A short look at culture, cultural competency, frameworks, and tools for independent schools looking to approach cultural competency in individual, interpersonal, and institutional ways.

1. American School in London
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Cultural Competency
in Independent Schools:
What Leaders Need to Know
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

2. Dimensions of Identity and Culture
This model of identifiers and culture was created by Karen Bradberry and Johnnie Foreman for NAIS Summer Diversity Institute,
adapted from Loden and Rosener’s Workforce America! (1991) and from Diverse Teams at Work, Gardenswartz & Rowe (SHRM 2003).
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

3. Cultural Competency:
Many Models
Cultural competence is a set of
congruent behaviors, attitudes and
policies that come together in a
system, institution or individual and
enable that system, institution or
individual to work effectively in cross-
cultural situations.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Terry Cross

4. Cultural Competency: Key Elements
Value Orientation
Diversity as Value Added
Respect
Relationships
Equity
Thought Orientation
Knowledge
Awareness
Systems Thinking
Action Orientation
Consciousness Building
Capacity Building
Assessment
Adaptation
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

5. From Exclusive to Inclusive:
Developmental Stages
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

6. Hallmarks of Earlier Phases
 People feel pressure to fit in
 People fear speaking up
 “Who you know” is more important than “what you
know” (relationship-based culture)
 You only trust those closest to you (cliques)
 Denial of differences is considered a virtue (“we
don’t see differences here”)
 It’s hard for outsiders to learn the rules (sink or
swim to prove yourself)
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

7. Hallmarks of Later Phases
 People can bring their full selves to school
 The school encourages and welcomes people to
contribute different opinions and points of view
 There is a performance driven culture
 People form dynamic and diverse groups (trust)
 Differences are seen as additive and productive
 Success is explicitly defined, and the school supports
people in achieving it
 The school has an interactive culture
 People have the competencies to adapt to different
cultural contexts.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

8. Individual Level
William Taylor’s Reflective Competence Model
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

9. Final Questions or Comments?
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

10. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

11. Cultural Competence and
Educational Excellence
 "How Diversity Affects Teaching and Learning Climate of Inclusion has a
Positive Effect on Learning Outcomes," by Sylvia Hurtado. 2, 3, 5
http://www.diversityweb.org/research_and_trends/research_evaluation_impact/
benefits_of_diversity/ sylvia_hurtado.cfm
 • University of Michigan . Gratz v. Bollinger, et al., No. 97-75321 (E.D.
Michigan), Grutter v. Bollinger et al., No. 97-75928 (E.D. Michigan). 1 "The
Educational Value of Diversity." Center for Institutional Diversity.
 •"Who Benefits from Racial Diversity in Higher Education?" by Mitchell J.
Chang, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Loyola Marymount
University, and Alexander W. Astin, Director, Higher Education Research
Institute, University of California- Los Angeles. 2, 3
http://www.diversityweb.org/Digest/W97/research.html
 •"Fostering Intercultural Harmony in Schools Research Findings." Report,
prepared by Kathleen Cotton, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory,
Portland, Oregon, 1993. "Cooperative Learning, Multicultural Functioning and
Student Achievement. San Bernadino, CA: San Bernadino School District,
1990. 2, 4 http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/ 8/topsyn7.h
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

12. Miscellaneous Resources
• Cornell University ILR Management Programs
(www.ilr.cornell.edu)
• National Training Lab (www.ntl.org)
• Robert Evans, The Human Side of School Change
• Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point
• Jim Collins, Good To Great
• Stephen R. Covey’s Coveylink
• Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
• Michelle Cummings, Training-Wheels.com
• Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson, Shaping School
Culture: The Heart of Leadership
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)