5/26/2023

Culturally Affirming Shared Leadership

Dr. Eva Gibson Dr. James Thompson Dr. Mariama Sandifer Dr. Sarah Brant-Rajahn
Austin Peay State University Austin Peay State University Austin Peay State University Messiah University

© 2023 Gibson, Thompson, Sandifer, Brant-Rajahn EG

Copyright Notice
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content and all materials distributed at or in connection with the Event are owned by the
American School Counselor Association (“ASCA”) and/or the Event sponsors or speakers
presenting at the Event. You may not use or reproduce or allow anyone to use or reproduce,
any of ASCA’s trademarks, and/or any materials distributed at or in connection with the Event
for any reason without the prior written permission of ASCA and the presenting speaker.

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Learning Objectives
After attending this session you will be able to:
1. discuss the school counselor educator’s role in leadership preparation
2. integrate a culturally affirming shared leadership framework in
training programs
3. access leadership and collaboration resources

EG

move beyond
acknowledgment
22% applied efforts to disrupt
policies & practices that negatively
impact students of color
Change expand
awareness
implement
action-based
efforts

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ASCA
School Counselor Professional
Standards & Competencies
M 5. Effective school counseling
is a collaborative process
M 6. School counselors are
leaders
B-SS 6. Collaborate with families,
teachers, administrators…
B-PA 7. Establish agreement with
the principal and other
administrators about the school
counseling program
Professional Standards
CACREP
Counselor Education Program
Standards
G.1.d- models of school-based
collaboration & consultation
G.2.a- school counselor roles as
leaders
G.2.b- school counselor roles in
consultation
G.2.d- school counselor roles in
school leadership teams
G.2.j- effective leadership
G.3.l- techniques to foster
collaboration
ASCA SPA (CAEP)
School Counselor Preparation
Program Standards
4.2 Collaborate with stakeholders 3.e- Confront and alter
6.2 Demonstrate leadership,
advocacy, and collaboration
(Admin)
Professional Standards for
Educational Leaders
institutional biases of student
marginalization, deficit-based
schooling, and low expectations
associated with race, class,
culture and language, gender and
sexual orientation, and disability
or special status.
3.h- Address matters of equity and
cultural responsiveness in all
aspects of leadership.
10.h- Adopt a systems
perspective and promote
coherence among improvement
efforts and all aspects of school
organization, programs, and
services. MS

How are we currently preparing our

school counselor trainees to engage
in leadership?

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MS

Background of research
School counseling and administration fields independently address culturally
affirming praxis, as well as leadership.
School Counseling Administration
• Bolman and Deal’s (2017) • Transformational Leadership,
Leadership Framework Transactional Leadership, &
• Leadership Specialist Training Instructional Leadership
• Transformative School • The Culturally Responsive School
Counseling Leadership Leadership Framework (Khalifa
et al., 2016)
There is a need for a shared framework to develop this work collaboratively
and to address the noticeable gaps in resources and skill development.
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actions to dismantle
barriers

relies on combined social capital rather than individual responsibilities; foundational for equitable school environment
EG & JT

school-based social capital can

impact student outcomes

social networks may contribute

to the greater good through
collaboration & shared support
effective functioning of networks of
the combined social capital between
relationships within a community
school counselors & administrators
can positively impact school culture

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Culturally Affirming Shared Leadership (CASL) framework

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Culturally Affirming Practices

Culturally affirming interventions and the establishment of genuine
student connections is associated with improved student success.

Culturally affirming practices…

• Center around racial identity development
• Promote positive self-concept
• Emphasize racial consciousness
• Affirm the lived experiences of marginalized groups

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Advocate at individual student, schoolwide,

districtwide, and community levels
Address cultural representation in staffing

Address school climate and culture to

include school racial climate
Develop collective social capital through asset-based, equitable
collaborations and partnerships with external stakeholders
SB

Reflection
Self-reflection
• How might exploring my implicit bias
help my professional lens and decision
making?
• What do I believe about systems of
oppression and privilege?
• What assumptions do I make about
students and their families based on
their identities?
• What action steps can I take to educate
myself about diverse cultures?
Team reflection
• How is our leadership model impacting
faculty development and student
outcomes?
• How are we measuring our effectiveness
as a team?
• How are we demonstrating
commitment to cultural humility and
knowledge acquisition?
• How are we fostering culturally
inclusive and affirming climates?
• How are we utilizing our combined
social capital to support student
success?
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Culturally Relevant Data Collection,

Assessment, & Evaluation
disaggregation of school data by racial and ethnic identity, gender, home
language, and ability to determine school needs, existing disparities, and
multicultural-social justice issues

use of quantitative data (e.g., standardized test scores, student grades,

attendance, discipline) and universal screening for specialized services

collection of data from students and parents (e.g., school climate assessments,
surveys, focus groups, parent/stakeholder meetings)

ongoing collaborative meetings to disaggregate and discuss data and develop

measurable goals specific to addressing inequities

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Antiracist Professional Development

• Implement ongoing professional
development
• Engage in courageous “Positive relationships
conversations enhance the relevance of
• Define racism & antiracism instructional practices and
student outcomes, especially
• Challenge faculty to address for students of color, thus
personal values & bias attention to culture and
• Share data reports that discuss antiracist practices in
educational inequities professional development is
imperative.”
• Brainstorm solutions
Gibson, Thompson, Cook
Sandifer, & Brant-Rajahn, 2022
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Vignette video

JT

Visionary principals are able to think beyond the day-to-day operation of a routine school day.

Principals can empower counselors to lead school-wide professional development

centered on culturally relevant pedagogy (Green-Gibson & Collett, 2014).
To maximize the principal and counselor relationship on student achievement, it is
critical to ensure effective communication and interaction.

Admin perspective on approach JT

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Admin prep programs

Provide future school leaders with…

Prescriptive standards for

interacting with school
counselors A clear understanding of the
role and function of a school
counselor
The knowledge and skills of
conducting a critical analysis of a
school through a multicultural
leadership lens
JT

How can we collaborate with our admin training programs?

How do we teach this within our programs?

JT & EG

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Articulating Resources Collaborating and

Purpose, Vision, Sharing Decision
and Mission Making
Effective Advancing Student
Communication Achievement

Supporting a New
Ensuring Equity Principal or New
School Counselor

Cultivating Trust Continuing

and Respect Improvement and
Advanced Practices
JT

addressing
pedagogical gaps

navigating
Resources, cont. political, social,
community
constructs

eliminating
barriers
JT

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Resources, cont.

Key Take-Aways
• School counselor educators play a key role in
leadership preparation.
• Culturally affirming shared leadership
framework can be integrated in training
programs and practice.
• Leadership and collaboration resources are
available for access.

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References
• American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA research report: State of the profession 2020.
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/bb23299b-678d-4bce-8863-cfcb55f7df87/2020-state-of-the-profession.pdf
• Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. Jossey-Bass.
• Boyland, L., Geesa, R. L., Lowry, K. P., Quick, M. M., Mayes, R. D., Kim, J., Elam, N. P., & McDonald, K. M.
(2019). Collaborative principal-school counselor preparation: National standards alignment to improve training
between principals and school counselors. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 14(1), 188–
205. https://www.icpel.org/uploads/1/5/6/2/15622000/ijelp_volume_14_number_1__spring_2019_.pdf
• Brant-Rajahn, S. N., Gibson, E. M., & Sandifer, M. C. (Eds.). (2022). Developing, delivering, and sustaining school
counseling practices through a culturally affirming lens. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9514-5
• Dahir, C. A., Burnham, J. J., Stone, C. B., & Cobb, N. (2010). Principals as partners: Counselors as collaborators.
NASSP Bulletin, 94(4), 286–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636511399899
• Dennis, T., Schuschke, J., & Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2022). An antiracist professional development curriculum for
school counselors. In C. Holcomb-McCoy (Ed.), Antiracist counseling in schools and communities (pp. 103–127).
American Counseling Association.
• DeSimone, J., & Roberts, L. (2016). Fostering collaboration between preservice educational leadership and school
counseling graduate candidates. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 8(2), 1–18.
https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=jcps
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References, cont.
• Grothaus, T., Johnson, K., & Edirmanasinghe, N. (2020). Culturally sustaining school counseling: Implementing
diverse, equitable, inclusive programs. American School Counselor Association.
• Holcomb-McCoy, C. (Ed.). (2022). Antiracist counseling. American Counseling Association.
• Khalifa, M. (2018). Culturally responsive school leadership. Harvard Education Press.
• Khalifa, M. A., Gooden, M. A., & Davis, J. E. (2016). Culturally responsive school leadership: A synthesis of the
literature. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1272–1311. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316630383
• Ladson-Billings, G. (2021). I’m here for the hard re-set: Post pandemic pedagogy to preserve our culture. Equity
& Excellence in Education, 54(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2020.1863883
• Larson, K. E., Bradshaw, C. P., Rosenberg, M. S., & Day-Vines, N. L. (2018). Examining how proactive
management and culturally responsive teaching relate to student behavior: Implications for measurement and
practice. School Psychology Review, 47(2), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.17105/SPR-2017-0070.V47-2
• Moore-Thomas, C., & Day-Vines, N. L. (2010). Culturally competent collaboration: School counselor
collaboration with African American families and communities. Professional School Counseling, 14(1), 53–63.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X1001400106

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References, cont.
• Sandifer, M. C., Gibson, E. M., & Brant-Rajahn, S. N. (2021). WOKE: Advocacy for African American students.
In M. A. Rausch & L. L. Gallo (Eds.), Strengthening School Counselor Advocacy and Practice for Important
Populations and Difficult Topics (pp. 19–40). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-7319-8.ch002
• Santamaría, L. J., & Santamaría, A. P. (2015). Counteracting educational injustice with applied critical leadership:
Culturally responsive practices promoting sustainable change. International Journal of Multicultural Education,
17(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v17i1.1013
• Shell, E. M. (2021). School counselors as leaders for social justice and equity. Taboo: The Journal of Culture and
Education, 20(2), 58–71. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/taboo/vol20/iss2/4/
• Singleton, G. E. (2015). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools.
Corwin.

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Please remember to complete your session

evaluation in the Conference App.

© 2023 Gibson, Thompson, Sandifer, Brant-Rajahn

Feel free to reach out

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 Culturally Affirming
Shared Leadership (CASL)

Thank you for attending our session. As we share information with you, we ask
that you use this handout to reflect on your program's current and possible practices.

How are we currently preparing our school counselor trainees to engage in leadership?

What are your current practices teaching students how to collect, analyze, and discuss
data with attention to disparities between cultures? AND What are some thoughts about
the next steps you/your program can intentionally engage in?

What processes are in place for faculty to assess curriculum and program practices
related to anti-racist and culturally affirming pedagogy and leadership?

How can you/your program collaborate with K-12 administration training programs?

What are 2-3 immediate steps you can take toward preparing students to engage in
culturally affirming shared leadership?

Dr. Eva Gibson, Austin Peay University, Gibsone@apsu.edu;

Dr. James Thompson, Austin Peay University, Thompsonjm@apsu.edu;
Dr. Mariama Sandifer, Austin Peay University, Sandiferm1@apsu.edu
Dr. Sarah Brant-Rajahn, Messiah University, Sbrantrajahn@messiah.edu https://sistascholars.weebly.com/