The dynamics of “Cultural Proficiency” and how it is applied in the Joint Doctoral Program in Education with San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University is a broad platform. This analysis will describe how to progress forward for the educational community, as well as the individual. Implementing effective changes to enhance this program will require that we start by understanding the mission of the program, what cultural proficiency is and how it is applied, the four tools of cultural proficiency, practical application, then concluding with an evaluation of the changes.
Joint PhD Mission The mission of the program is to develop scholars who are committed to research and democratic schooling, …show more content…
Guiding principles are a response to the barriers and they equip scholars, educators and their schools with a moral framework for doing their work (Lindsey et al., 2009, p. 6). This means that effective and efficient guiding principles creates the core value for the mission overall. These principles will be used to set a precedent to ensure the changes are in line with the objective, which is to become more culturally proficient. The third tool is the continuum, which is the language for describing both healthy and non-productive policies, practices and individual values and behaviors (Lindsey et al., 2009, p. 5). There are six points along the cultural proficiency continuum, which are use to indicate how and why we react to situations and where there places us on the continuum. The beginning of the continuum is comprised of three unhealthy methods and behaviors, while the three points are healthy and should be the goal of anyone pursuing cultural …show more content…
Conducting inside-out observations of my behavior, thoughts, reactions and practices are now second nature. I believe that this course has given me the tools to have a mind-set that is open to understanding, by allowing my behavior and response to ensure I am on the far right end of the continuum. Although I understand that learning is a continuous cycle, this course has equipped me with the tools to succeed and have a greater impact on the community and the world I serve. Cultural proficiency is a mind-set, a worldview, a way a person or an organization makes assumptions for effectively describing, responding to and planning for issues that arise in diverse environments (Lindsey et al., 2009, p. 4). Utilizing the tools presented will definitely contour the scholars in the program, by incorporating the human perspective and why understanding different cultures is essential to becoming a culturally proficient