"For the last several decades, many educational theorists have advocated for culturally responsive practices within K-12 school contexts, particularly as it relates to teaching and learning (Emdin, 2016; Gay, 1994, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Paris, 2012). More recently, scholars have begun to call for a broadening of culturally responsive practices beyond the classroom in ways that consider how school leaders can create entire school environments that are culturally responsive to the needs of historically marginalized student populations and communities. However, what has not been given much consideration in the literature, is how individuals who are tasked with implementing culturally responsive initiatives at the school and district level, such as principals, teachers, and staff, understand and make sense of this task. This mini-ethnographic case study utilized sensemaking both broadly within organizations (Weick, 1995) and more specifically to K-12 contexts (Spillane, Reimer, Reiser, 2002), as well as culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) (Khalifa, 2018; Khalifa, Gooden, & Davis, 2016) as frameworks for understanding this phenomenon. Participants included individuals in district and school level leadership positions, as well as teachers and staff within a school district that had adopted cultural responsiveness as a district goal. Findings from this study revealed the importance of crafting and supporting a clear message regarding cultural responsiveness at both the district and school levels. Findings also revealed the role that individuals' attitudes, beliefs, and values can play in the implementation of culturally responsive initiatives at the district and school levels."--Page ii.
Read
