Communities of Practice (CoP)
Category
Early Care and Education
Child's Age
0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years
Participant
ECE Owner/Operator, ECE Teachers
Languages
English
Brief Description
The Growing Together Community of Practice (CoP) model supports the development and sustainability of a community of practice around an area of interest in early childhood. A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group-based support and consultation service for early care and education professionals who share interests/practices. CoPs provide a space and opportunity, whether in person or virtual, for shared learning, problem-solving, reflecting on real-life professional challenges, or common interests by sharing experiences, practices, ideas, tools, and resources.
Expected Impact
- Increase in members’ confidence and knowledge of relevant subjects (varies based on the focus of the CoP)
- Greater exchange of expertise, experiences, and best practices among members
- Increased capacity to address complex challenges through collective learning and diverse perspectives
Core Components for Model Fidelity
Components of a CoP vary based on the practice and interests of its members. At minimum, Smart Start Local Partnerships (LPs) must document the following key components of all CoPs in their Contract Activity Description (CAD):
- Domain: A clear definition of the area of interest.
- Community: The intended audience/participants or group of people who pursue this interest through joint activities, discussions, problem-solving opportunities, information sharing, relationship building.
- Facilitator(s): A CoP must have at least 1 facilitator with strong leadership and communication skills. Per the research on best practices, it is recommended that CoPs have at least 2 facilitators. The facilitator(s) must have at least a foundational knowledge of Community of Practice facilitation, the domain of the CoP, and the time to cultivate connections with current and future CoP members.
- Membership: Membership in a CoP can take on various forms depending on the community’s interests and needs.
- Practice: The specific focus around which the community develops, shares, and maintains its core of collective knowledge.
- Assessment and Evaluation: To demonstrate the impacts of the CoP on its members and the external communities they serve in their professional role, assessment and evaluation is necessary. Specific tools and questions may vary based on the CoP’s domain, interests, and needs. The frequency and formality of assessments may also vary both over time based on members’ needs and between different CoPs.
Languages Materials are Available in
English
Delivery Mode
CoPs can be conducted in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid method, depending on the needs of the community members. The delivery mode should be determined by the facilitators at the outset and evaluated periodically for effectiveness.
Note: If meeting in-person, the CoP should determine the best time and location for the members to meet and how to involve those that might not be able to meet in-person. If meeting online, the CoP should also consider the best software to use to host their meetings (such as Teams, Zoom, etc.). When meeting in a hybrid format (some members joining in person, others joining online), those meeting in person must have access to a computer with a microphone and camera capable of serving the entire group so those joining virtually can see and hear all CoP members in the in-person setting.
Dosage
CoPs typically meet at least once a month. CoPs establish their schedule, frequency, and delivery format based on facilitator and participant preferences. Communities remain active for as long as members participate and ongoing evaluations and assessments demonstrate meaningful value and impact.
Infrastructure for Implementation
Materials: For virtual meetings, participants need access to a computer with a camera and audio that has a microphone. Copy of the Growing Together: Developing and Sustaining a Community of Practice in Early Childhood book.
Space: When meeting in a hybrid format (some members joining virtually, others meeting in person), those meeting in person will need group space with access to a computer with a camera and audio that has a microphone capable of serving the entire group. Single computers that do not show the whole room will not be effective.
Staffing Requirements
CoP facilitators do not have to have any specific credentials or degrees. It is beneficial for facilitators to have some foundational knowledge of adult learning and the shared interests/practices that the CoP will focus on, good communication skills, organization skills, and some experience with group facilitation.
The Growing Together Community of Practice model uses multiple frameworks to ensure growth towards high-quality practices, including the Framework for the North Carolina Technical Assistance Practitioner Competencies.
Training for Model Fidelity
The Growing Together Community of Practice model provides professional development focused on successfully launching and sustaining a Community of Practice (CoP). The standard training curriculum comprises 12 virtual sessions, structured into two main phases:
- Foundational Concepts (Sessions 1–6): Guided by two co-authors of Growing Together: Developing and Sustaining a Community of Practice in Early Childhood, these sessions follow the book's chapters and cover facilitation experiences, practical concept application, and planning for active or upcoming CoPs.
- Applied Practice & Support (Sessions 7–12): Facilitated as a professional learning community, the second half allows participants to deepen their understanding of core CoP principles, refine advanced facilitation techniques, and execute CoP strategies with direct feedback and support.
Modification to and flexibility in this training structure may be available for previous users of the Growing Together book.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants earn certification as a Growing Together Community of Practice Facilitator.
Contact Information
Nancy Surbrook Goins: 810-712-0336, nancy@subrookgoinsconsulting.com
Kathi Gillaspy: 919-889-0906, kathi@gillaspyeducationconsulting.com
Cost Estimates
The cost of the training for model fidelity ranges from $1,750 to $2,100 per person, plus the cost of purchasing the Growing Together: Developing and Sustaining a Community of Practice in Early Childhood book. The per-person cost covers the 12 training sessions, plus free access to online materials and some individualized coaching with the co-authors, as well as additional benefits offered to certified Growing Together Community of Practice Facilitators.
Pricing can be tailored to accommodate budgetary constraints, prior familiarity with the material, or other unique considerations. Please reach out to the Growing Together faculty to discuss specifics regarding training needs with a workable tuition rate.
For more information, contact Nancy Goins at nancy@subrookgoinsconsulting.com.
Purpose Service Code (PSC)
3104 - NC Child Care Resource and Referral Services
3125 - Quality Child Care
Minimal Measures for NCPC Reporting
Please review the data templates for NCPC reporting below. Additional reporting may be required by the Local Partnership.
FY 25-26:
FY 26-27:
NCPC Evidence Categorization
Evidence Informed – Industry Standard: 3 publications. No comparison groups.
Research Summary
Four publications on Communities of Practice include seminal articles by thought leaders in the field of social learning theory, including communities of practice,1 2 3and a book developed by experts associated with the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.4 A community of practice (CoP) is commonly defined as an informal group of people with shared professional interests who come together to share their passion, expertise, and resources with each other. CoPs are designed to promote members’ personal and professional growth, create connections between members that transcend physical and organizational boundaries, and provide an avenue for professional development opportunities that are flexible and adapt to members’ interests and needs, even as they change over time. A CoP is characterized by its structure, organizational culture, membership, purpose, leadership, and knowledge sharing. These characteristics can vary from one CoP to another based on the members’ needs. Each CoP must include three key structural components: domain, community, and practice. CoPs create value for participants through various cycles, including immediate value (activities and interactions); potential value (knowledge capital); applied value (changes in practice); realized value (performance improvement); and reframing value (redefining success). Strong, skillful facilitation is crucial to a CoP’s ability to thrive, as facilitators promote engagement and participation, provide the necessary infrastructure and support for success, and engage in ongoing assessment and evaluation to strengthen the CoP’s impacts and value for members.
- ^ See Wenger & Snyder (2000). Authored by leaders in social learning theory, this article defines a community of practice (CoP) as a group “of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise” (139). In a CoP, members share their knowledge and experiences in a dynamic, informal way that promotes creative problem-solving and fosters connection among members. The authors strongly recommend that CoPs receive support from a skillful manager or facilitator who recruits the right people to join the CoP, provides the infrastructure needed for the CoP to thrive, and welcomes creative measurement of CoP impacts and value for members and the communities they serve. Notably, CoP membership is voluntary, and members often take an active role in setting their own agendas and identifying leaders. Defining the CoP’s domain, providing sufficient support and infrastructure, and measuring the value of the CoP are critical components of establishing a CoP and encouraging its success.
- ^ See Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner (2015). The authors are credited as thought leaders in social learning and published this resource as a brief introduction to communities of practice. Communities of Practice (CoPs) are defined as “groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (2). CoPs are characterized by three key components: domain, community, and practice. CoPs engage in a variety of activities, including problem solving, seeking information/experience, coordination, building an argument, growing members’ confidence, identifying competence gaps, and more. The authors note that the term “community of practice” was coined to “refer to the community that acts as a living curriculum for the apprentice” and can be observed in communities worldwide, even when no formal structure for apprenticeship exists (4). CoPs promote confidence, create a connection between learning and performance, establish a dedicated space for knowledge sharing among professionals, and encourage connections among professionals that transcend physical and organizational boundaries. They provide high-value learning activities that expand beyond traditional professional development opportunities.
- ^ See Wenger et al. (2011). In this report, the authors detail a conceptual framework for assessing the value created by communities of practice and similar learning networks. This framework includes the following cycles of value creation: immediate value (activities and interactions); potential value (knowledge capital); applied value (changes in practice); realized value (performance improvement); and reframing value (redefining success). Together, these cycles capture how individuals benefit from participating in a community of practice and learning from their peers, ranging from knowledge gain to changes in their professional practices to new ways of thinking and beyond. Furthermore, the authors emphasize the importance of thoroughly evaluating communities of practice by combining participation data with surveys, reflections, interviews, performance indicators, and stories of application and impact. Throughout the publication, the authors include sample questions to prompt discussion and support evaluation efforts as well as examples of data sources for each cycle.
- ^ See Gillaspy et al. (2019). This book details best practices for communities of practice in the early childhood field. The authors define a community of practice (CoP) as “a group of people who come together to problem solve and reflect on real life professional challenges, hot topics, or common interests by sharing experiences, ideas, tools, and resources" (2). A CoP is designed to promote members’ personal and professional growth by bringing research, policy, and practice together in a meaningful way for all members. CoPs are low cost, yet highly effective, professional development opportunities that are flexible and adapt to members’ interests and needs, even as they change over time. A CoP is characterized by its structure, organizational culture, membership, purpose, leadership, and knowledge sharing. These characteristics can vary from one CoP to another based on the members’ needs. Each CoP must include three key structural components: domain, community, and practice. Each CoP must have 1-3 skilled facilitators who promote engagement and participation while recognizing that members may have various levels and methods of engagement. For example, some members may be active participants sharing in conversations and utilizing resources developed by the CoP, while others may be “lurkers” who listen and absorb information but are less likely to speak up in meetings. All levels of participation are important and valued in a CoP, as long as assessments and evaluations continue to indicate that members are finding value and meaning from the CoP. With regular formal and informal assessment and evaluation, CoP facilitators can identify members’ interests and needs and use this information to adapt various aspects of the CoP (such as meeting frequency, location, topics of interest, engagement strategies, and more). The authors detail additional considerations and requirements for CoPs, such as defining and refining the framework of the CoP, identifying facilitator responsibilities, supporting member involvement, creating assessments, and applying findings from assessments.
Researched Population
- Early childhood professionals (primarily educators, directors, and administrators)
Gillaspy, K., Vinh, M., Surbrook-Goins, N., & Nichols, S. (2019). Growing together: Developing and sustaining a community of practice in early childhood. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House.
Wenger, E. C., & Snyder, W. M. (2000). Communities of practice: The organizational frontier. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 139–145. http://www.psycholosphere.com/Communities%20of%20Practice%20-%20the%20organizational%20frontier%20by%20Wenger.pdf
Wenger, E., Trayner, B., & Laat, M. D. (2011). Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks: a conceptual framework. (Ruud de Moor Centrum Rapporten). Open Universiteit, Ruud de Moor Centrum. http://www.open.ou.nl/rslmlt/Wenger_Trayner_DeLaat_Value_creation.pdf
Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015). An introduction to communities of practice: a brief overview of the concept and its uses. Available from authors at https://www.wenger-trayner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/15-06-Brief-introduction-to-communities-of-practice.pdf
Date Last Reviewed by Purveyor: August 2026
Date Last Updated by NCPC: October 2026
Local Partnerships Currently Implementing
Local Partnerships in purple have adopted Communities of Practice (CoP). Local Partnership contact information can be found here.