Credentialing

Decades of research demonstrate the importance of family engagement for student achievement including increased school readiness, improved language, literacy, and mathematics skills, better social-emotional skills, and increased likelihood of high school graduation.

Educators need continuing opportunities to grow and refine their family engagement practice. When educators receive opportunities to learn about and practice family engagement, they improve their attitudes toward working with families. They also develop greater teaching efficacy and improve their confidence and knowledge in working with diverse families. Unfortunately, not all educators have access to the professional development support they need. And finding time in everyone’s busy schedule can be difficult.

Below we highlight different professional learning opportunities - including micro-credentials, online modules, and simulations - that are available for all family facing professionals to use in their practice immediately. Please contact us at edprep@nafsce.org if you have a resource you'd like to add to this list.

Core Competencies for Family-Facing Professionals

We at NAFSCE, have been on a journey to uncover and understand the knowledge, skills, and stance that family-facing professionals bring to forming strong family, school, and community partnerships. Learn more about our Core Competencies for Family-Facing Professionals here.

NEA Family Engagement Micro-Credential

As part of its Micro-Credential initiative, NEA teamed up with NAFSCE to develop a micro-credential for family and community engagement. This micro-credential is a short, competency-based recognition that allows an educator to demonstrate mastery in a particular area. It is written for educators, by educators and is designed for educators to create their own learning journey, based on their interests and career goals. It is flexible and allows educators to study when it’s convenient alone or with peers. And it is performance-based. Unlike “sit-and-get” certifications, NEA micro-credentials are awarded based on demonstrated mastery of the subject matter, not just for showing up. The micro-credential is divided into 8 topic areas:

Families in Society and Cultural Contexts
Family Engagement as Access and Opportunities For All
Developing Trusting Reciprocal Relationships through Home Visits
Families as Co-Creators
Linking Family Engagement to Learning Outcomes
Community Partnerships for Learning and Family Well-Being
Leading with Professional Ethics
Family Engagement Systems

Each topic area provides a background on the topic, resources to read, and activities to do to demonstrate proficiency in that area.

Click here to access the Family Engagement Micro-Credential.

On March 31, 2021, NAFSCE hosted a webinar featuring the NEA Family Engagement Micro-Credential. Watch the recording below to:

Learn about the NEA's library of micro-credentials and their utility
Understand the format and main components of the family engagement micro-credential
Hear how micro-credentials can be used to build knowledge, skills, and competencies in family and community engagement

View the slides in PDF format

Frequently Asked Questions and the Family Engagement Micro-Credential:

Is the family engagement micro-credential only for teachers? Anyone can apply for the NEA's micro-credentials. You can be a family engagement coordinator, an administrator, an after-school provider, or even a librarian! Although some of the activities are more geared toward classroom teachers, the ideas can all be applied to the different settings in which you work.
How much does the family engagement micro-credential cost to complete? The activities and materials for the family engagement micro-credential are free and accessible to all here. To go through the assessment process to receive a digital badge of completion, the cost to non-members is $75 and to NEA members there is no associated cost.
Is there a list of states who are willing to put this micro-credential on the state teaching certificate? You can find a map of how states and districts are engaging with the micro-credential here.
Do you need to have to have a bachelor’s degree to apply for the micro-credential? No. You do not have to have a degree to complete the micro-credential.
Does each micro-credential take 15 hours? It may take more or less time, depending on your particular skill level, but NEA awards 15 seat hours as credit toward PD.

CAEP Family Engagement Modules

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), has created three free modules to improve communications between families and teachers and to encourage future teachers to engage families as integral partners in students’ education.

KPIRC Family Engagement Modules

The Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) promotes meaningful family engagement at all levels of education and provides information and resources to help parents, educators and other organizations promote the educational success of every Kansas child. KPIRC developed ten modules of the Engaging All Families series , to provide strategies and tools for strengthening family partnerships.

AFFECT Family Engagement Modules

Activating Educators Focus on Family Engagement as Central to Teaching (AFFECT) recognizes that family, school, and community partnerships are essential for the educational success of students of all backgrounds. They designed five modules to help any teacher who wants to better engage the families in their classrooms.

Harvard Family Engagement Modules

In this education course developed by Harvard Graduate School of Education, you will learn what family engagement is and why it matters to the success of students and schools. You will explore the research linking family engagement to better educational outcomes and speak directly with researchers, educators, students, and families about promising practices in the field.

Head Start Simulations on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

The Office of Head Start (OHS) helps young children from low-income families prepare to succeed in school through local programs. They designed five simulations , to allow teachers to explore and practice everyday strategies to develop Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with a family, and they believe these relationships are key to the journey to school readiness.

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Credentialing

Frequently Asked Questions and the Family Engagement Micro-Credential:

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