1. Schoolwide Cultural Competence
Definition
Cultural Dimensions
Process
Examples: Microaggression
Donna Gilbertson, PhD, Courtenay Barrett, PhD
Lynn Adams, Lesther Papa, Christina Patterson
Utah State University

2. Schoolwide Cultural Competence
How well a district’s policies, programs, practices, and behaviors
1) reflect the needs and experiences of diverse groups in the school
2) Promote behaviors that support social justice
3) Establish a safe setting where all students are respected and engaged in learning
4) Ensure the academic success of all children
(Bustamante, 2006; National Center for Cultural Competence, 2005; Frattura & Capper, 2007)

3. Multicultural Domains
Think about an experience when it was proud or painful
to be identified with one of the domains.
Race
Ethnicity
Social Class
Religion
Disability Status
Gender
Sexual Orientation
How aware of it were you? Others involved?
What could you or the student do? Barriers to take action?

4. Privilege is a special advantage is granted, not earned with effort
3. is related to a preferred status
is often outside of the awareness of the person
possessing it
results in the benefit of the recipient and to the exclusion of others
(McIntosh, 1992; Robinson & Howard-Hamilton, 2000).
The purpose of the Privilege Walk Activity is to learn to recognize how power and
privilege can affect our lives even when we are not aware it is happening. The purpose is not to
blame anyone for having more power or privilege or for receiving more help in achieving goals,
but to have an opportunity to identify both obstacles and benefits experienced in our life
This exercise is about privilege. Every statement addresses some small privilege that is based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, or sexual orientation. The small statements in this exercise have added up to divide people into different locations in this room. Similarly, small privileges in society place individuals in different places in society.
Interestingly, privilege tends to be invisible to those who are privileged. That is, when we receive privilege based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other factor, we tend to not recognize the boosts in position that accumulate over time from those privileges.
The point of this exercise is not to make any of us embarrassed about the privileges we have received, but to make all of us aware of how privilege based on gender, race, etc function. Whether we are highly privileged, moderately privileged or lack privilege, it is possible to behave in ways that level the playing field for everyone.
Brenda J. Allen, Differencematters.info
Purpose: to explore ways that we enjoy privileges based on being members of social identity
groups in the United States. Please note that this exercise is not meant to make anyone feel
guilty or ashamed of her or his privilege or lack of privilege related to any social identity
categories. Rather, the exercise seeks to highlight the fact that everyone has SOME privilege,
even as some people have more privilege than others. By illuminating our various privileges as
individuals, we can recognize ways that we can use our privileges individually and collectively
to work for social justice.
Also note that each list is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive. You may think of other
items that might be on a list, and that’s fine. However, the idea is to offer some possible points
of privilege that arise from being a member of certain social identity groups in the United States,
and to invite us to reflect on the concepts of privilege and intersectionality (ways that our
privileges overlap). Also, each list is meant to focus on your current status in life, which may
mean that you haven’t always enjoyed the privileges that you can identify today, or that you may
have less privilege in a category than you once did.
Instructions: Please read each list carefully. As you read a list, for every item on the list to
which you can answer, “Yes,” take one [paper clip, bead]. Do this for each list. When you
are finished with every list, you will have a set of [paper clips or beads] that represent your
composite of privileges.
Note: After participants have gathered their beads or paper clips, invite them to form
them into jewelry or another object, and to wear or display them.

5. English Language Learner
Model
Heterosexual
Native English
High SES
Not Disabled
Majority
Male $
ELL $
ELL $
ELL $
Female
Minority
LGBTQ
English Language Learner
Disabled
Low SES

6. Difference Matters
Everyone has SOME privilege, but some have more privilege than others.
As people become aware of the differences,
people are more open to learning how to behave in ways that level the differences for everyone
The purpose of the Privilege Walk Activity is to learn to recognize how power and
privilege can affect our lives even when we are not aware it is happening. The purpose is not to
blame anyone for having more power or privilege or for receiving more help in achieving goals,
but to have an opportunity to identify both obstacles and benefits experienced in our life
This exercise is about privilege. Every statement addresses some small privilege that is based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, or sexual orientation. The small statements in this exercise have added up to divide people into different locations in this room. Similarly, small privileges in society place individuals in different places in society.
Interestingly, privilege tends to be invisible to those who are privileged. That is, when we receive privilege based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other factor, we tend to not recognize the boosts in position that accumulate over time from those privileges.
The point of this exercise is not to make any of us embarrassed about the privileges we have received, but to make all of us aware of how privilege based on gender, race, etc function. Whether we are highly privileged, moderately privileged or lack privilege, it is possible to behave in ways that level the playing field for everyone.
Brenda J. Allen, Differencematters.info
Purpose: to explore ways that we enjoy privileges based on being members of social identity
groups in the United States. Please note that this exercise is not meant to make anyone feel
guilty or ashamed of her or his privilege or lack of privilege related to any social identity
categories. Rather, the exercise seeks to highlight the fact that everyone has SOME privilege,
even as some people have more privilege than others. By illuminating our various privileges as
individuals, we can recognize ways that we can use our privileges individually and collectively
to work for social justice.
Also note that each list is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive. You may think of other
items that might be on a list, and that’s fine. However, the idea is to offer some possible points
of privilege that arise from being a member of certain social identity groups in the United States,
and to invite us to reflect on the concepts of privilege and intersectionality (ways that our
privileges overlap). Also, each list is meant to focus on your current status in life, which may
mean that you haven’t always enjoyed the privileges that you can identify today, or that you may
have less privilege in a category than you once did.
Instructions: Please read each list carefully. As you read a list, for every item on the list to
which you can answer, “Yes,” take one [paper clip, bead]. Do this for each list. When you
are finished with every list, you will have a set of [paper clips or beads] that represent your
composite of privileges.
Note: After participants have gathered their beads or paper clips, invite them to form
them into jewelry or another object, and to wear or display them.

7. Framework Educators share knowledge while learning from all cultures
Acknowledge the strengths that students and staff bring with them
Include multiple perspectives in decision-making and instruction
Validate students’ cultural identity in classroom practices
Acknowledge students’ differences and commonalities
Recognize and challenge the many forms of oppression that produce the disparities in education
Become aware of one’s own cultural identify and views and the influence those views have on classroom practices
The following are not components of cultural competence:
Color-blindness or cultural neutrality
Cultural celebrations at designated times of the year
Making assumptions that all students from one culture operate in similar ways and have similar experiences
Assuming that only minority teachers are culturally competent or that white teachers are not culturally competent.

8. Benefits Culturally responsive leadership positively influences
Academic achievement
Engagement
Equity
Climate
Absentees
Drop out rates

9. On going process 1. Assess schoolwide cultural competence
how is school responding to the needs of diverse groups?
What are school policies and practices?
2. Use data to examine strengths/inequities impacting outcomes
3. Make action plans for on going cultural competence development and to ensure equitable practices
year
Goals
Activities
Timeline
Staff
Training
Resource
Data points
Results
Next Steps

10. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007
Step 1
Rate at least 1 strong area
Curriculum
Student Interaction and Leadership
Teachers
Conflict Management
Parents and Outer Community
Assessment

11. SWCC Demonstration Step 2 What is working well? (3.0 or above)
Join group at that poster
Jot down actions that worked

12. SWCC Demonstration Step 3 What is needing improvement? (Below 3.0)
What actions could your school implement to improve your school’s specific challenges?
Do your teachers have the skills necessary to implement it? If not, how much training is needed?
Where has it been successful before? Do those schools match yours in demographics?
Possibly Lesther’s activity

13. Jigsaw Method Content groups get together
Each person in the content group becomes an expert in that content
The content groups break into learning groups
Each learning group contains one member from each content group

14. Model Topic: Paiute Tribe
Content Groups
Learning Groups
Housing
Food
Beliefs
History

15. Empirical Evidence
Shown to improve intergroup cohesion and Increases intragroup dependence (Aronson & Bridgeman, 1979; Walker & Crogan, 1998))
Increased learning effects (Souvignier & Kronenburger, 2007; Walker & Crogan, 1998)

16. Microaggressions
Brief daily exchanges that are slights, indignities, and insults to a target group such as students of color or with a disability (Sue et al., 2007)
Why?
culturally destructive behavior
Frequent stressors
More harmful than overt racism .
For example, when Joe Biden described Barak Obama as "articulate, bright," he was unaware that he engaged in a racial microaggression
"your people are good at that." “ Raise your hand if you want to go first.” and all minitory students are last.
People of color report that their lives are filled with
incidents of racial microaggressions and that their well-intentioned
White brothers and sisters are generally unaware that they have
committed an offensive racial act (Dovidio, Gaertner, Kawakami,
& Hodson, 2002; Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008). More important,
once these are brought to their attention, Whites deny that
they intended to offend, believe the person of color raising the
issue is “oversensitive,” “paranoid,” or has simply misinterpreted
the situation. Even when Whites entertain the notion that they
unintentionally offended, they are likely to trivialize the slights as
banal and “small things” (Rowe, 1990; Sue & Constantine, 2007).

17. Types of microaggressions Activity
Verbal, nonverbal, actions, exclusion
Unconscious and conscious

18. Common Themes
One’s cultural background and communication style are dysfunctional or less valued than those of White culture
Colorblindness
Denial of individual racism
A person of color is foreign born and therefore not a “true” American
Assumptions of criminality or deviancy
Life chances are due solely to effort and race poses no obstacles
Being treated as a second-class citizen
Lower ability
Invisibility
Lack of privacy
Assumed helplessness

19. Bystander Poll Administrators /Educators Race / Disability
Note expect lower than person of color or with a disability but is there some degree of visibility?

24. What happens? Stepped in it Recipient TriggerPowerful reaction
anger, frustration, fear, exhaustion, confusion
Internal Questioning  no action
what occurred and why?
was it intentional?
to speak or not to speak?
Will I be supported or invalidated?
Few to “give voice”
Stepped in it
Aware Powerful reaction
guilt, confused, defensive
Ill prepared to react or discuss it
People that are recipients of microaggressions are caught in a catch-22 situation (Sue et al., 2007). Because the microaggressors/perpetrators might be unaware of their behavior or communication, they might not respond well if confronted about the microaggression. It might also be that one does not know how to confront a microaggression, fear consequences due to the power differential, or fear of denial of one’s experience (Sue, 2010). Moreover, the recipient spends so much of their “psychic energy” trying to figure out and questioning what occurred, why did it occur, determining if it was unintentional, and so forth, that they usually do not confront it and it creates more distress than receiving a blatant racist message. Since these microaggressions occur daily, and are accumulative in nature, they cause many recipients more distress than if it would only occur once in a while or it was blatant racism.
Ineffective
a passive approach
disengaging
dismissing the importance
becoming emotional (i.e., “get mad at what was being said [directed toward
the student of color]”)
ignoring the issue
Blaming or excusing

25. Individual Impact System Impact Frequent invalidation Impact ignored
Group identities are devalued
Feels unwelcome, isolated , invisible, disrespected
Lowers well being, health, participation, productivity, motivation, identity development
Individual Impact
ODRs, suspensions
Absenteeism, Drop oust
Poor climate
Academic gaps
Systemic inequalities
Bullying
Baslam, 2011; Carter, 2007; Franklin, 2006; Sellers & Shelton, 2003; Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008; Smith et al., 2007; Solo´rzano et al., 2000; Constantine 2007
Tease impact minor, not a big deal, ignore it
System Impact

26. Ineffective Ignore the issue Dismiss the importance Stifles awareness
roll eyes, wave it off
“Just kidding”, “ didn’t mean it”
Blaming, excuse, justify
“ too sensitive”
Stifles awareness
Lessens compassion
Precursor to bullying
When the
instructor seemed comfortable with addressing race issues, validated
feelings experienced by students of color, legitimized a
different racial reality, and exhibited good communication and
facilitation skills, difficult dialogues proved a valuable learning
experience. When professors were unaware of racial dynamics,
appeared uncomfortable with race conversations, or ignored or
dismissed race issues, the consequences could be quite devastating
to students of color. They often indicated that such an approach
tended to invalidate their racial realities via additional racial microaggressions.
Bell, 2002; Spanierman, Armstrong, Poteat, & Beer, 2006; Sue et al., 2009, Nadar, 2010

27. Responding When Triggered
Breathe
silence can be a powerful indicator of how you feel
Acknowledge or Explore what was said/did
“I just want to make sure I am understanding your point of view…”
“Help me understand more about…”
“Tell me more about…”
“Did I understand you correctly when you said…”
Responding choices
Feel empowered to share the impact of the trigger - educate
Explore solutions together
5 MINUTES
Relating In…find the connection
Dr. Kathy Obear (
Dr. Maura Cullen

28. Coping with MA Stress Think positively and reframe negative thoughts
Do not invalidate or minimize your experiences
Take pride in one’s ethnic heritage
Seek social support from trusted peers, mentors
Talk to someone you trust
Find an outlet
Pick battles + safety
Taking care of yourself
Self-reward these efforts

29. Effective Error Recovery
Breathe to calm
Apologize
I hear how you are feeling
I am sorry
How can I help fix this for you, change things, or make the you feel more comfortable
Respect and follow the person’s response
“I am sorry that I made you feel bad or alone.
How can I make it better for you or fix it?”
Learn how to apologize and what to apologize for
A student who is being responsible listens to other students and takes them seriously. You should stop even when you don't think you did anything wrong or did not mean to hurt. Stopping shows that you listen to how the other students feel. So it is important to stop, even if you don't agree.

30. Ongoing Self Reflection Recovery
Consider the teachable potential.
Reflect on your role and awareness
Empathize with the person’s feelings or view
Seek more information
Consider privilege vrs oppression
Do something nice to make the person feel better
Ask the person later if they are OK
Advocate to teach respect
Self-reward these efforts – this is not easy

31. Schoolwide Action Planning
↑ Teach coping skills
↑ Awareness and Knowledge with education
why some statements or actions are stressors
↑ Skills on what to do or say
to make visible, error recovery
(Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.)
Staff and students

32. Benefits Schoolwide Cultural competence
Targets all domains: disabilities, LGBTQI, gender, SES
Climate
Safety
Academic
Social well being
Inclusion
Absentees
Drop out rates
Violence
Social advocates/ Allies

33. Useful readings and resources
Sue, D.W., Capodilupo, C.M., Torino, G.C., Bucceri, J.M., Holder, A.M.B., Nadal, K.L., Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life. American Psychologist, 62(4), doi: / X
Sue, D.W. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. John Wiley & Sons. Hoboken, New Jersey.
Websites:
Southern Poverty Law Center Teaching Tolerance
Critical Multicultural Pavilion

34. Student Training Example Tolerance, Respect and Strengths
Ask folks to write class strengths
Post teacher or classmates comments all around the room before talk .

35. 1. Respecting our class strengths
Write one of special characteristic by each of your classmates name. You can use each one of these only two times though.
The person who is most likely to…or who we can count on to…
Encourage us Be generous to us
Organize us Be patient with us
Listen to us Keep promises
Support us Be fair to us
Take care of us Work with all of us
Problem solve for us Inspire us
Be loyal to us Calm us when needed
Be brave Be kind
Speak out for us Create for us
Be positive towards us Accept us
Compliment us

36. 2. Why talk about disrespect?
Leads to Feeling…
Less valued, unwelcome, isolated ignored, disrespected, self doubting, frustration, hurt
Poor physical health
Less participation with friends and class
Less work done
Less motivation

37. 3. One minute interviews
Question 1- Describe a time when a classmate did something that you did not like. What did you do? Did it work?
Question 2- When a classmate says “ I am just joking! Or “ you are too sensitive” to you or another classmate did you say something about it? How did it go? When you did not say anything, what stopped you?
Question 3- Describe a time when a classmate TOLD YOU THAT he or she was hurt or frustrated about something YOU DID. How did you respond? How did it go?

38. 4. Discuss Barriers Powerful Emotions Slow reaction  no action
anger, frustration, fear or guilt, confused, defensive
Slow reaction  no action
What just happened?
Was it on purpose?
Should I say something?
Who will support me?
Unaware made an error
“Just kidding” or “too sensitive”
What do I do?
It takes a village

39. 5. Discuss Rights 1. Group: “Classmates have the right to…..”
2. Class prioritize 3 to 5 for poster
3. Write individual responsibilities for each right
“Every classmate has the responsibility to ..”
1. I have the right to feel safe
I have the responsibility to help others feel safe.
2. I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect
I have the responsibility to treat others with the same dignity and respect
3. I have the right to have and express my own feelings and to ask for what I need.
I have the responsibility to express those feelings and needs in a way that does not insult or put others down.
4. I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously
I have the responsibility to listen to others and take them seriously.
5. I have the right to feel good about myself.
I have the responsibility to try not to hurt others or make them feel bad.
Your right: You have the right to be treated with respect.
Be Respectful: Use polite and kind behavior towards adults and students.
Be responsible: Help other students be treated with respect

40. 6. Teach Apologizing Breathe deep to get calm Take responsibility
Apologize
Say you heard how they are feeling
Say your are sorry
Ask how to fix, change things, or make the person feel more comfortable
Respect the person’s response to make it better
“I am sorry that I made you feel bad or alone.
How can I make it better for you or fix it?”
A student who is being responsible listens to other students and takes them seriously. You should stop even when you don't think you did anything wrong or did not mean to hurt. Stopping shows that you listen to how the other students feel. So it is important to stop, even if you don't agree.

41. RED disrespect that makes you feel boiling hot, oh my gosh, flipped out
____________________________________________________________________________
Orange a bit over my head, stressed, upset, getting tougher to handle
Green disrespect: hurt and uneasy but can handle it
Write examples of disrespect or stepping in it you have experienced or observed
Homework or a class assignment

42. 7. Self reflection and Move on
Take a break and reflect
Empathize with the person’s feelings or view
Problem solve
Do something nice to make the person feel better
Ask the person later if they are OK
Help others get respect
Reflect on what you can do next time
Reward your efforts
Compliments to replace disrespect

43. 8. Self care for Stress
Thinking positively and reframe negative thoughts
Taking pride in one’s ethnic heritage
Seeking social support from others
Talking to someone you trust and reporting it. Don’t ignore or minimize your experiences
Finding an outlet
Taking care of yourself
Rewarding your efforts

44. Contact Donna Gilbertson, PhD Utah State University
phone: