NJ Early Childhood Director & Administrator Competencies

Introduction 

The NJ Director & Administrator Competencies focus on what program directors and administrators, across the field of early childhood, need to know and be able to do in order to demonstrate that they are well-prepared to lead the programs and professionals who care for young children. Administering an early childhood program is a complex job that requires a variety of diverse knowledge and skill sets, including: an understanding of child development, program administration and fiscal management, effective leadership, and job-related experience. 

A competency is a “measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully. Competencies specify the ‘how’ of performing job tasks, or what the person needs to do the job successfully.” (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, n.d.).1 

In the field of early childhood and educator preparation, it is widely accepted that competencies should be based on a combination of three factors: 

Knowledge of the field: reflecting foundational knowledge of how young children learn and grow and the critical nature of the experiences and settings in which young children spend their time. 

Skills and abilities: or the technical or practical expertise with which one applies their knowledge of the field to their interactions with children, families, and colleagues. 

Dispositions: which refers to professional beliefs and attitudes, and the actions demonstrated in interactions with others, including those behaviors and leadership characteristics that set oneself apart from others.