Navigating Cultural Competence in Grades K–5: A Compass for Teachers

Culturally competent teachers know and understand each of their students. Culturally competent schools are ones where students feel welcomed and engaged. To become culturally competent, teachers and other school professionals must treat every student with fairness. This book for primary teachers and administrators presents an 8-point model of cultural competence which, if followed, will ensure that all individuals in the school are both respected and protected. The 8 points correspond to the directions on a compass and are as follows: N: Notice culture and cultural characterstics NE: Negotiate and evaluate curriculum and content E: Establish community and context SE: Seek and engage S: Spark conversations and climate SW: Strengthen and weave together complexities and controversies W: Waken compassion and commitment NW: Nurture and welcome challenges and changes

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Francisco Rios Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction 1. Explore Cultural Competence 2. Begin Your Transformation 3. N: Notice Culture and Cultural Characteristics 4. NE: Negotiate and Evaluate Curriculum and Content 5. E: Establish Community and Context 6. SE: Seek and Engage in Collaboration and Construction 7. S: Spark Conversation and Climate and SW: Strengthen and Weave Together Complexities and Controversies 8. W: Waken Compassion and Commitment and NW: Nurture and Welcome Challenges and Changes Appendix A: Gallavan Cultural Competence Compass Appendix B: Review Checklist Appendix C: Websites References Index

About the Author :
Nancy P. Gallavan, Ph.D., is Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Central Arkansas where she specializes in classroom assessments and cultural competence in the Department of Teaching and Learning MAT Program, which she helped to start in 2006. The UCA MAT Program was recognized as the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education by the Association of Teacher Educators in 2010. Dr. Gallavan also serves as the UCA Academic Liaison to Institutional Diversity. Receiving university and college awards for her teaching, scholarship, and service, Dr. Gallavan has expertise in K-12 education, classroom assessments, curriculum development, cultural competence, social studies education, and teacher self-efficacy. With more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in journals, as chapters in books, and as books, Dr. Gallavan authored two versions of Developing Performance-Based Assessments, one for Grades K-5 and one for Grades 6-12 with Corwin Press in 2009. She also authored two versions of Navigating Cultural Competence: A Compass for Teachers, one for Grades K-5 and one for Grades 6-12 with Corwin Press in 2011. With Ellen Kottler, she co-authored Secrets to Success for Beginning Elementary School Teachers with Corwin Press in 2007 and Secrets to Success for Social Studies Teachers with Corwin Press in 2008. Most of these books have been republished in multiple languages. Her research agenda focuses on classroom assessments and teacher self-efficacy. Her chapter, “If you want your students to change, then you need to change: Mediating the sources and benefits of teacher self-efficacy with teacher candidates,” will be published in the Handbook of Research on Professional Development for Quality Teaching and Learning in 2016. Dr. Gallavan serves as the editor of the Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators Electronic Journal (ArATE EJ) and co-editor of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Annual Yearbook of Research. An active member of American Educational Research Association (AERA), Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), and National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), she is involved with the AERA Classroom Assessment Special Interest Group and serves as Chair of the ATE Commission of Online Teaching, Learning, and Schooling. Dr. Gallavan is a Past President and a Distinguished Member of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), a Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Chapter inaugural member, and a member of Phi Delta Phi (education honor society). Prior to joining the University of Central Arkansas, Dr. Gallavan was an Assistant/Associate Professor with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, specializing in social studies education and cultural competence. She began her career in education as an elementary school and middle level classroom teacher primarily in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado. She earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Literacy from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University); her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Gifted and Talented Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder; her school administrator license from the University of Colorado, Denver; and her doctoral degree in Curriculum Leadership with a cognate in Cultural Competence from the University of Denver. At the University of Denver, she received the Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Review :
"Gallavan provides a clear theoretical and practical foundation for framing one’s journey and understanding of cultural competence. She effectively guides teachers through learning each child’s story, providing meaningful connections, and collectively sharing the responsibility for all students’ learning." “This is a must read for those looking for better ways to engage all students, parents, administrators, and colleagues. The author provides a cultural compass to guide educators of all age groups in becoming more attuned to each child′s unique culture." "Like a compass guiding travelers on their journeys, the Gallavan cultural competence compass supplies teacher candidates, classroom teachers, school administrators, and educational researchers with a well-crafted tool that addresses all players and aspects of education. Each of the eight compass points delves into a segment of teaching and learning that educators must make visible in all of their endeavors." "This well crafted, highly informative, and easy-to-read book is a must for teachers who are trying to find constructive and non-threatening ways to engage with ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity. The author’s approach to the topic encouraging and enlightening."