Understanding Culture to Help Foster a Culturally Proficient Workforce Welcome

Activator Stand up if…. Welcome. We would like to find out what you did over winter break.(After each statement is read, have everyone sit down.) Stand up if you attended a family celebration. 2.) Stand up if you welcomed a new member into the family. 3.) Stand up if you made a dinner for friends or relatives. 4.) Stand up if you read a book by your favorite author. 5.) Stand up if you listened to and/or danced to your favorite music. 6.) Stand up if you attended a festival. 6.) Stand up if you went to a museum. All of these activities are a reflection of your culture. Today we are going to spend time examining our culture, so that we can better understand ourselves and others.

Check-In Sign-In Reflection Packet with Articles Vocabulary Partners Make sure all staff members have signed in and picked up all the materials Copy of PowerPoint Notes Reflection Packet w/ Articles Mention that articles were made available electronically to read before hand. They are also included in the packet. Highlight the vocabulary list on the back of the front cover of the packet. Inform staff that there will be sensitive language used today and staff members are welcome to refer to the vocabulary list for definitions of words used in the context of today's workshop Have teachers turn to the first page of their reflection packet. “One of the strategies we will be using in today’s workshop is a partner share. We will be asking you to find four partners at your….a 12 o’clock partner, 3 o’clock partner, 6 o’clock partner and 9 o’clock partner. Model for the group, because many times people do not understand what they are supposed to do. “Lisa, will you be twelve o’clock partner?” Then you write Lisa’s name on your 12 o’clock line and Lisa writes your name on her 12 o’clock line. Encourage people to find partners with whom they do not normally work at their table or at an adjacent table.

43 – 56% were African-American The Data 78 students dropped out of Sun Prairie Schools over the last 3 years. 49 – 63% were boys 43 – 56% were African-American The following slides contain data on some of the disparities that are present in Sun Prairie Schools.

In the 2010-2011 school year, there were 306 disciplinary incidents that resulted in out-of-school suspensions. 114 or 37% of those students were Black.

Last year 218 students in grades 9-12 took at least one Technical Education Course. 8 or 3% were English Language Learners 12 or 9% were girls

A Black student in Sun Prairie is 5 times more likely than a White student to be referred for Special Education evaluation by Sun Prairie staff members. A Black male student is 11 times more likely than a White male student to end up labeled Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled.

Last year a total of 260 Advanced Placement (AP) exams were taken by Sun Prairie Students.  Only 19 or 7% of those AP exams were taken by students of color.

Having a disability is the greatest barrier to participation in 'performance music' when students enroll for 6th grade. Greater than language, race, or poverty.

For Sun Prairie students, race is a greater factor over poverty in reading and math achievement.

The Vision All students, families, school employees, and community members unified by mutual respect and the shared purpose of seeking successful learning for every student. The vision for the district is for every child to have the opportunity to succeed. According to our data, there’s work to be done. It takes everyone to reach our goal.

The Priority Goal District Goal #4 Action plan 4c Develop a highly qualified, diverse, and culturally proficient district workforce Action plan 4c Ensure that every employee receives training in skills of cultural proficiency All 5 of our district priority goals were established to carry out our district vision. District goal 4 is most applicable here. No matter the capacity we each serve in the district, we all play a role in making Sun Prairie Area Schools a place were every student can be successful. Due to both attention and intention, culturally responsive practices have been proven to change race-based, poverty-based, ability-based, and language-based patterns of success and failure.

Agenda Reflection on Culture Privilege and Racism Culturally Responsive Practices “Our workshop will focus on three topics: your own culture, privilege and racism, and culturally responsive practices.”

Workshop Goals To develop an understanding of my own culture and how it impacts my beliefs, values, and actions

Workshop Goals To understand how institutional racism marginalizes groups of people

Workshop Goals To develop an awareness of white privilege and its influence on my belief, values, and actions

Ground Rules Everyone has a right to express his/her point of view. Listen respectively to others without judging. Share “air time” with others. Limit sidebar conversations. “To make the best use of our time together this morning, we have ask that you following the ground rules listed. Please raise your hand if you can agree to these ground rules.”

What is culture? “What is culture?” (8 minutes total.) “Turn to page 1 in your packet and respond to the question, ‘What is culture?’ in one sentence. (2 minutes) “Turn to your 3 o’ clock partner share your response.” (2 minutes) Ask for a few volunteers to share with the entire group. (2 minutes) 2 minutes to share the video clip. Let’s see how people from across the world define culture.

Culture Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors and artifacts that are shared by racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups of people. (5 minutes definition, features of culture) “Many of you touched on the elements of culture with your one sentence statement. For our work together this morning, our definition of culture includes the thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that are shared by racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups of people.”

Why do I need to understand my culture? Culture shapes the way we see the world, ourselves, and others. It is the predominant force in shaping behaviors, values, and institutions. The more we understand ourselves, the better able we are to understand others. “You may be asking yourself, why do I need to understand culture. Culture is the lens through which we see the word. The more we understand outstand ourselves, the better able we understand others.”

Factors that Influence Culture Race Personality Traits Religion Me “There are many factors that influence culture including: religion, ability, economic class, gender, personality traits, and gender.” Gender Ability Economic Class

Dimensions of Culture Language Space/proximity Attitude towards time Gender roles Family roles Grooming and presence Life cycles Status of age Education “Culture has multiple dimensions, such as language, proximity, attitude, gender roles, family roles, grooming and presence, life cycles, status of age, and education.”

Exploring the Features of Culture Reflection Activity #2 Review/Read the following documents: Identity Quilt Features of Culture Complete the Features of Culture Survey. Reflection Packet Activity #2 Reflection Packet: Give staff 10 minutes to read the articles and complete the survey.

Partner Share Share the completed survey with your 12 o’clock partner. (10 minutes) Let participants know that you will give each person five minutes to share their survey. Call “switch” after the first five minutes.

Culture is Like an Iceberg “A useful metaphor for culture is an iceberg. Only about 1/8 of an iceberg is visible above the water. The rest is below. Culture is very similar to an iceberg, in that some aspects of culture are visible and many others can only be suspected, guessed, or learned as understanding of culture grows. Like an iceberg. The visible part of culture is only a small part of a much larger whole.”

Iceberg Activity Reflection Activity #3 Using the features of culture list within Activity #2 in your Reflection Packet, place the number of features that you believe are observable above the surface of the water and the number of the features that are not directly observable below the surface of the iceberg. (5 minutes.) Answers are on next slide.

Cultural Features Below the Surface #3, #4, #6, #8, #9, #10, #16, #17, #18, #22, #23, #24 “Listed here are the cultural features that lie below the surface. Did you table come up with the same answers? If not, can you explain your reasoning?”

Table Discussions On chart paper at your table, list specific examples of how features below the surface influence your behavior. (10 minutes total) Allow tables to work on this for five minutes. You can share this information in several ways: Have each table share one example to the entire group.

What is my cultural identity? Reflection Activity #4 How did my cultural identity develop? Who are the people who have been influential in shaping my beliefs, values, and actions? What experiences within my family, school, church, and community shaped me? How did the media influence my thinking? How has my cultural identity changed over time? Review the question in activity 4. Encourage staff members to consider completing Activities 4 and 5 on their own time within the next few days. Maybe even later on in the afternoon. Ask them to consider sharing their reflection with someone.

Diverse Views Reflection Activity #5 Based upon your cultural biography, write down a belief or value that you hold. Next, write down another view of that value/belief. Where may this differing viewpoint have originated? What could be an advantage to having a differing viewpoint? On their own time, have staff members consider their own culture and the culture another person. Encourage them to reflect on how that different viewpoint may have originated? What could be an advantage of having that viewpoint?” Give the following examples: When some people set a meeting time, if they are not ten minutes early, they feel as if they are late. When another person sets a meeting time, that time is an approximation. Another example: Some people measure the value of their day by how much they accomplished. Others may measure the day’s worth by the relationships that were nurtured throughout the day.

Appreciate Diverse Views Resist the urge to make a judgment about people or behaviors, instead make a conscious effort to understand their cultural perspective. “Think back the iceberg activity. The iceberg activity is a visual reminder of how much of culture lies below the surface of a person. It is important to resist the urge to make a judgments about people or behaviors, instead make a conscious effort to understand their perspective.”

Power and Privilege: The Invisible Feature of Culture Whenever one group of people accumulates more power than another group, the more powerful group creates an environment that places its members at the cultural center and the other groups at the margins. “Now we are going to move into the second part of our agenda which deals with white privilege and racism. The topic is uncomfortable for many of us, but in order to understand culture in the United States, our own and that of our students, we must be aware of the dynamics of power and privilege.”

Race Political concept Arbitrary division of humans according to physical traits and characteristics “No where does the notion of power and privilege play out more prominently than in the social construct of race. Race is an arbitrary division of humans according to physical traits and characteristic. That is not to suggest that there are not differences in the color of skin. However, the value that is assigned to skin color is a political concept. The Human Genome Project has shown there is really no such thing as race—all individuals in our world have similar DNA, and there are no specific genetic markers attributable to any one race of people. Race is a political concept.” Share example of “one drop of blood” rule, 1/8 rule, and Mexican farmers were considered white in the 1800’s.

Connecting Power and Privilege People in the more powerful group are accepted as the norm, so if you are in that group it can be very hard for you to see the benefits you receive. This accounts for the reason that whites have difficulty recognizing their privileges in society.

What is white privilege? advantages that whites as a group hold in society.

“White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.” Peggy McIntosh “Next we are going to view a slide show that highlights some of the advantages of white privilege. These are things that white people typically do not have to think about, but these are issues that people of color must deal with to maneuver their way through life in the United States. Peggy McIntosh refers to these privileges as an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.” Staff should silently read through as you click through each slide.

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh

I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.

I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the “person in charge”, I will be facing a person of my race.

If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.

I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.

I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing, or body odor will betaken as a reflection on my race.

I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-worker on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

White Privilege

Partner Share Find your 9 o’clock partner and respond to the following questions: How did you feel as you read the slides? Of which aspects of white privilege were you aware? Which were surprising to you? 7min

Power and Privilege Lead to Institutional Racism Institutional racism or systemic racism describes forms of racism which are structured into political and social institutions. “Power and privilege lead to institutional racism. Institutional racism is difficult to recognize because it is imbedded within the very fabric of political and social institutions…..”

Institutional Racism Institutional racism is the most difficult to recognize and counter, because it reflects the assumptions of the dominant group and is viewed as the norm. …..and it reflects the assumptions of the dominant group and is viewed as the norm.”

The Meritocracy Myth The myth that everyone in the United States has an equal opportunity to achieve success. Ingrained within the beliefs of white society is the notion that everyone in the Unite States has an equal opportunity to achieve success if he/she just works hard enough. Pronounced: [mer-i-tok-ruh-see]

Institutional Racism in Schools Power and privilege disparities within schools create inequitable educational opportunities and outcomes for students of color. “Institutional racism permeates all aspects of society, including our schools. Power and privilege disparities within schools create inequitable educational opportunities and outcomes for students of color.”

What does institutional racism look like in schools? More likely to be in segregated urban, high poverty school settings Pull out and low track programs Over representation in remedial and Special Education programs Under representation in gifted and advanced level courses Less likely to be taught by qualified teachers Higher drop out rates than white peers Lower achievement than white peers Read through this slide.

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) 47% of black students, 51% or Hispanics, and 5% of white students attend high poverty schools. “Let’s read through the next set of slides in silence. The national statistics paint a bleak picture of the academic opportunities for students of color.” (Silently click through slides 67 – 73.)

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) Students in high poverty schools were more than twice as likely to be taught by an out-of-field teachers than low poverty schools

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) Black students account for 17% of the public school population, but are disproportionately represented in Special Education, accounting for 33% of students classified as CD, 27% EBD, and 18% SLD.

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) White students with disabilities were more likely than students of any other race/ethnicity to spend 80% or more of their day in a regular classroom. Black students with disabilities were more likely than students of any other race/ethnicity to spend less than 40% of their day in a regular classroom, resulting in inconsistent, fragmented instruction.

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) Proficient or Advanced on 4th Grade Reading Achievement 18% American Indian 42% Asian 13% Black 16% Hispanic 41% White

National Statistics on U.S. Schools (2005) Proficient or Advanced on 4th Grade Math Achievement 17% American Indian 40% Asian 13% Black 19% Hispanic 47% White

National Statistics on High School Graduation Rates(2008) 64% American Indian 91% Asian 62% Black 64% Hispanic 81% White

Students of color Called on less frequently Praised less often and reprimanded more often Punished more severely Given answers more frequently by teachers Not encouraged to develop higher order thinking Not encouraged to elaborate on statements Rewarded for following rules and being “nice” Gay(2000) “According to study in 2000 by Gay, students of color are called on less frequently……”

The Hidden Curriculum “…..schools teach more than the knowledge and content that is explicitly stated in the formal curriculum scope and sequence. In fact, children are always learning in school, but may be learning more about their “place” in society, the expectations (often low) that others hold of them, the value, or lack of value, attributed by society to their particular cultural group, gender, or community that they learn about the core content.” Michael Haralambos “Michael Haralambos talks about the hidden curriculum in schools….schools teach more than the knowledge (finish reading quote).”

Racism Video clip: A Gardener’s Tale Set the stage for watching the video. “The video clip we are about to watch gives a detailed discussion of racism. As you watch the video, joint down a few words about how you are feeling at different points throughout the video. There may be points throughout the video when you are feeling uncomfortable or defensive, but stay engaged and listen to the message with an open mind. The video clips ends with a powerful allegory of a gardener’s tale.”

Table Discussion How did you feelings change throughout the video clip? What are the stereotypes that institutional racism reinforce about the character and abilities of people of color? Using the gardener’s tale allegory, how are the levels of racism (institutional, interpersonal, and intra personal) exhibited in schools? 10 minutes for table talk. 5 minute group share.

Why does culture matter? Often misunderstandings about the role of culture in behavior, communication, and learning lead to assumptions about the abilities of children to be successful in school. I am going to take you back to the question, “Why does culture matter?”

Why does culture matter? An awareness and understanding of the different values and behaviors that accompany culture can remove unintentional barriers to a child’s success. By understanding the cultures of the students in our classroom, we can remove unintentional barriers to their learning. Teachers most continue to become more culturally responsive.

How do we remove barriers for students? By implementing culturally responsive practices and becoming a culturally responsive workforce.

Culturally Responsive Practices The final portion of our workshop will focus on Culturally Responsive Practices. Cultural responsiveness means that the culture, language, heritage and experiences of ALL students and families are (1) valued, (2) respected and (3) used to facilitate learning and development. The following slides are list of five practices necessary for sun prairie employees to be culturally responsive.

Aware A Culturally Responsive Sun Prairie Employee is constantly aware that one’s cultural identity impacts behavior. He/she understands that there are specific, sometimes differing beliefs, past experiences, values, and feelings that contribute to the way the he/she and others act.

Appreciative A Culturally Responsive Sun Prairie Employee recognizes similarities and differences between his/her own cultural identity and that of others. He/she accepts and associates freely with individuals of differing beliefs, appearances, and/or lifestyles, even while maintaining his/her own cultural identity.

Sensitive A Culturally Responsive Sun Prairie Employee Understands the dangers of stereotyping and other biases; he/she is aware of and sensitive to issues of sexism, racism, and other prejudice. He/she is able to recognize biased messages about persons of differing cultural identities, and works to eliminate or discredit their impact whenever possible.

Knowledgeable A Culturally Responsive Sun Prairie Employee has ever increasing knowledge of differing cultural identities and groups in the school, the community, the United States and other countries in the world. He/she is able to take on and/or consider perspectives of non-majority groups at times.

Interactive A Culturally Responsive Sun Prairie Employee works positively with individuals who have other cultural identities and actively seeks out individuals and/or resources and perspectives.

Table Discussions Sounds Like Feels Like Looks Like Using their PowerPoint notes, have staff refer back to the five definitions and spend the next 15min as a table discussing what each looks like, sounds like, feels like in their respective work areas. 20 mins. 7min. Group Share. Ask for 1 example of looks like, sounds like, feels like for aware, appreciative, sensitive, knowledgeable, and interactive.

Reflection on Today’s Workshop Reflection Activity : Goal Setting What one characteristic of the culturally responsive practices will you focus on to implement in your work space over the next 3 months? 2 minutes. Have participants take a moment and jot down which practice they will implement.