Training Paraprofessionals: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know

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Training Paraprofessionals What Teachers
and Administrators Need to Know
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Legislation -

• Special Education -
• Federal - 1997 Amendments to IDEA -
• State - MS125A.08(b)
• Title I -
• Federal - No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
• NEW in Minnesota -
• State - Regular Session Laws (2003), Chapter.
  129, Article 1,
• Section. 10

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Legislation -
1997 Amendments to IDEA - A State may allow
paraprofessionals and assistants who are
appropriately trained and supervised, in
accordance with State law, regulations, or
written policy, in meeting the requirements of
this part to be used to assist in the provision
of special education and related services to
children with disabilities under Part B of the
Act. 34 CFR 300.136(f)
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Definition -
MN 3525.0200 DEFINITIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
Subp. 10a. Paraprofessional.
Paraprofessional means a district employee who
is primarily engaged in direct instruction with
one or more pupils for instructional activities,
physical or behavior management, or other
purposes under the direction of a regular
education or special education teacher or related
services provider.
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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b)
• (b) For paraprofessionals employed to
  work in programs for students with disabilities,
  the school board in each district shall ensure
  that
• Before or immediately upon employment, each
  paraprofessional develops sufficient knowledge
  and skills in emergency procedures, building
  orientation, roles and responsibilities,
  confidentiality, vulnerability, and
  reportability, among other things, to begin
  meeting the needs of the students with whom the
  paraprofessional works

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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b) continued
• 2. Annual training opportunities are
  available to enable the paraprofessional to
  continue to further develop the knowledge and
  skills that are specific to the students with
  whom the paraprofessional works, including
  understanding disabilities, following lesson
  plans, and implementing follow-up instructional
  procedures and activities and

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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b) continued
• A district wide process obligates each
  paraprofessional to work under the ongoing
  direction of a licensed teacher and, where
  appropriate and possible, the supervision of a
  school nurse.

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Legislation -
Sec. 10. 120B.363 CREDENTIAL FOR
EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONALS.
Subdivision 1. RULEMAKING. The board of
teaching must adopt rules to implement a
statewide credential for education
paraprofessionals who assist a licensed teacher
in providing student instruction. Any
paraprofessional holding this credential or
working in a local school district after meeting
a state-approved local assessment is considered
to be highly qualified under federal law.

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Legislation -
Subdivision 1. RULEMAKING. continued... Under
this subdivision, the board of teaching, in
consultation with the commissioner, must adopt
qualitative criteria for approving local
assessments that include an evaluation of a
paraprofessional's knowledge of reading, writing,
and math and the paraprofessional's ability to
assist in the instruction of reading, writing,
and math. The commissioner must approve or
disapprove local assessments using these
criteria. The commissioner must make the
criteria available to the public.
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Legislation -
Continued Sec. 10. 120B.363 CREDENTIAL
FOR EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONALS. Subd. 2.
TRAINING POSSIBILITIES. In adopting rules under
subdivision 1, the board must consider including
provisions that provide training in students'
characteristics teaching and learning
environment academic instruction skills student
behavior and ethical practices.
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Legislation -
Continued
Sec. 10. 120B.363 CREDENTIAL FOR EDUCATION
PARAPROFESSIONALS. Subd. 3. INITIAL
TRAINING. Within the first 60 days of
supervising or working with students, a district
must provide each paraprofessional with initial
training in emergency procedures,
confidentiality, vulnerability, reporting
obligations, discipline policies, roles and
responsibilities, and a building orientation.
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Legislation -
NCLB, 2002 - New Paraprofessionals Each local
education agency receiving assistance under this
part shall ensure that all paraprofessionals
hired after the date of enactment of the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 and working in a program
supported with funds under this part shall have
-- Title I, Section 1119/b
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Legislation -

• NCLB, 2002 -
• New Paraprofessionals, continued
• Completed at least 2 years of study at an
  institution of higher education
• Obtained an associates (or higher) degree or
• Met a rigorous standard of quality and can
  demonstrate, through a formal State or local
  academic assessment -
• Knowledge of, and the ability to assist in
  instructing reading, writing, and mathematics or
  
• Knowledge of, and the ability to assist in
  instructing reading readiness, writing readiness,
  and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.
  Title I, Section 1119/b
• Existing paraprofessionals must meet requirements
  within 4 years after enactment (by January 8,
  2006)

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Minnesota Paraprofessional Requirements for
meeting NCLB
NCLB requirements for paraprofessionals are met
by A Two years of study at an institution of
higher education Minnesotas standard A
minimum of 60 semester credits or the amount
required to complete two years of full time
enrollment as determined by the institution
attended. OR B An Associates degree
or Minnesotas standard An AA, AS, AAS (or
higher) degree. continued

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Minnesota Paraprofessional Requirements for
meeting NCLB Continued
OR C A demonstration, through a formal state or
local academic assessment a.
knowledge of and the ability to assist in
instructing reading, writing and math, or b.
knowledge of and the ability to assist in
instructing reading readiness, writing
readiness and mathematics readiness as
appropriate
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Minnesota Local Assessment continued
Minnesotas standard 1. A passing score on
an assessment from the state approved
list OR 2. Demonstrating all Minnesota
Paraprofessional Core Competencies (1-8)
by local district validation of a portfolio
through transferable work experience, college
courses, workshops/conferences, Para
eLink and demonstration of skill using
Para eLink or a similar curriculum that focuses
on recent training addressed in
Competency 9 of Reading, Math and
Writing OR
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Minnesota Local Assessment continued
3. a state approved local assessment.
(criteria listed on the next page)
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Minnesota Local Assessment cont
Criteria for Local Assessments A local
assessment must satisfy the following criteria,
and be submitted to MDE for approval reliable,
valid, accessible, objective, comparable to two
years of higher education, and able to measure
knowledge and ability to assist in instructing
reading, writing, and math (or reading, writing,
and math readiness) in the language of
instruction. Local Education Agencies interested
in this option may choose to explore assessments,
which meet local needs. Examples of current
local choices include WorkKeys and
Accuplacer. Requests for approval of a local
assessment should be sent to the Commissioner.
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ParaPro

• The ParaPro Assessment, by ETS, is now available
  and the cut score has been established. A
  validation study was conducted in September,
  using volunteers from many districts across the
  state. From that study, a cut score of 460 was
  finalized by Commissioner Yecke and the Minnesota
  Paraprofessional Consortium.
• How a district can order the ParaPro test to use
  on site
• http//www.ets.org/parapro/ippform.html
• Where a district or individual can go to take the
  ParaPro test in Minnesota
• http//www.ets.org/parapro/pdfs/TestCenterList
  .pdf
• Questions may be directed to
• Diane Cirksena, Title I Area Director,
  651.582.8759, Diane.cirksena_at_state.mn.us or
• Barbara Jo Stahl, Special Education,
  651.582.8659, Barbara.stahl_at_state.mn.us

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Minnesota Core Competencies

• Statewide paraprofessional core competencies
  further define what paraprofessionals should know
  and be able to do.
• Core Competency Areas
• 1. Philosophical, Historical and Legal
  Foundations of Education
• 2. Characteristics of Learners
• 3. Assessment, Diagnosis and Evaluation
• 4. Instructional Content and Practice
• 5. Supporting the Teaching and Learning
  Environment
• 6. Managing Student Behavior and Social
  Interaction Skills
• 7. Communication and Collaborative Partnerships
• Professional and Ethical Practices
• Academic Instructional Skills in Math, Reading
  and Writing

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Training Preparation -

• Studies have found that paraprofessionals who
  report receiving more inservice training or
  preservice preparation report feeling better
  prepared to fulfill their job responsibilities
• Numerous recent studies and opinion pieces
  indicate that there is a scarcity of relevant
  training available to paraprofessionals.
• Perceptions regarding need for training differ
  among administrators, teachers, and
  paraprofessionals.

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Training Preparation -

• Wallace, Stahl, Johnson (2003)
• 67 of the paraprofessionals reported that they
  have had an opportunity to develop
  knowledge/skills specific to students with whom
  they work
• 68of the paraprofessionals feel that the ongoing
  training offered, prepares them to understand the
  needs of the students with whom they work
• 60 of the paraprofessionals reported having
  training that prepared them to implement follow
  up instruction and activities.

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Training Preparation -
Wallace, Stahl, Johnson (2003)
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Training Preparation -
Wallace, Stahl, Johnson (2003)
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MN Infrastructure -

• Legislation Federal and State
• Minnesota Core Competencies
• Para eLink
• Portfolio / eFolio
• Para Pro Test
• Resource Guide on Directing the Work of
• Paraprofessionals
• Paraprofessional WEEK, January 19- 23, 2004
• Paraprofessional Trainer Conference, March 1 -
  2, 2004
• State Conference, April 30 - May 1, 2004
• Paraprofessional Website http//ici2.umn.edu/par
  a/

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What is Minnesota Department of Education
doing to assist schools with NCLB?

• Collaboration between Title 1, Special Education,
• Career Technical Education, Indian
  Education,
• Limited English Proficiency (LEP), State
  Board of
• Teaching and Licensing and Minnesota
• Paraprofessional Consortium in policy and
  rule
• making.
• Providing a validation and standard setting
  process
• for state recommended assessments that could
  assist
• districts in assessing the knowledge of
  reading,
• writing, and mathematics. The state validated
  
• assessment, at this time is ParaPro - cut
  score is 460.

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What is Minnesota Department of Education
doing to assist schools with NCLB?

• The development of a Paraprofessional Portfolio
  or
• E-folio which is based on the MN Competencies
  that will assist paraprofessionals in documenting
  their transferable work experience, college
  course, workshops/conference and skill
  demonstration on website http//ici2.umn.edu/par
  a
• The development of a Paraprofessional Skills
  Inventory located on website http//ici2.umn.edu
  /para

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What Can Schools Do?

• Encourage Title 1, Special Education, Career
  Technical Education, Indian Education, LEP to
  coordinate paraprofessional training efforts.
• Explore Para eLink, by sending staff to Regional
  Facilitators training in the fall, 2003 updates
  will be posted on the web at http//ici2.umn.edu

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What Can Schools Do?

• Principal/ Districts determine local plan for
  meeting paraprofessional training requirements.
• Minnesota Options
• If you choose to create a Portfolio/eFolio (on
  website) to demonstrate work toward meeting the
  Minnesota Paraprofessional Competencies, conduct
  a needs assessment (Core Competency Inventory
  Skills Check List) and begin to build strategies
  for unmet competencies.
• If you choose to use the ParaPro Assessment,
  consider having current paraprofessionals take
  the pre-test and focus on some of the supports
  available for test preparation. Score - 460
• Monitor the Paraprofessional Website dedicated to
  up to the minute information of this emerging
  field. Continue to check Website
  http//ici2.umn.edu/para

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Questions to ask to avoid ethical dilemmas
regarding preparation and training (Heller, B.
and Gerlach, K. (2003). Paraeducators in
Education Settings Ethical Issues, in Pickett,
A.L., Gerlach, G. Paraeducators in Education
Settings A Team Approach. Austin, TX Pro-ed)

• 1. Have knowledge and skills required by
  paraeducators and assistants to work in different
  positions, programs, and across disciplines been
  identified and developed?
• 2. Are there systematic competency-based
  opportunities for personnel development and
  career advancement?
• ? For paraprofessionals
• ? For administrators who manage paraprofessionals
• ? For educators and other professionals who
  supervise paraprofessionals
• 3. Does the training content provide
  paraeducators and their supervisors with an
  understanding of the roles of professionals as
  team leaders, diagnosticians, program planners
  and supervisors of paraprofessionals?

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Questions, continued

• 4. Have the team leadership and supervisory roles
  been identified and the knowledge and skill
  competencies developed to prepare the
  professionals for these roles?
• 5. Does the training content demonstrate respect
  for children and youth with disabilities and
  their families, as well as for those who come
  from diverse ethnic, cultural and language
  backgrounds?
• 6 Does the training content include
  information on the ethical, legal and team-based
  roles of professionals and paraeducators in the
  delivery of education and related services?
• 7. Do licensed/certified professionals
  involved in the training of paraeducators have
  knowledge of and respect for the distinction in
  professional and paraeducator roles?

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Questions, continued

• 8. Is sufficient time and opportunity provided
  for orientation, initial training, and continued
  competency development?
• 9. How can different constituencies (e.g.,
  professional associations, provider agencies,
  IHEs) contribute to the appropriate efforts to
  improve the quality of teacher/provider-paraeducat
  or staff development?

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Training Preparation -

• Topics listed in the literature for
  Paraprofessional Training -
• Positive behavioral supports
• Specifics about disabilities
• Teaching strategies
• Communication and problem solving strategies
• Transition related information and job coaching
• Early childhood special education and child
  development
• Special Education Law, confidentiality
• Use of computers and accommodations
• Inclusion
• Health and safety
• Development of independence and mobility
• Observation and data collection strategies

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What is happening in your district?
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Discussion Questions