Culturally Proficient Education
An Asset-Based Response to Conditions of Poverty
- Randall B. Lindsey - California State University Los Angeles, USA
- Michelle S. Karns - Consultant
- Keith Myatt - California State University, Dominguez Hills, USA
Foreword by Dennis Parker
"This new application for cultural proficiency is a testament to the educator-student relationship based on respect, understanding, and a common purpose, no matter what the background or culture of the student happens to be. We can't afford for more students to disengage from education. Thankfully, the authors provide a framework that builds on where we are and that moves us toward a positive, asset-building environment rather than a destructive deficit mind-set."
—Kathleen Gavin, Coordinator of Professional Development
Great Prairie Area Education Agency, Burlington, IA
Develop culturally proficient policies and practices that create opportunities for students of poverty!
Written to counter the perspective that students from low-income backgrounds come to school with certain deficits that prevent them from learning, this timely resource provides educators with the knowledge and skills to maximize educational opportunities for all students, independent of students' socioeconomic status.
The authors examine equity and social issues through the lens of cultural proficiency, an approach that emphasizes how educators can break down self-imposed barriers to student success through self-reflection, personal change, and organizational reform. Focusing on students' strengths, this guide provides:
- An examination of how poverty intersects with other groupings, such as race, ethnicity, language acquisition, and gender
- Effective teaching and leadership strategies grounded in the latest research
- Vignettes and case studies showing the faces of poverty and the barriers they face
- Reflective activities and self-check protocols that guide readers toward effective practices
Culturally Proficient Education helps teachers and school leaders clear the path to success for students of all social and economic backgrounds.
"Students in poverty circumstances need us more than ever. This book provides tools, resources, and thought-provoking vignettes to illustrate what can transform our educational practice to meet the needs of all kids. After reading this book, I am astounded by how we have compartmentalized educational programming to reduce achievement gaps and yet, after decades of research, found this to be ineffective. This new application for cultural proficiency is a testament to the educator-student relationship based on respect, understanding, and a common purpose, no matter what the background or culture of the student happens to be. We can't afford for more students to disengage from education. Thankfully, the authors frame that for us in a way that builds on where we are in our learning and moves us forward toward a positive, asset-building environment rather than a destructive deficit mind-set."
"Before we can look at our students in a way that emphasizes what strengths and skills they bring to the classroom, we need to look at ourselves, our biases, and preconceptions. This book is an interactive model that uses the tools of cultural proficiency as a lens to look not only at our students, but also ourselves. This self-reflection enables us to be more effective for all our students."
I am developing an early childhood inclusive education program for Georgian Court University and I want my students to be sensitive to the unique status of children who are living in poverty. This book has been extremely beneficial in helping my students become more self-reflective about working with young children and families who live in poverty.
