Who's Teaching Our Children with Disabilities? Part 8

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National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

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Paraeducators

Over the last 10 years, the number of paraprofessionals in the schools working with children with disabilities has grown from 105,394 in school year 1983-84 to 189,011 in school year 1993-94 (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). This growth is expected to continue in the future, especially with the increased number of children with disabilities being included in general education classrooms. Many different names are used to identify these valuable members of the special education team: parapro, paraprofessional, teacher's aide, and paraeducator are just a few used by school districts. We have chosen to use the term "paraeducator" to indicate the key role played by these paraprofessionals.

What Do Paraeducators Do?

Paraeducators generally work under the supervision of the teacher. "Para" means "alongside of' and, like paralegals and paramedics who assist and support lawyers and doctors, paraeducators assist and support teachers in a variety of ways.

Paraprofessionals can have a wide range of responsibilities, from working closely with and under the direct supervision of a teacher, to receiving instruction from a teacher but implementing the actual program of instruction by themselves (Pickett, 1996). The level of responsibility usually is determined by the paraeducator's training and experience, the caseload of the special education teacher, and the policies of the employing school district. Typical tasks for paraeducators include performing instructional activities planned by the teacher, giving the teacher feedback on students' progress, and assisting in clerical duties. In an ordinary day, a paraeducator might take attendance, tutor a child in a particular skill, monitor the lunchroom, assist the teacher in administering a test, and, when the students have gone home, work with the teacher on plans for the next day or week. As paraeducators receive training, they are able to take on greater levels of responsibility for classroom management and instructional planning.

Paraeducators are usually assigned to and work with one teacher and are typically supervised by the classroom teacher with whom they are working. However, if a paraeducator is working with a child with a disability who is placed in a general education classroom, the paraeducator may be supervised or receive direction from a special education teacher who does not stay in the classroom. This duality of supervision can cause problems.

What Training Do Paraeducators Receive?

Roughly 70% to 90% of paraeducators are hired without prior training. Much of the training that paraeducators receive is done on the job and is provided by the teachers and other paraeducators. In addition, some school districts provide formal in-service sessions to enhance the training paraeducators get from teachers.

As paraeducators are being required to tackle more complex tasks, some districts have developed a career ladder or tier program through which paraeducators, with appropriate training and experience, can be promoted to greater levels of responsibility and compensation. There is a slowly growing trend to recognize the multiplicity of roles that paraeducators play and to reward them accordingly.

Paraeducators have been found to be an excellent pool of potential teachers, because they generally plan to stay in their local communities and have already had excellent experience in the classroom with children with disabilities. Some school districts and states, recognizing this, have developed programs that help the paraeducator to move through the necessary professional preparation to meet state licensing requirements so that they can become teachers (Haselkorn & Fideler, 1996).

What Standards Are There for Paraeducators?

As paraeducators are being utilized more widely , more and more states are developing standards for them (Pickett, 1996). Approximately 15 states now have some sort of credentialing system for paraprofessionals, and several more states are considering implementing credentialing systems. Some states that don't have credentials have established training requirements. This is especially true for paraeducators working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

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