Sarah W. Nelson
Sarah W. Nelson (swnelson@txstate.edu) is an assistant professor in the Department of Education and Community Leadership and associate director of the International Center for Educational Leadership and Social Change at Texas State University-San Marcos, and co-founder of Transforming Schools for a Multicultural Society (TRANSFORMS).
All Articles
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Community events offer cultural learning opportunities
Culturally proficient schools have carefully developed an awareness of the communities they serve. The teachers and leaders know who lives in the community, value and build upon the assets students and families bring, and recognize the challenges in the local environment that affect both school and community. Therefore, developing strong […] -
Use book studies to generate frank talk about beliefs and practices
Ensuring high achievement for all students requires more than technical solutions. To create schools where every student learns at high levels, school must find ways to transform the deficit beliefs many well-intentioned educators hold about culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students and families. However, many school leaders don’t know how […] -
4-stage process changes individuals and entire schools
4-STAGE PROCESS CHANGES INDIVIDUALS AND ENTIRE SCHOOLS In this time of changing school demographics and widening achievement gaps, developing cultural proficiency is an essential step for teachers. But what is the process for leading teachers through this transformative journey? Below, we review the first two stages of a four-stage process […] -
Cultural proficiency
Demographic shifts are bringing schools more diverse populations. Educators are striving to respond, but many lack the cultural proficiency to address the needs of a diverse student population. Most educational leaders are aware that their districts have a gap in achievement among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups of students but […]
