Paraeducator
Handbook
For Elementary/General Education Classroom
By: Shazia Hussein & Kaytlin Watson
Table of Contents
Introduction to Handbook
Laws to Know
Section 1
Who are you as a person?
Teacher and Paraeducator Relationship
Roles & Responsibilities
Section 2
Importance of Communication
Professionalism, Training & Ethical Practices
Section 3
How Can I Support Instructional Opportunities?
How Can I Support a Positive Learning Environment?
Resources
Signature Page
Introduction
Welcome to the Paraeducator Handbook! This is an exciting profession that allows you to work
with students in elementary and secondary schools, while gaining training and working closely
with educators in our schools. This handbook provides you with skills and information you need
to know in order to succeed as a paraeducator in the school you will be working in. Your role as
a paraeducator is greatly important and we hope you receive valuable information about the
roles, responsibilities, and expectations about your job in this handbook.
Who is a Paraeducator?
A Paraeducator is an employee who provides services to teachers and students varying from
aiding in instructional implementation to providing support to students with special needs. A
Paraeducator works closely with his or her supervising special or general education teacher who
is a licensed school professional. The teacher’s responsibilities consist of teaching, assessing,
and implementing practices to all their students with the assistance of paraeducators across
different needs of the student. Your role as a paraeducator is to assist your supervising teacher in
instructional tasks for the goal of the student.
Paraeducator Requirements According to No Child Left Behind
Title I paraprofessionals whose duties include instructional support must have:
1. High school diploma or the equivalent, and
2. Two years of college (48 units), or
3. A. A. degree (or higher), or
4. Pass a local assessment of knowledge and skills in assisting in instruction. (This is a
locally approved assessment. Local education agencies may develop their own
assessment or use an existing assessment so long as it measures the knowledge and skills
in assisting in instruction. Many districts use the California Basic Educational Skills Test
[CBEST] for this purpose).
What are my roles?
A Paraeducator aids in instructional tasks that the teacher assigns to students who may need extra
support in subject areas or one on one instruction. A Paraeducator may also aid in noninstructional tasks such as clerical tasks, preparing materials, personal support to students, or
monitoring during lunch and recess (Giangreco & Doyle, 2002, p. 5).
Terms to Know:
General Education Classroom - The general education classroom contains a licensed general
education teacher who designs lessons based on the state standards. He or she designs
instructions to meet all students with or without disabilities.
Special Education Classroom - A special education classroom contains a special educator who
designs academic instruction and methods to benefit the needs of students with disabilities and
provide equal education.
Inclusion - All students, regardless of disability, will be provided equal learning opportunities in
the least restrictive environment of the classroom.
An Inside Perspective
“Paraprofessionals took it as a sign of respect when professionals oriented and trained them,
provided plans for their work, and supervised them. Paraprofessionals also felt respected when
they were considered an integral member of the classroom team and were given opportunities to
provide input into important decisions about the classroom and students” (Giangreco & Doyle,
2002, p. 9)
This Handbook can help you understand your roles and responsibilities as a paraeducator in the
classroom and what skills you will be expected to know and implement in your job to be an
important team member of the education system. The Handbook is organized by topics you will
be expected to know and apply as an important team member and service provider to the school.
Topics
The following topics will be covered in this Handbook:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Laws to Know
Who Are You as a Person?
Teacher and Paraeducator Relationship
Roles & Responsibilities
Professional Development & Training
Importance of Communication
Professionalism & Ethical Practices
How Can I Support Instructional Opportunities?
How Can I Support a Positive Learning Environment?
Laws to Know
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - All schools receiving Title I state funding must conduct state
testing and meet the adequate yearly progress under subjects to continue receiving funding.
● This law is important for paraeducators who work in schools funded by Title I of NCLB.
NCLB defines paraeducators as an employee who provides instructional support in a
program supported with Title I, Part A Funds.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA) - An education law that ensures
services to children with disabilities or special needs. This law ensures that all students with
disabilities have free appropriate public education and related services provided. IDEA defines
disability into 14 categorizes.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) - Special education and related services are
available to a child with a disability without charge varying from preschool, elementary, or
secondary school. Appropriate refers to making sure the student’s individual needs are met under
the program provided.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) - A legal document that is required for each child
with a disability that contains information about their disability, the services the schools will
provide to meet their needs, goals and objectives teachers set for the child, and any
accommodations or transitions that pertain to the child.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA) - A Federal law that protects the
privacy of student and parent’s educational records. The parent’s have rights to educational
records until the child turns 18 years of age. This law protects families’ rights of records by
keeping them confidential.
● Record of Access - the Principal or school keeps track of members who access Special
Education records of students such as IEPs, test scores, and personal records. Any
member who has access to these files must document and sign that they have seen these
records. As a paraeducator this is important because all information of the student you
review must remain confidential.
Laws to Know (cont.)
No Child Left Behind
According to NCLB, the following description applies to duties of paraprofessionals.
1. In general- Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part shall ensure that a
paraprofessional working in a program supported with funds under this part is not assigned a duty
inconsistent with this subsection.
2. Responsibilities Paraprofessionals may be assigned- A paraprofessional described in paragraph
(1) may be assigned —
A. to provide one-on-one tutoring for eligible students, if the tutoring is scheduled at a time
when a student would not otherwise receive instruction from a teacher;
B. to assist with classroom management, such as organizing instructional and other
materials;
C. to provide assistance in a computer laboratory;
D. to conduct parental involvement activities;
E. to provide support in a library or media center;
F. to act as a translator; or
G. to provide instructional services to students in accordance with paragraph
3. Additional Limitations- A paraprofessional described in paragraph (1) —
A. may not provide any instructional service to a student unless the paraprofessional is
working under the direct supervision of a teacher consistent with section 1119; and
B. may assume limited duties that are assigned to similar personnel who are not working in
a program supported with funds under this part, including duties beyond classroom
instruction or that do not benefit participating children, so long as the amount of time
spent on such duties is the same proportion of total work time as prevails with respect to
similar personnel at the same school.
IDEA 2004
Related Services Personnel and Paraprofessionals: The qualifications under subparagraph (A) include
qualifications for related services personnel and paraprofessionals that
I.
are consistent with any State-approved or State- recognized certification, licensing, registration,
or other comparable requirements that apply to the professional discipline in which those
personnel are providing special education or related services;
II.
ensure that related services personnel who deliver services in their discipline or profession meet
the requirements of clause (i) and have not had certification or licensure requirements waived on
an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis; and
III.
allow paraprofessionals and assistants who are appropriately trained and supervised, in
accordance with State law, regulation, or written policy, in meeting the requirements of this part
to be used to assist in the provision of special education and related services under this part to
children with disabilities.
SECTION 1
●
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· Who are you as a person?
· Teacher and Paraeducator Relationship
●
· Roles & Responsibilities
Who Are You as a Person?
“Getting to know one another’s skills interests, and talents can also help identify responsibilities
and training needs” (Devlin, 2008, p. 41).
It is important for you as as paraeducator to know the qualities and skills you bring into the
classroom. Your teacher should know your personal qualities, your work style preferences, your
past experiences, and what abilities you can bring to support students and their learning. The first
step is to know who you are as a person.
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
What do you feel comfortable doing?
Are you a communicator?
Are you organized?
How do you respond to authority?
What is your work ethic?
Can you be a leader and perform tasks effectively?
Are you an effective team member?
What do you want to gain from this job?
What do you value?
Are you willing to accept feedback and training?
Once you know who you are as a person, it will be easier for you to communicate these qualities
and present to your supervisor what you can input into your profession. This section contains the
True Colors Personality Quiz, which is to determine your personal characteristics and skills as a
leader and employee. Additionally, it contains Getting Acquainted Questions, which will help
you evaluate your past experiences and how you can apply them to your role as a paraeducator.
These two inventories will help you become acquainted with yourself and help your supervisor
know who you are as a person, a leader, and service provider.
Teacher and Paraeducator Relationship
As a paraeducator you will be working under the supervision of a licensed professional teacher.
The relationship you develop with your supervisor is imperative in order to attend to all needs of
students in the classroom. In order to develop a collaborative relationship, it is important to have
a meeting in the beginning of your work experience to let the teacher know the skills and
experiences you bring to the job, for the teacher to describe the expectations of being a
paraeducator in her classroom, and to discuss work style preferences and requirements. The
teacher will explain her legal responsibilities as an educator and what she expects from you.
In this section there are two helpful inventories for the paraeducator and supervising teacher. The
first inventory, Work Style and Preferences, allows you and the teacher to rank the level of
agreement on certain criterias. This inventory can be used as an introduction to the discussion of
preferred work ethics in the classroom. The second inventory, the Paraeducator Task
Preparation/Confidence Inventory, allows the paraeducator to rank preparation and confidence
in tasks and duties that they will be involved in. This is a helpful inventory in order for the
teacher to know the level of performance you have and what further training may be needed. It is
a helpful tool to build your relationship so accurate expectations are given to your tasks and
conflicts can be avoided.
Another helpful resource in this section is 7 Executive Functions for Supervising Teachers.
These 7 functions are a helpful tool of what your supervising teacher may introduce in the
beginning or first week of your job and highlights some important expectations of your job.
Tips for Teachers and Paraeducators
1) General Education and Special Education teachers should
appreciate the work the paraeducators complete.
2) GE and SE teachers should establish their role as the legal
teacher and supervisor in the classroom and what role
paraeducators play
3) Include paraeducator’s opinions, skills, and voices about
the students they work with
4) Emphasize collaborative skills between teachers and
paraeducators.
5) Paraeducators should communicate their thoughts and ideas
while making sure they are within their job boundaries.
6) Paraeducators should understand that their job not only
impacts the kids, but also the supervising teacher they
support.
7) Teachers should make sure they are implementing the use
of a paraeducator appropriately among students.
Paraeducators should not be there to simply follow the
student’s IEP needs, but be there to demonstrate the skills
and instruction required to support their student’s IEP.
Fisher, M., & Pleasants, S. (2012). Roles, Responsibilities, and Concerns of Paraeducators:
Findings From a Statewide Survey. Hammill Institutes on Disabilities, 33(5), 287-297.
7 Executive Functions for Supervising Teachers
1. Orientation
a. Introduce Handbook
b. Discuss paraeducator’s abilities, skills, work style preferences
c. Discuss laws and confidentiality of students
2. Planning
a. Goals are set for team members
b. Schedules given
c. Plan meeting times
d. Receive lesson plans, activities, and instructional tasks
3. Scheduling
a. Schedules given based on paraeducator’s skills and work preferences
b. Schedule indicates what paraeducator will be doing at what time and with who
4. Delegating
a. Paraeducator given authority to complete tasks based on skills
5. On-the-job Training
a. Paraeducator gets assessed of skills and receives feedback
b. Paraeducator receives training in such areas
6. Monitoring and Feedback
a. Provide information about job performance
b. Develop goals
c. Teachers evaluate paraeducators on their performance
d. Constructive, continual feedback
7. Managing the Workplace
a. Importance of communication
b. Respectful environment
c. Problem solving
Roles & Responsibilities
Paraeducator responsibilities can be split into three levels.
Level 1 Paraeducator - Paraeducators work under the supervision of their supervising educator
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Bus duty
Escorting students
Supervising during recess and lunch
Attendance
Setting up materials
Reinforce lessons
Assisting children with personal needs
Level 2 Paraeducator - Paraeducators have responsibilities similar to Level 1 in addition to
instructional responsibilities in the classroom. The paraeducator works under the supervision of
the general or special education teacher or related service providers.
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Working with individual students in subject areas
Administering formal and informal assessments
Assisting in data collecting
Implementing behavior management strategies
May attend IEP or staff meetings
Level 3 Paraeducator - Paraeducators work with multiple teachers and may be involved in
transition or inclusive settings. They can modify learning activities that are provided by the
teacher to fit to students’ needs. This level can include involvement in vocational or community
based programs for the student. These paraeducators are supervised.
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Maintain student records and progress
Communicate progress of students
Selecting and using instructional techniques
Teaching students to utilize community and vocational tasks: public transportation, shop,
cooking, functional tasks
*Adapted from Grimmet’s Powerpoints
Paraeducator Competencies
Interpersonal Skills
● Communication in a respective, honor,
and clear manner
● Appropriate language
● Confronts conflicts effectively
● On time and prepared
Personal Qualities
● Manages work time
● Follows confidentiality rules of
students records
● Evaluates own performances and skills
● Performs tasks required
Technical Skills
● Maintains appropriate environment for
learning
● Implement lesson as planned
● Completes assigned tasks
● Prepares and presents materials based
on the individual students needs
● Maintains records and documents of
student
● Reports observations, performance,
and records of students
● Assists the teacher with tasks,
activities, and other programs
Screening
● Completes training and displays
knowledge on screen procedures
● Records screening protocols
● Organizes materials
● Maintains documents
● Communicates screening results
Instructional Assistance
● Follows guidelines given by
supervising teacher
● Able to implement goals and
objectives of student concerning
behavior or intervention program
● Uses appropriate feedback
● Understands the student’s educational
and personal needs
● Provides clear instructions appropriate
to the student’s level of understanding
● Documents necessary records
20 Helpful Tips
1. Perform your assigned tasks
a.
b.
c.
d.
Small group instruction
One on one instruction
Reinforce content
Support student learning opportunities
e. Work within student’s educational needs
2. Know your role as a paraeducator and know your supervising teacher’s role
as the educator
3. Confront conflicts or misunderstandings at appropriate times
4. Communicate appropriately to teachers, parents, and students
5. Attend staff meetings as required
6. Prepare materials in a timely manner and be organized
7. Be open to training opportunities - accept responsibility for improving skills
8. Help meet instructional objectives and goals for students
9. Leave personal concerns at the door
a. Once you are in the classroom you have an important role to play.
10. Be on time and follow your schedule
11. Ask questions
12. Keep student records and information confidential
13. Be reliable - your supervising teacher expects you to be there in the
classroom and to carry out your responsibilities
14. Be a part of the team - team planning, meetings, learn from others
15. Collect data and document as required
16. Have a positive attitude throughout the day
17. Be respectful towards student’s needs
18. Maintain a healthy, positive learning environment
19. Use Person First Language as necessary
a. You may have students with special needs or disabilities and it is important to use
appropriate language when referring to their type of disability
20. Bring the best qualities you can to your job!
Devlin, P. (2008). Create Effective Teacher— Paraprofessional Teams. Intervention in School
and Clinic, 44(1), 42-44.
Confidentiality
As a paraeducator, you may have access to student records, personal information,
academic areas, and data records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts
(FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student and parent’s
educational records. As a paraeducator you have the responsibility to keep student
information confidential.
Do
● Access student’s records
through appropriate
procedural requirements of
the school
● Respect rights of parents and
school about privacy records
● Be aware of those around
when conferencing
information regarding a
student
● If you are unsure about
answering a question
regarding a student, wait
until you speak with your
supervisor or refer them to
proper school personnel
members
Don’t
● Talk about students and their
personal information with
others students or parents
● Use student names or
information when asked
about your job
● Release any educational
records regarding the student
● Discuss information about a
student in a public place
● Share personal information
outside of the student’s
family or school team
members
SECTION 2
●
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· Importance of Communication
· Professionalism, Training & Ethical Practices
Importance of Communication
“Individuals cannot be effective team members unless they see themselves as being important to
the team effort” (Devlin, 2008, p. 41).
Communication is key in order to make sure that the students are being served effectively.
Communication between the special education teacher and the paraprofessional is vital. The
needs of every student need to be vocalized to the special education teacher so that each student
is receiving the help that they need in order to be successful. Communication with the general
education teach (if applicable) is also important. The needs of the student should also be voiced
to the general education teacher so that they can give the student the support that they need while
in the general education classroom. These are a few key concepts to keep in mind while
communicating with both the special education teacher and the general education teacher.
1. Be respectful of each other at all times. This is the most important part of communication
between anyone.
2. Listen to each other’s comments and concerns regarding the students.
3. If the paraprofessional has a question or concern about the students, the learning
environment, or the services that they are providing, they should be discussed with the
special education teacher.
4. If the special education teacher has a concern, they are to talk to the paraprofessional and
give constructive feedback.
5. Ultimately, the special education teacher is the expert. They have supervision over the
paraprofessionals and control of the learning environment.
It is also important to understand what kind of a communicator you are. Understanding the way
in which you communicate most often will help you become more self-conscience of the way
you are portraying information to others. It also allows you know acknowledge any flaws you
have in your communication skills and to improve upon them. On the next 5 pages, there is a
survey that you should help you figure out what kind of communicator you are and how you can
effectively communicate with others.
Professionalism, Training & Ethical Practices
Professionalism
It is of the upmost importance that paraprofessional maintain their professionalism at all times.
This means from the way they dress, to the way they speak to their students and about their
students. It is your job to provide the students with the additional support they need in order to be
successful in their Least Restrictive Environment.
Do’s
Don’ts
·
Go to the supervising Special
Education teacher with any questions or
concerns that you have about anything.
·
Ask why a certain para gets to work
with a certain student or do a certain job all
of the time and you do not. Paras are paired
with students or given certain jobs based on
their strengths and what they will be able to
do for the students.
·
·
Nitpick and complain about the way
a para professional is conveying concepts to
their students.
Encourage each other
·
Report any incidences that you see
occur that are not professional.
Training
It is required by law that paraprofessional receive training. Attending paraprofessional
workshops for training is very imperative to your job. You are providing instruction and
additional support to students, so it is important that you understand the materials in which you
are teaching and know how to effectively communicate them. It has been proven that
paraprofessional that have been trained have higher effectiveness rates than paraprofessionals
that have not been trained (Why Train Paraprofessionals?). There will be assessments regularly
with constructive feedback to help you be the best paraprofessional you can be.
*modified from Grimmet’s PowerPoints*
Ethical Practices
Ethics is an extremely important part of your job as a paraprofessional. In order to protect the
students and their families, paraprofessionals must be aware of ethical practices. As a
paraprofessional you are to:
● Maintain confidentiality about any personal and school related information regarding
students and their family.
● Know the laws and respect the student and families rights.
● Follow policies set in place to maintain the health, well-being, and safety of the students.
● Follow directions from supervising teacher.
● Demonstrate respect for all cultures and backgrounds of the students.
● Demonstrate honesty, integrity, loyalty, dependability, and willingness to learn.
● Participate in opportunity for continuing your education (paraprofessional workshops).
● Adhere to the standards in the school and paraprofessional handbooks.
Professional Ethics. (2014). In ACGC K-12 PARAPROFESSIONAL MANUAL (p. 2). Minnesota:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School District.
SECTION 3
●
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· How Can I Support Instructional Opportunities?
· How Can I Support a Positive Learning Environment?
How Can I Support Instructional Opportunities?
You, as a paraprofessional, need to be willing to take the initiative and step to help
whenever you see the need. Your job is to provide services to students that need additional
resources. You need to be respectful and patient with every student. Each student is unique and
their disability may affect them in different ways. It is important to be caring and persistent, but
you must also have a backbone. You are not there to be walked all over; you are there to help the
students. Some students and teachers may need to be reminded of this.
It is also important that you do not intrude too much on the students. We do not want our
students to develop “learned helplessness,” in which the student relies on others to do tasks for
them. The students need to experience the dignity of risk. If the student want to try to do
something on their own, do not baby them or do it for them. Let the students try; it is the only
way they are going to learn for themselves.
In order to help you support instructional opportunities, here are a few tips:
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Challenge, but don’t overwhelm the students.
Providing incentives never hurts
Structure tasks.
Provide immediate feedback.
Limit any distractions or “triggers”
*Adapted from Grimmet’s PowerPoints*
Tips for Teachers: Teaching Students with Disabilities (pp. 3-10). (n.d.). Washington DC:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
How Can I Support a Positive Learning
Environment?
We want our students to have a positive experience at school. When a students is in a
positive learning environment, they are able to learn better. A positive leaning environment deals
a lot with behavioral expectations of each student in the classroom. The students that you will be
working with will have specific behavioral objectives that they are to meet. You are to
implement them while they are in the classroom and reinforce them throughout each day.
Tips to help support a positive learning environment:
● Don’t always give the students negative feedback. Praise them for the things that they are
doing well.
● Provide incentives for the students’ positive behavior.
● Set a disciplinary plan for students’ negative behaviors.
● Set positive reports home with the students. Parents like to know when their students has
had a good day. They do not like getting negative notes all of the time.
● Allow students to take risks. If they do not succeed, help them to understand what went
wrong and learn from their mistakes.
*modified form Grimmet’s lectures and PowerPoints.*
Signature Page
Please sign where indicated. Your signature indicates that you have read
through the paraeducator handbook, understand its content, and agree with
what responsibilities and roles are expected of you.
Paraeducator Staff Signature
Supervising Teacher Signature
Administrator Signature
References
California Department of Education. (2014). Paraprofessional Requirements for Title I Programs
- NCLB (CA Dept of Education). Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/nclb/sr/tq/paraprofessionals.asp
Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2015). Q & A on IDEA 2004: Purposes and Key
Definitions | Center for Parent Information and Resources. Retrieved from
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/qa1/
Devlin, P. (2008). Create Effective Teacher— Paraprofessional Teams. Intervention in School
and Clinic, 44(1), 42-44.
Fisher, M., & Pleasants, S. (2012). Roles, Responsibilities, and Concerns of Paraeducators:
Findings From a Statewide Survey. Hammill Institutes on Disabilities, 33(5), 287-297.
Giangreco, M., & Doyle, M. (2002). Students with Disabilities and Paraprofessional Supports:
Benefits, Balance, and Band-Aids. Focus on Exceptional Children,34(7).
Grimmer, K. (2015, March). Paraprofessionals Legislation, Roles, and Preparation[PowerPoint
slides].
Grimmet, K. (2015, March). Working with Paraeducators [PowerPoint slides].
Paraeducator Resources and Websites. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/cali/ParaResources.pdf
Professional Ethics. (2014). In ACGC K-12 PARAPROFESSIONAL MANUAL (p. 2). Minnesota:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School District.
National Paraeducator Handbook. (2005). NEA Paraeducator Handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/05espparahandbook.pdf
National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals. (n.d.). National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals. Retrieved
from
http://www.nrcpara.org/
Robb-Linse, J. (n.d.). Paraeducator Handbook.
Tips for Teachers: Teaching Students with Disabilities (pp. 3-10). (n.d.). Washington DC: National Dissemination
Center for Children with Disabilities.
Utah State Office of Education, & Alexander, M. (2009). Utah Paraeducator Handbook. Retrieved from
http://utahparas.org/Utah-Special%20Education-Paraeducator-Handbook.pdf
U.S. Department of Education. (2015). Title I - Improving The Academic Achievement Of The
Disadvantaged. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg2.html#sec1119
University of Kansas. (n.d.). Paraeducator Task Preparation Confidence Inventory[PDF].
Retrieved from
http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/~specconn/page/collaboration/work/pdf/tool2_para_inventory.pdf
Whiteney, S. (2015). What IDEA 2004 says about Paraprofessionals by Sue Whitney Wrightslaw. Retrieved from
http://www.wrightslaw.com/heath/parapro.qual.htm#sthash.mxLEnXgP.dpuf
Why Train Paraprofessionals? - PAR²A Center. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2015, from
http://www.paracenter.org/paraeducators/why-train-paraprofessionals/