Education and Cultural Competence

Cultural competence has been defined as "a process of developing proficiency in effectively responding in a cross cultural context" ("Cultural Competency Definition," 2008). Education today must address an ever-increasing proportion of diversity in schools, and thus the mission, vision, and philosophy of educational institutions should reflect a goal of cultural competence. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, by the year 2100, the U.S. population's majority and minority quotient will reverse, with non-Hispanic whites comprising only 40% of the U.S. population; this projection signals the need for students to "learn how to interact in a diverse environment" (Rosenthal, 2008). This paper will examine the cultural competence content of guiding statement for the U.S. Department of Education, the Nevada Department of Education, an urban school district, a rural school district, and a charter or private school; a sampling of their statements; and a reflection on the significance of cultural competence in each. In addition, I will offer my opinion as an educator on how to incorporate cultural competence into my organizational statements, how I would develop such statements, and what they might look like.

The U.S. Department of Education's mission includes no statements related to cultural competence except for an initiative to assure "access to equal educational opportunity for every individual" ("Overview: Mission," 2003). Likewise, the Nevada Department of

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