Fluctuations in cultural and racial demographics of communities require leaders to consider the changing needs and expectations of stakeholders. Combining systems theory, theories of organizational change, and the literature on cultural humility and competence, this paper proposes a culturally responsive leadership framework (CRLF) for public sector and human service leaders to improve organizational outcomes equitably. Central to this framework are three elements: considering the socio-cultural aspects of an organization; creating inclusive environments to help facilitate distributed decision making; and a leader's willingness to learn from all people to mitigate gaps in service delivery that are inadequate and inequitable.

In today’s era of increased accountability and standards-based reforms within the United States educational system, Community Partner Organizations (CPOs) can offer essential support to teachers, schools, and districts. CPOs have the potential to have a positive impact in urban schools in particular, where high-stakes testing and accountability policies are often more demanding and the threat of school closure or turnaround is the everyday reality for teachers who are under enormous pressure to improve student outcomes. Collaborative social relationships between schools and community organizations can facilitate school improvement, combat social and economic barriers, and meet the increasing demands of local, state, and federal accountability policies.

Universities are increasingly moving more classes to online environments compelling programs to rethink how content traditionally taught face-to-face could be moved to an online environment. This trend is particularly challenging, for both novice and experienced faculty, as diverse student bodies make it necessary for faculty to engage in more meaningful, culturally responsive ways. Thus, as universities increase their online courses, faculty and instructors will be confronted with the challenge of providing this cultural responsiveness in an online environment. Using faculty interviews, this research examined the need for increased focus on professional development for online faculty, and highlight the need for strengthening the development of pedagogical strategies around cultural responsiveness for faculty teaching in and transitioning courses to online environments.