AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CULTURAL

PROFICIENCY TEACHER TRAINING

AT WALTER P. REUTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Cheryl DeCroix-Wilson, Gina Hawkins, Laura Poxon and Ann Prashar

 The Research Team
Anusuya Prashar
BA in Elementary Education from York University; Honors BA in Psychology from York University; MAEd
in School Counseling from Wayne State University. Nineteen years of experience working in education as a
teacher and school counselor.

Gina Hawkins
BA in Elementary Education from the University of Detroit; MAEd in School Counseling from the
University of Phoenix. Thirty-four years of experience working in education as a teacher and school
counselor in public and parochial schools.

Laura Poxon
BA in Early Childhood Education from The Ohio State University; MA in Early Childhood Education from
Central Michigan University. Over 20 years of experience with Early Childhood Education, currently the
Coordinator of Early Childhood for West Bloomfield School District.

Cheryl DeCroix-Wilson
BA in Counseling Psychology from William Tyndale College, MA in Teaching from Wayne State University;
Elementary Educator with 30 years of experience working with all grade levels Pre-K to grade 6 along with
English Language Learners in public and private schools.
 Background Information
● For the 1st time in our history, students of color make up the majority of students in U.S. public schools.

● The need for culturally responsive teaching is more pressing than ever before, especially when you consider
the deep demographic gaps between teachers and students.
● We know that teachers are the drivers of culturally responsive practices in schools and classrooms.
● Findings suggest that the research base for teacher preparation programs and professional development
systems across the country are not sufficiently preparing educators to be culturally proficient in their
classrooms, and there is no conclusive evidence regarding their effectiveness.
● In addition to the need for more rigorous cultural proficiency training research, a current and critical need is
a major investment in developing culturally responsive educators, one that goes beyond providing one-off
courses or workshops.
 Background Information
“A teaching workforce that remains overwhelmingly female, white,
middle-class, and monolingual is increasingly likely to teach students who are
of a different race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, language group, and so
on.” Jenny Muniz (2019)

“...without the appropriate training and support, even the most well-meaning
teachers can unwittingly provide instruction that is irrelevant, ineffective, and
even antagonistic to today’s diverse learners.”
Jenny Muniz (2019)
 Rationale & Purpose of the Study

● The rationale behind the study stems from the research team’s desire and strong
interest in learning how to become a more culturally proficient educator.

● The timing for this study was optimal as one of the research team members’ school
was currently undergoing cultural proficiency training.

● The research team was curious as to whether the training at Reuther Middle School
was adequate and effective overall, and if this training model could be used in other
school districts.
 Research Questions

1. How has staff’s self- awareness and knowledge of Cultural Proficiency increased as a
result of the training?

2. What additional training does staff need to become more culturally proficient?

3. How has Cultural Proficiency training received by staff affected interactions with
students?
 Assumptions and Limitations
Assumptions of the study include:
● honesty and accuracy in self-assessments
● complete consistency of training for all staff members
● all participants who were being trained were equally
prepared and capable of implementing this work in
the classroom
● all participants are open to this training with biases
being discussed
● teaching staff would be willing to use this new training
in their classrooms and during staff interactions
● an expectation that all teachers are going to subscribe
to the notion of Cultural Proficiency training
Limitations of the study include:
● only one school was included in this research
● only three training sessions were completed due to
state mandated COVID-19 restrictions due to a global
pandemic
● Staff focus during this global pandemic shifted to
self-care, mental health check-ins
● Due to COVID-19, some staff members chose to work
virtually from home, limiting personal interactions
with staff
 Research Information

● Race and ethnicity influence teaching and learning in two important ways: they affect
how students respond to instruction and influence teachers’ assumptions about how
students learn and how much students are capable of learning. (Hawley and
Nieto,2010)
● Educators can take three steps for effective implementation of race- and ethnicity-
responsive approaches to school improvement that benefits all students.
○ Understand how race affects teaching and learning.
○ Use race and ethnicity responsive teaching practices.
○ Promote supportive school conditions.

● People seldom believe in practices they don’t know how to implement.

 Research Information

• There is not a single cultural competency model that is agreed upon and used in schools
today. (McAllister and Irvine, Study 2000)

• Three models of training that have been used

• Helm’s Racial Identity Theory (1984, 1990)- associated with counselors and looks
at human development
• The Bank’s Typology of Ethnicity (1984)- has the foundation for cultural
competency to reach multi ethnic or racial groups.
• Milton Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (1993)- focusses
on confronting the denial, defensiveness, and minimizing another’s culture.
 Demographics and Participants

● Walter P. Reuther Middle School is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

● A part of the Rochester Community School District.
● One of four middle schools in the district.
● Teachers and the Principal participated in study.
 Demographics
● 674 students in sixth-eighth grades
● The student body consists of:
○ 332 female and 343 male students
○ 60.7% White students
○ 23.4% Asian students
○ 6.4% Hispanic students
○ 6.2% Black students
● Staff demographics
○ 80% White teachers
○ 14.2% Asian teachers
○ 2.9% Hispanic teachers
○ 2.9% Black teachers
 Definition of Terms
Culture: Everything you believe and everything you do that identifies you as a member
of a group and distinguishes you from other groups. Cultures reflect the belief systems
and behaviors that are informed by race, and ethnicity, as well as other sociological
factors like gender, age, sexual orientation, and physical ability. Both individuals and
schools (organizations) are defined by their cultures.

Cultural Competency: Understanding your own culture, other’s culture, and the role
of culture in education. Using students' culture as a basis for learning, communicating
high expectations, and reshaping curriculum to reflect student’s diversity leads to better
educational outcomes.
 Definition of Terms

Cultural Proficiency: It is the policies and practices of an organization, or the values

and behaviors of an individual, that enable that organization or person to interact
effectively with clients, colleagues, and the community using essential elements of
cultural competence: assessing culture valuing diversity, managing the dynamics of
difference, adapting to diversity, and institutionalizing cultural knowledge.

Diversity: Refers to socioeconomics, power, privilege, class, ethnicity, language, gender,

age, ability, and sexual orientation and all other aspects of culture.
 Method of Study - Selection of Subjects

The participants were selected using the following criteria:

● Teaching staff at Reuther Middle School in the Rochester Community District
● All Reuther teachers who participated in the district’s Cultural Competency
training, were invited to complete the survey. 
The participants for the Virtual Staff Interview were selected using the following
criteria:
● Sampling of diverse teachers
● Participated in the Cultural Competency training
● Completed the self-assessment
● Taught in different content areas
 Method of Study - Data Collection
Data were collected for this project beginning in June of 2020.

● June 10, 2020, the teaching staff was invited to complete a Cultural Competence
self-assessment.
● On December 12, 2020, an interview was conducted from a selection of teachers
who had completed both the training and self-assessment.
● On January 15, 2021 an interview was conducted with Reuther Middle School’s
building administrator. 
 Method of Study - Description of Instruments
Self Assessment: Google Surveys using 31 Likert-scale questions and one open-ended question
designed to assess teachers’ views on their own cultural competency.

Virtual Interview 1: Reuther Middle School Teaching Staff- Subjects were asked five
open-ended questions about their knowledge, awareness, attitudes and preparedness of teaching a
culturally diverse student body. Each participant was encouraged to answer all questions posed to
them.

Virtual Interview 2: Reuther Middle School Building Administrator- She was asked three
open-ended questions focused on her own training, knowledge of cultural proficiency and
experience as an administrator in a culturally diverse school.
 Data Analysis - Culture & Ethnicity

I know the effect that my culture and ethnicity may have on the people in my work setting.

● 4 teachers selected Usually.

● 10 teachers selected Often.
● 13 teachers selected Sometimes.
● 2 teachers selected Seldom
● 2 teachers selected Almost Never.
 Data Analysis - Culture of Co-workers
I seek to learn about the cultures of this school’s employees.

● 8 teachers selected Usually.

● 6 teachers selected Often.
● 12 teachers selected Sometimes.
● 5 teachers selected Seldom
● 0 teachers selected Almost Never.
 Data Analysis - Culture vs. Personality
I understand that what might appear to be clashes in personality may in fact be conflicts in culture.

● 3 teachers selected Usually.

● 14 teachers selected Often.
● 13 teachers selected Sometimes.
● 1 teachers selected Seldom
● 0 teachers selected Almost Never.
 Data Analysis - Facts vs. Stereotypes

I check myself to see if an assumption I am making about a person is based upon facts or upon stereotypes about a group.

● 7 teachers selected Usually.

● 19 teachers selected Often.
● 4 teachers selected Sometimes.
● 1 teachers selected Seldom
● 0 teachers selected Almost Never.
 Conclusions

● The first major finding in our study uncovered that teachers expressed the need
for more time to have deeper conversations with their colleagues, including
sharing their own personal experiences and having a platform to tell their
stories.
● The second major finding was the teachers’ desire for further opportunities to
participate in training. The cultural proficiency training would benefit not
just the teachers but also the students, families and the community.
 Conclusions

● In relationship to our research questions, the research team found that teachers are
more aware of their own cultural background and how it relates to other staff
members and students. Reuther staff were able to find their voice in sharing their
own culture. Teaching staff validated that their knowledge and self-awareness of
cultural competency has increased.
● This study also found that there needs to be more cultural proficiency training,
more support and more time to put it into practice. All of the respondents
expressed a wish for more opportunities to engage in deeper-level conversations
that would help them in difficult situations that arise in the classroom.
● Lastly, the findings suggest that training impacted the teachers’ interactions with
their students and provided more confidence in themselves in handling issues of
race that were a part of classroom discussions. The participants noted the
importance of sharing and learning from one another's personal experiences.
 Recommendations

The results of this study indicate that there are three areas of recommendation

that should be considered for educators: specialized targeted training, additional

time to engage in meaningful discussion with colleagues, and opportunities to

build relationships with each other.

 Recommendations

● Targeted training should include opportunities to engage in more discussion about

race and culture with adequate facilitation of these potentially difficult conversations.

● Additional time for meaningful dialogue with colleagues to implement new skills and
strategies learned. By providing more time and practice, staff members would gain
confidence in sharing their experiences, personal stories, and listening to others’
stories.

● Smaller groups of teachers working together are able to foster relationships. This will
create a brave space for teachers to be honest and open about all possible differences,
promoting more acceptance and empathetic understanding amongst each other.
 Implications for the Future

● Very little substantial empirical research and data on Cultural

Proficiency training and its effectiveness for teachers was found.
● As a result, there is a great need for additional investigation and
research into Cultural Proficiency.
● This is a time sensitive topic as the demographic gaps between
teachers and students continues to increase.
 Implications for the Future

Future Research Questions

● What Cultural Proficiency training models have proven

successful in school districts?

● What are the cultural competency requirements in various

states and how much do they vary?

● Is there a mandate that requires all teacher preparation

institutions to prepare teachers by developing professional
cultural competencies?
 Resources for Educational Leaders

Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders

By: Randall B. Lindsey, Kikanza Nuri Robins, and Raymond D. Terrell

Dr. Jay Marks

Oakland County’s Diversity and Equity Specialist

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-cultural-diversity-resources-teachers

https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/next-step-in-diversity-training-teachers-learn-to-face-their-unconsciou
s-biases/2019/05

https://resilienteducator.com/collections/cultivating-diversity-inclusion-equity/
A Special Thank You

Reuther Middle School Administration and Teaching Staff - for your

participation, insight, and shared experiences… your time...

Dr. Feun - for your guidance and knowledge… encouragement and support
throughout our action research...