THE SCHOOL-WIDE CULTURAL COMPETENCE

OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

Instructions: Rate on a scale of 1 to 5 (1= Never 2= Almost Never

3=Sometimes 4= Almost Always 5=Always) the extent to which you
observe each of the following criteria for cultural competence. Circle the
number which represents your perceptions. Please note or provide evidence
or documentation to support your rating.

Observation Area/Domain Scale Evidence/Documentation

and Criteria

School Vision/Mission
1 There is a school Mission
Statement or Vision Statement that
includes a stated commitment to
diversity and/or global citizenry.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a two because there is
a school vision; however it does not
include a stated commitment to diversity
and/or global citizenry.

Curriculum
2 Literature selections in the
curriculum reflect a variety of
cultural perspectives (classrooms
and library).
1 2 3 4 5 This was rated a five because there is a
variety of cultural perspectives within
the classroom and library. For example,
below is one of the books that students
read in english class.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
 Observation Area/Domain Scale
and Criteria
3 Global perspectives are integrated 1 2 3 4
into curricula at all grade levels 5
(world history and geography,
culture studies, languages).
4 Linguistic and content objectives 1234
are addressed for second 5 teachers have a content objective and
language learners.
Evidence/Documentation
Our teachers stride to integrate global
perspectives into the curricula at all
grade levels. This is done by following
the required TEKS and planning their
lesson plans to have some sort of global
perspective. For example, in Spanish
class, students have to label a Latin
American map and speak about the
cultures from each state.
I rated this section a four because
learning objective visible for students
to see. To add on, within their lesson
plans, teachers properly address the
linguistic and content objectives for
second language learners.
Student Interaction and Leadership
5 Racial/ethnic representation in
advanced placement classes,
honors classes, and gifted
programs is balanced.
6 Youth voice is considered in
decision-making by regularly
meeting with randomly selected
groups of students to obtain
feedback.
1234 I rated this section a five because there
5 advanced classes and gifted programs
are available at Jackson; however, they
are not balanced.
1234 The principal has an open door policy
5 for faculty members and students. To
add on, she often has a variety of
students come meet with her so they
have input on how to improve the
school. In fact, one student mentioned
that the school needed more color and
that our long hallway, needed to be
painted. Therefore the principal listened
to the student and in the summer, hired
someone to paint our long hallway.
Below is a picture of our long hallway.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
Observation Area/Domain
and Criteria
7 There is a variety of student
leadership opportunities for all
students.
8 Students of different groups
integrate socially outside of the
classroom.
9 There are identified support 1234
programs to promote achievement 5
and retention of lower achieving
groups.
Scale Evidence/Documentation
1234 We have a lot of leadership
5 opportunities for our students. For
example, we have PALS, office
workers, and athletics. Below, there is a
picture of our PALS making signs for
our Pep-Rally and office workers doing
their job (which is delivering mail to
teachers).
1234 We have an ACE program (which is an
5 after school program), that has a variety
of activities for our students to attend.
For example, there is gardening,
photography, weight lifting, culinary,
shop class, and many more other
programs. This programs allows our
students of different groups integrate
socially outside of the classroom.
We have reading and math elective
classes, and an ESL program for recent
immigrant students to accommodate the
needs of students that need the extra
support.
 10 Students are involved in
community service and service
learning activities.
11 There is a program in place to
facilitate the adaptation of NEW
students into the school and
classroom.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
Observation Area/Domain
and Criteria
Teachers
12 Teachers representing diverse
groups are actively recruited by
the principal and the district.
1234 We have a CIS program and within this
5 program, our students do food drives,
relay for life, and many more activities.
1234 Unfortunately, there was no evidence of
5 a program that is in place to facilitate
the adaptation of NEW students into the
school and classroom. Hopefully, in the
future, there can be changes made to
address this domain.
Scale Evidence/Documentation
1234 The principal makes a great effort to
5 recruit a diverse group.
 13 New teachers are formally
inducted through orientations and
structured mentoring and support
programs.
14 Teachers team vertically and
horizontally according to
individual strengths, leadership
abilities, and interests.
15 Efforts are made to consciously
integrate diverse teacher teams.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
1234 At the beginning of the year, new
5 teachers have new teacher orientation
and learn the schools way. To add
on, we also have a mentoring program
available for teachers that are new to
the district (or a new teacher in
general).
1234 I rated this section a two because
5 teachers do have focus meetings and
work together; however, they do not do
it very often. To add on, the team is not
aligned vertically and horizontally
according to their strengths, leadership
abilities, and interests.
1234 I rated this section a one because there
5 was no evidence that efforts are made
to consciously integrate diverse teacher
teams. In fact, (to be honest), our
administrators pay little attention to our
staff.
 Observation Area/Domain
and Criteria
16 Professional development is
offered that addresses:
a) race/ethnicity/nationality
b) sexual orientation
c) special needs
d) language and dialect
Scale Evidence/Documentation
At the beginning of the year, we are
required to attend professional
development for bullying, FERPA, and
1 2 3 4 5 many more others. Below, there is a
picture of some of the professional
1 2 3 4 5 developments that we are required to
complete.
12345
12345
 17 Informal teacher leadership roles
are recognized.
18 Professional development is
focused and long term.
Teaching and Learning
19 Instruction is differentiated to
address students with special
needs, while challenging all
students.
1 2 3 4 5 Again, I rated this section a one because
informal leadership roles are not
recognized at Jackson Intermediate. In
fact, many teachers have made several
remarks saying that the administrators
(as in our principal), is very rude and
pays little attention to the staff. This is
why I believe that we have a high rate of
teachers leaving each year.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a five because I truly
believe that our district provides us with
professional development that are
focused on our curriculum (and are
beneficial to us). To add on, we have
many professional developments
throughout the whole year. Below is an
example of one the professional
development that I have had this year.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a five because during
the walk through observations, I was
able to see how instruction was
differentiated for students with special
needs; however, it still challenged all
students. In fact, while attending a PLC,
teachers actually ask each other, how
can we differentiate instruction to help
our students with special needs.
 Observation Area/Domain
and Criteria
20 Researched strategies that account
for various learning styles are used
in classrooms.
21 Connections are made to students
culture and prior knowledge.
Scale Evidence/Documentation
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a four because I found
out that several of our teachers actually
research strategies that account for
various learning styles. For example, one
of the teachers at Jackson Intermediate
uses the behaviorist approach on one of
her students. For instance, she has a
student that is ADHD and loves to talk.
So what she did was allow the student to
talk for the first 15 minutes of class to
his friend. Then, he had to return to his
desk. When he returned to his desk he
received a cookie. Well, after so many
days of the same routine, the student stop
talking to his friend for the first 15
minutes of class and went straight to his
desk.
1 2 3 4 5 This domain is rated a three because
teachers lesson plans do tie in prior
knowledge. For instance, while
observing a teacher for T-Tess, the
teacher constantly asked questions that
related to knowledge that had been
learned prior to that day (ex. math, you
learned last year Pythagorean theorem,
how do you solve this using that
equation). However, I did not see many
teachers making connections with
students culture. In fact, out of all the
observations that I have done in my
internship, only two have made a
connection through a students culture.
 22 Teaching strategies accommodate
the needs of culturally and
linguistically diverse learners using
a variety of grouping strategies,
hands-on activities, visuals, oral
language development,
reading/writing workshops, etc.
Parents and Community
23 Community outreach programs
regularly survey the perspectives of
various local community
constituency and stakeholder
groups, including parents.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a five because there is
sufficient evidence that teachers
incorporate a variety of teaching
strategies to accommodate the needs of
culturally and linguistically diverse
learners. For instance, one of the
teachers makes ELL students draw out
pictures next to the English words that
they are learning and then (if possible),
allows students to feel and touch the
object (ex. ball, crayons etc.). That way,
they can remember it by seeing the word,
writing about it, and having hands-on
activities.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a two because parents
do get a survey about the school;
however, I believe that there should be
more done to get feedback from the
community. In general, there is not
sufficient done to involve the
community.
 Observation Area/Domain
and Criteria
24 Parent involvement programs exist
for all culture groups.
25 National and global ties are
established through partnerships
with similar organizations.
26 The electronic community is
realized and utilized for
relationship building and sourcing
best practices.
Scale Evidence/Documentation
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a five because there is
sufficient evidence that parent
involvement programs exist for all
culture groups. For example, Jackson
Intermediate has ESL classes for adults,
computer classes, and parent
coordinators that are involved in LPack
and many more activities.
1 2 3 4 5 I rated this section a one, because there
was no evidence that national and global
ties are established through partnerships
with similar organizations.
1 2 3 4 5 This section was rated a two because we
do have our school website and a
Facebook page; however, it is not
necessarily used a lot. In fact, the
websites are hardly updated.
 Conflict Management
27 The inevitability of intercultural
conflict is recognized by peer
mediation programs and/or other
proactive approaches to conflict
resolution.
28 Practices to ensure classroom and
school safety for all are in place
(e.g. including systems for
addressing bullying or developing
positive student relations).
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
1 2 3 4 5 This domain was rated a one because
there is no peer mediate programs and/or
other proactive approaches to conflict
resolution.
1 2 3 4 5 This section was rated a five, because at
the beginning of the year, all teachers
receive training on school safety. Below
is a picture of the courses we take and
receive a certificate for.
 Observation Area/Domain Scale Evidence/Documentation
and Criteria

Assessments
29 Authentic student assessments are 1 2 3 4 5 This section was rated a five because
used to complement standardized students take a CBA every six weeks
tests. for each content subject. That way,
they can measure how well students
know the content that they are
learning.

30 Formative and summative 12345 The formative and summative

program evaluations are
conducted to ensure continual
improvement.
evaluations for the school are the
state tests and the common
assessment test (CBA). Each month,
students take a CBA (as their
formative assessment), to see if
students have grasp the content that
has been taught. To add on, the
teachers use a data wall to track
students progress.

31 Teachers and administrators are
evaluated by various constituency
groups (other teachers, students,
colleagues, self, supervisor, etc.).
12345 Teachers evaluate each other by using
STAAR searches. However, I rated
this section a three because although
the STAAR searches must be done
each six weeks, they are not enforced.
In fact, many teachers do not do it.
Furthermore, our administrators are
never evaluated.
 32 Organizational traditions are
examined periodically to check
for exclusive/inclusive practices.
33 Celebrations reflect various
cultures and introduce the
community to new cultures.
Representation at events and
celebrations is diverse.
Confidential
Bustamante and Nelson, 2007. The School-Wide Cultural Competence Observation Checklist. All rights reserved.
12345 This section was rated a one because
at Jackson, organizational traditions
are not examined periodically to
check for exclusive/inclusive
practices. However, this is something
that should be added to our school.
12345 Again, this section was rated a one,
because there was no evidence that
celebrations reflect various cultures
and introduce the community to new
cultures. In fact, there are little events
that are done to involve the
community.
General Observations: