The Cultural Proficiency Continuum provides language to describe healthy and unhealthy behaviors and values in persons and policies. Thus, these values and behaviors affect students’ lives and the culture of a school. Consequently, school culture is paramount to a students’ success. It is about serving the needs of all students.
The National Education Association states “having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families.”
Cultural proficiency concentrates on the education of all students through knowledge, values, and the use of assets of their cultural backgrounds. This includes learning styles and languages. Educators interact with diverse students and work with colleagues from diverse cultures. Thus, it impacts students for services that welcome them to a respectful environment.
Culturally Competent Steps
Basically, there are steps some schools follow.
–First, schools are aware of racial bias. They are aware of the inequity within the culture. Too, they are aware of various values and beliefs.
–Educators create practices for the success of students. Thus, they eliminate practices that do not provide opportunities for students.
–They create cultural conversations. It is more than music or jargon.
–Students must recognize their own biases. Thus, they build an awareness of their own thinking.
So, a community of caring individuals develops. Also, they create productive and positive conversations with all students. As necessary, educators address the history of racism. They set goals to build an understanding of culture, bias, and privilege. As educators ignore biases and assumptions, they hinder the success of students. Schools must have cultural conversations. Consequently, they are metacognitively aware of the physical differences of others.
Cultural proficient means students learn new patterns of behavior. Therefore, they apply them in appropriate settings. The success of all students is important. That being so, it’s necessary to understand students of various cultures.
