Race Talk and Culturally Proficient School Leaders: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Research Design

America is a very diverse country, with over 40% of the population identifying as people of color, and the proportion of public school students of color rising to 55% by the year 2027. Although the face of students in schools has changed, the ethnic composition of the educators has not. These race/ethnicity differences between school staff and students of color, coupled with a lack of cross-cultural understanding, may cause misunderstandings or miscues during interpersonal interactions that impact all areas of schooling. To bridge this gap, culturally proficient leadership practices and race-related dialogue improve schooling for students of color by creating culturally aware and inclusive school communities that seek understanding across racial, ethnic, and cultural lines. This convergent parallel mixed-method research study investigated the role of race talk to negotiate discourse in the culturally proficient leadership practices of principals. Thirty-one secondary public school principals from New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania participated in a survey examining their culturally proficient leadership practices. The findings noted that principals in the study used race talk and culturally proficient leadership practices in various ways, identifying their challenges and opportunities in negotiating these practices. Principals are generally aware of the components of the practices and the discourse necessary to facilitate growth for all members of the school community. Some principals reported implementing the Inside-Out approach as well as recognizing their own and other stakeholders’ discomfort when engaging in racial discourse. Overall, the study supported the need for more focused effort in culturally proficient leadership practices and race talk