As the student population in schools becomes increasingly diverse, many teachers need professional development to build cultural competencies--the skills and awareness related to issues such as culture, language, race, and ethnicity. This book draws together in one place the research and practical knowledge about cultural competencies that teachers need in order to work with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For those with expertise in designing professional development, this resource provides information that they can adapt to their setting and, importantly, a guiding vision for culturally competent teaching in today's schools. This resource is designed for higher education, state- and district-level educators and professional developers who are preparing teachers to work with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It outlines three sets of teacher cultural competencies in the areas of culture, language, and race and ethnicity, along with supporting research and resources. Part I, the Introduction, provides an overview of this resource and how to use it, including an introduction to the topic of cultural competence, definitions of key terms, the current and historical context, and the supporting research. Part II, Culture, presents four competencies related to culture that transcend all aspects of diversity and inform curriculum and instruction, interactions with parents and families, and equitable assessment practices. Part III, Language, outlines three competencies in the area of language that build the oral and literacy skills of both native English speakers and English language learners. Part IV, Race & Ethnicity, describes five competencies for addressing issues of race and ethnicity in the classroom and school, including maintaining high expectations for all students.