Assessing Schoolwide Cultural Competence: Implications for School Leadership Preparation

TLDR

The SCCOC was created as a tool for school culture audits to assess how well schools meet the needs of diverse student populations. This mixed‑methods study aimed to evaluate the fidelity and construct validity of the 33‑item Schoolwide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist by gathering school leaders’ perspectives. Researchers administered a web‑based questionnaire to practicing school leaders in two western states, then performed iterative coding and constant comparison of narrative responses, with intercoder reliability confirming emerging themes. Analysis produced four main themes—policy paradox, program instrumentalism, culture and climate integration, and barriers (with five subthemes)—highlighting the need to address leaders’ biases and develop culturally responsive skills.

Abstract

Purpose: The initial purpose of this mixed methods study was to assess the instrument fidelity and construct-related validity of a 33-item instrument called the Schoolwide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist (SCCOC) by eliciting school leaders’ views. The SCCOC was designed as one tool for use in conducting school culture audits, which determine how well a school responds to the needs of diverse groups. The results revealed unexpected qualitative findings from school leaders’ narrative responses to open-ended items. The implications of these findings for school leaders and school leader preparation are discussed. Research Design: On a Web-based questionnaire, practicing school leaders in two large western states responded to open- and closed-ended items on the relevance of SCCOC items to cultural competence in actual school settings. Participants’ narrative responses were analyzed using an iterative process of coding and constant comparison to identify emerging themes. Themes were validated using intercoder reliability. Findings: Research team members reached consensus on four primary themes that emerged from analysis of narrative data: policy as a paradox, programs as instrumental to culturally competent practice, school culture and climate as integral to schoolwide cultural competence, and numerous barriers to cultural competence. Under the theme of barriers, five subthemes were revealed. Conclusions: The findings inform future research and the need to focus school leader preparation on examining personal biases, privilege, and beliefs about others who are different, as well as guiding leaders to develop culturally responsive skills and knowledge and the ability to assess schoolwide cultural competence.