Retention of Paraprofessionals in Public School Classrooms

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Retention of Paraprofessionals in Public School
Classrooms

• Christina Young, B.A.
• Rebecca Roark, M.A.
• Margaret Werts, Ph.D.
• Shirley Harris, M.A., M.S.

Appalachian State University Boone, NC
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Research Questions

• What are the reasons paraprofessionals report for
  staying in a job situation?
• What are the reasons that paraprofessionals
  report for leaving a job situation?
• What are the implications for the field?

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Procedures

• 1. Telephone interviews with a structured
  interview
• 2. Interviews conducted with 21 persons
• 10 who were still working as paraprofessionals
• 11 who had left the job within the past two
  years
• 3. Analysis of transcripts for themes

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Questions in the interview

• Demographics title, age, children, etc.
• What type of training have you received?
• What is your level of education?
• Why did you take the job?
• What do or did you like about the job?
• What do or did you dislike about the job?

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Demographics

• Experience Average 9.4 years
• Range 4 months to 24 years
• Age Average 43.4
• Range 27 to 57
• 20 of 21 have children
• 15 married, 3 divorced/separated,
• 2 single, 1 engaged

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General information

• 17 general education paraprofessionals
• 4 special education paraprofessionals
• 16 lived in the community in which they worked
• Not a difference for leavers and stayers
• Range of grade levelkindergarten to high school
  (1 student)

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Years of experience as a paraprofessional n21
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Paraprofessionals who are still on the job

• Average length of experience 15 years and
  counting
• Average age- 47.8 (and graying)

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Paraprofessionals who have left the job

• Average length of stay 3.2 years or 4.8 years
  with the I person with 18 years
• Average age 39.5

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Why did you take the job?

• Liked working with children or liked
• children 18 of 21
• Family concerns such as children's
• schedules 10 respondents
• 3. Volunteers- Right place, Right time
• 3 respondents

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What did you like about the job?

• Seventeen people stated that they liked the
  children.
• Good working conditions.
• The schedule allowed some freedom.
• The paraprofessionals liked being helpful.

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The most rewarding thing is when you have a
child come up to you and say, I came up 5
points, or I came up 10 points on my end of
grade. And you know that little extra help you
gave them is worth every bit of gleam in their
eye.
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What did you dislike about the job?

• Low pay 12 respondents
• Working conditions- 10 respondents
• Administrative Issues- Linked to working
  conditions 15 respondents
• Lack of support from families

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Why do you stay on the job?

• I have good people to work with.
• I would like to have been a teacher.
• I like the schedule.
• I like the children and the learning process.

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Why did you leave the job?

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• Took a Different job
• Different type of job
• Better paying job
• Wanted to work in a different area
• Needed full time work
• To become a teacher
•  

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Why did you leave the job? (cont)

• Working conditions
• Constant change in programs
• Stress
• I had to drive a bus--3
• Money- cost of day care
• Moved
•  

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What do we know
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I would like for this research to go further
if possible for you to come in the schools and
see what all teacher assistants do We do
everything, we are right there with the teachers
doing exactly what they are doing.
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• overall teacher assistants will be allowed or
  asked to do whatever they show that they are
  capable of.

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