Diversity Committee hears report on district Cultural Competency policies and practices

Diversity Committee hears report on district Cultural Competency policies and practices
Wednesday Sergio Hernandez facilitated the district's second Diversity Committee meeting of the year. Whitman College students reported to the group their findings and recommendations on cultural competency issues in the district.

The study was part of The State of the State for Washington Latinos. The study focused on Blue Ridge Elementary, Garrison Middle School and Walla Walla High School. Below is a summary of their work.

Providing Quality Education for All: Cultural Competency Policies and Practices in the WWPS
- By Catherine DeCramer, Andrew Ryan, Simerun Singh
The State of the State for Washington Latinos, Whitman College, April 2012

TOPIC: This study investigates the cultural competency policies and practices of three Walla Walla public schools, identifies culturally competent practices, and suggests areas for improvement at each school and the district overall. The research was guided by our community partnership with the Bilingual Coordinator of the Walla Walla Public Schools (WWPS), Diana Erickson, and Latino Club Advisor, Bill Erickson.

METHODS: We used the "Snowball Method" to recruit teachers, administrators, Latino parents, and Latino students for individual and group interviews at the three schools with the highest percentages of Latino students in the district: Blue Ridge Elementary School, Garrison Middle School, and Walla Walla High School. Interview participants were asked their perspectives on educational services for Latino parents and students, the cultural and racial dynamics at school, the school culture in general, and their school's level of cultural competency. Staff and faculty members at the three schools were surveyed electronically about communication with Latino parents and Spanish-dominant speakers, confidence in teaching in culturally competent ways, general views on the effects of students' cultural backgrounds and race in school, and experiences with prior cultural competency trainings.

FINDINGS:
- In 2009, an unfunded mandate by the Washington State Legislature identified cultural competency as an effective means of reducing the achievement gap in Washington public schools.
- There are no policies explicitly establishing a commitment to cultural competency at Blue Ridge, Garrison, or Walla Walla High School.
- Most teachers are uncertain about how to address racial conflict in the classroom. Cultural competency related
trainings increase a teacher's confidence to deal with racial conflict. Latino teachers communicate with students or
parents about racial or cultural issues on a daily to weekly basis while white teachers report doing so on a monthly to quarterly basis.
- Latino students perceive certain barriers to their success at school, including discrimination from other students, lack of racially and culturally diverse staff members, and marginalization in higher level/AP classes.
- Latino families value schools' efforts to affirm the cultural backgrounds of Latino students through providing bilingual staff
members and sponsoring culturally inclusive family events, and express a desire that schools further develop these efforts.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WALLA WALLA SCHOOL DISTRICT:
- Encourage the hiring of bilingual staff members and teachers of color.
- Provide cultural competency training for teachers that focuses on developing both cultural knowledge and an understanding of the role that culture and race plays in a student's life.
- Promote communication between Latino families and schools by involving Latino parent representatives in the WWPS Diversity Committee.
- Identify, develop, and implement culturally affirming teaching and family outreach practices.
- Encourage schools to include a culturally affirming statement in their mission statements.
- Expand the reach of the dual-language program.

Full report online at http://www.walatinos.org

Contact: Prof. Paul Apostolidis apostopc@whitman.edu, Andrew Ryan ryanaj@Whitman.edu