Outcomes of a Virtual Community of Practice with Community Navigators Aimed at Fostering Family–School–Community Partnerships

Community navigators (CNs) play critical roles in fostering consultancy between school professionals and newcomer families in the United States. The overarching goal of this project was to enhance CNs’ capability to facilitate collaboration and create an impact in the communities they serve. To meet this goal, we created the Leading in Newcomer Communities and Schools program to establish a community of practice through the evidence-based, virtual knowledge-sharing ECHO platform. In total, 18 CNs participated in a 10-session ECHO series designed to enhance CNs’ capability by (1) improving knowledge of education policies and laws; (2) enhancing awareness of education resources; (3) increasing self-efficacy; and (4) building skills to promote school and community collaboration. Electronic pre- and post-surveys were collected to assess CN’s learning outcomes, and data were analyzed using descriptive and frequency analyses as well as Wilcoxon Signed-Rank non-parametric tests. Qualitative feedback was collected from post-session feedback and a post-program focus group and analyzed using a deductive content analysis approach. Overall, participants reported greater capability and confidence for consultancy between families and school professionals and high satisfaction with the program. Similar approaches can help transform family, school, and community partnerships into culturally responsive home–school–community policies and practices.