The work session will focus on cultural competence training in the district. Cultural Competence training will be viewed through the lens of the implementation of the Cultural Competence Institutes and the comprehensive continuous evaluation of the initiative by the Department of Accountability, Research, and Planning. The local school perspective will be presented by a principal and teacher who have attended the Institute.

Dr. Bernard Minnis, assistant superintendent; Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs; will lead a panel to discuss cultural competence, its rationale, its operational definition, and the measure or evaluation. Panel members will include:

• Aukram Burton, multicultural education/diversity specialist, who has coordinated the Cultural Competence Institutes for the past three years;
• Judi Vanderhaar, evaluation specialist; Accountability, Research, and Planning; who has followed the intiative through a comprehensive evaluative process for the past three years;  
• Gary Hurt, principal, Valley High School; and
• Natalie Knopf, teacher, Western Middle School.