ilr.cornell.edu)
• National Training Lab (www.ntl.org)
• Robert Evans, The Human Side of School Change
• Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point
• Jim Collins, Good To Great
• Stephen R. Covey’s Coveylink
• Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
• Michelle Cummings, Training-Wheels.com
• Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson, Shaping School
Culture: The Heart of Leadership
• NAIS Press, Diversity Work in Independent Schools:
The Practice and the Practitioner
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)