The Role of Cultural Understanding in School Leadership

The growing diversity of school populations demands that administrators possess not only an understanding of the role of culture in creating school climate, but also the skills and desire to apply that knowledge. In addition, there is a need to increase the number of American Indian role models in teaching and educational administration. This paper explores the meanings of culture and world view and their role in creating climate, examines the roles of administrators as cultural mediators, and presents information on programs for American Indians in teaching and educational administration. The paper synthesizes information about educators' personal experiences and research on available programs and offers recommendations for developing preparatory programs that focus on utilizing cultural knowledge to enhance administrator effectiveness. (Contains 20 references.) (LMI)