Between 2020-2022, the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) worked with a variety of education practitioners, family engagement leaders, and researchers to create a nationally agreed-upon and unifying set of eight professional competencies for the family engagement field. The eight competencies are grouped into four domains representing what family-facing professionals do: Professionals in our field 1) reflect, 2) connect, 3) collaborate for learning, and 4) lead alongside families. NAFSCE has produced a report with detailed descriptions of the competencies.
Why is this an important development in the field of family engagement?
The Family Engagement Core Competencies are important for a number of reasons:
● Without an underlying set of guiding competencies, preparation and continuous learning of family engagement becomes haphazard and siloed. There needs to be a strong set of competencies – a north star – which preparation and professional learning strive to reach.
● Family-facing professionals are often not well-prepared for family engagement. Family-facing professionals frequently report that they receive little support in their pre-service or professional learning to engage families. The Family Engagement Core Competencies will help shape a scope and sequence for more comprehensive learning and training.