Research is more relevant for the practitioner when applied to specific school contexts. The following section highlights schools and organizations from our region where the research-based practices summarized in the previous section are evident and producing promising results. Since NWREL's Equity Center serves the state of Hawaii, we profile the experiences of Hawaiian educators along with educators from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The profiles reflect a broad range of demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic diversity. Our intention is not to prescribe specific practices that work with particular groups of students, but to describe how schools are responding to the needs of their students in various ways and in various contexts.

You will see how staff at several high schools—Tigard, Aloha, Kentlake, and East Valley—are fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive school climate for all students. Educators at Warren School, Russian Mission School, and Tuluksak School are integrating local knowledge into their curriculum and are building bridges between academic learning and students' prior understanding. The Idaho Department of Education, Ronan Pablo Schools, and Warren School provide professional development opportunities for educators to learn about their students' culture, language and learning styles to make instruction meaningful and relevant.

All the educators in these profiles hold their students to high standards and have high expectations— this is a central focus of Linapuni and Queen Ka'ahumanu Schools. Teachers we spoke with at Russian Mission, Queen Ka'ahumanu, and Warren School use challenging hands-on, cooperatively based learning practices. Finally, several schools and local education organizations have meaningful strategies to build trust and partnerships with diverse families, including Tigard High School and Boise School District.

Although some schools have data to show they are making progress with raising achievement for culturally diverse students, our intention is to profile successes and also challenges of schools as they experience the various stages of becoming culturally competent organizations. Some of our profiles look at comprehensive efforts, while other profiles will focus on individual approaches. As researcher Geneva Gay points out, while systematic, comprehensive, whole-school approaches are what will sustain culturally responsive practices and make them most effective, "micro level changes," such as at a classroom level, are important too.

Each of these profiles provides multiple examples of culturally responsive practices, including many not specifically identified in the research. As you read, we encourage you to draw your own connections between what the research says, what educators are doing in practice, and what strategies and approaches might be most appropriate for your school and the needs of your students.