DOCUMENT RESUME EC 307 795 ED 440 506 AUTHOR Pickett, Anna Lou Strengthening and Supporting Teacher/Provider-Paraeducator TITLE Teams: Guidelines for Paraeducator Roles, Supervision, and Preparation. City Univ. of New York, NY. Center for Advanced Study in INSTITUTION Education. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services SPONS AGENCY (ED), Washington, DC. Div. of Personnel Preparation. PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 65p. CONTRACT H029K970088-98 PUB TYPE Non-Classroom (055) Guides EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; *Minimum DESCRIPTORS Competencies; *Paraprofessional School Personnel; *Staff Role; Standards; *Supervisor Qualifications; Teacher Competencies; *Teacher Role; Teamwork Gitice cf Special Education Programs IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This technical assistance manual contains guidelines for paraeducator roles, supervision, and skill and knowledge competency standards on which policymakers and implementers can build to improve the effectiveness of teacher/provider-paraeducator teams. The guidelines and standards were developed by a project of national significance funded by the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. Specific (1) guiding principles of paraeducator employment roles, sections address: (2) the need for paraeducator utilization and preparation, and supervision; (3) factors creating a critical need for the preparation guidelines; development and implementation of standards for paraeducator roles, responsibilities, skill and knowledge competencies, and supervision; (4) distinctions in teacher/provider and paraeducator team roles; (5) scope of (6) standards teacher/provider responsibilities for paraeducator supervision; (7) paraeducator scope of for teacher/provider supervisory competencies; (8) scope of responsibilities for responsibilities and skill standards; (9) standards for paraeducator paraeducators in program implementation teams; (10) job descriptions for paraeducators; knowledge and skill competencies; (12) teacher (11) assessing teacher/provider-paraeducator team performance; (13) paraeducator performance indicators; performance indicators; (14) developing the policies and infrastructures for strengthening (15) credentialing procedures for teacher/provider-paraeducator teams; paraeducators; and (16) the role of higher education in paraeducator preparation. (Contains 38 references.) (CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ,II , 01 .40,) L.111; PYIIP di, ,,, ,,,., , ... ,., NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS IN EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES CENTER FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN EDUCATION GRADUATE CENTER CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official NIE position or policy. AVAILABLE BEST COPY STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING TEACHER/PROVIDER-PARAEDUCATOR TEAMS: GUIDELINES FOR PARAEDUCATOR ROLES, SUPERVISION, AND PREPARATION Anna Lou Pickett NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS IN EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES CENTER FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN EDUCATION GRADUATE CENTER CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK 1999 This technical assistance resource was developed through a grant (H029K970088-98) from the Division of Personnel Preparation, Office of Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), United States Department of Education. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Department and no official endorsement should be Any part of these inferred. materials may be reproduced by policy makers, administrators, researchers, and others concerned with improving opportunities for training and professional development of paraeducators. We do, however, request that you acknowledge the source of the material. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I. 1 II. Acknowledgements 3 Defining the Terms III. 5 IV. Guiding Principles for Paraeducator Employment, Roles, Preparation, and Supervision 7 V. Setting the Stage 8 VI. Framing the Issues 10 VII. Distinctions in Teacher/Provider and Paraeducator Team Roles 14 VIII. Scope of Teacher/Provider Responsibilities for Paraeducator Supervision 15 IX. Standards for Teacher/Provider Supervisory Competencies 18 X. Paraeducator Scopes of Responsibilities & Skill Standards 23 XI. Scopes of Responsibilities for Paraeducators in Program Implementation Teams 24 XII. Standards for Paraeducator Knowledge and Skill Competencies 28 XIII. Job Descriptions 37 XIV. Assessing Teacher/Provider-Paraeducator Team Performance 43 XV. Teacher Performance Indicators 44 XVI. Paraeducator Performance Indicators 45 XVII. Developing the Policies and Infrastructures for Strengthening Teacher/Provider-Paraeducator Teams 50 XVIII. Credentialing Procedures for Paraeducators 55 XIX. The Role of Higher Education in Paraeducator Preparation 57 XX. Conclusion 58 XXI. References 59 NRC for Paraprofessionals I - INTRODUCTION Paraeducators became an integral new part of the American workforce not by accident, but because of huge movements and needs in our culture. With the growth in their utilization has come the imperative for standards relating to their employment. During the latter half of the 20th Century, dramatic changes occurred in our nation's economy, demographics, and medical and health care systems that had a profound impact on education policies, practices, and infrastructures. We completed our passage through the industrial/manufacturing era and entered the age of "high tech," computers, and a service-driven economy. Our population moved from small towns and family farms to major urban centers and from there into the suburbs. Increasing numbers of new immigrants created a multi-racial, multi- cultural, and multi-lingual society. Advances in medical science and health care systems enabled more infants who have disabilities and life-threatening health care needs to survive and thrive. But despite a booming economy that led to higher standards of living for many families and improved education opportunities for their children, the numbers of children and youth who live in poverty and do not have access to quality health care are growing. In addition to these events, a shortage in the ranks of teachers and related services providers that began after World War II has persisted. Currently there are critical shortages of qualified special education teachers and early childhood specialists. The shortfalls cross other programmatic lines as well. They are particularly acute in center cities, rural areas, and among personnel who represent diverse racial and language minority heritages. In response to these events and trends, schools and other education service provider systems are changing and innovating. Across the country, policymakers in State and local education agencies, administrators, principals, teachers, and parents are working together to achieve higher learning and performance standards for all children and youth. Their efforts center on finding more effective ways to serve increasing numbers of learners of all ages who can benefit from individualized programs and personalized attention. They include children and youth who have learning, developmental, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities, those who come from homes where English is the second language, and still others who are at risk because they come from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. The Need for Standards While State education agencies, local school districts, early childhood education, and other provider agencies are increasingly relying on teacher/provider and paraeducator teams to expand the availability of individualized education and related services for learners, they rarely have established standards for paraeducator roles, supervision, Nor do most or preparation. States have guidelines for preparing teachers/providers for their emerging roles as directors and monitors of paraeducator performance. This technical assistance manual contains guidelines for paraeducator roles, supervision, and skill and knowledge competency standards on which policymakers and implementors can build to improve the effectiveness of teacher/provider-paraeducator teams. The guidelines and 1 NRC for Paraprofessionals 5 standards were developed and validated by a project of national significance funded by the Division of Personnel Preparation, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the United States Department of Education. The project goals were designed to enable us to address similarities in the roles and responsibilities of teacher/provider and paraeducator teams who work in virtually all programs administered by public schools nationwide including inclusive general and, special education, multi-lingual/ESL, Title I and other compensatory/remedial programs as well as early intervention/childhood programs. In addition to this manual, the project also produced an annotated bibliography and a monograph describing paraeducator training models that have been tested and proven effective. The bibliography contains information about training resources, career development issues, administrative and management policies and issues, and current research connected with paraeducator utilization, supervision, and preparation. Both the bibliography and monograph are available on the web site of the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals. The web site is: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/case/nrcp 2 NRC for Paraprofessionals 6 II - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The staff of the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and Related Services could not have accomplished the goals of this project without the help and support of many individuals. Members of a Project Taskforce assisted us in so many ways that it is impossible to list all of their contributions. They generously shared information and insight based on their experiences and understanding of the broad range of issues that impact on the performance of teacher/provider-paraeducator teams. They did yeoman service in helping us develop and refine the teacher/provider and paraeducator scopes of responsibilities. This was not an easy task since we were breaking new ground. They also helped us to identify the competencies that teachers need to supervise paraeducators, and to establish the knowledge and skills that paraeducators need to work in different position levels and programs. While it may sound trite, we could not have done it without them. They are: Len Albright from the Department of Occupational Studies at California State University, Long Beach; Arlene Barresi, paraeducator, Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Education Services, New York; Joan Matheson, the representative of the National Education Association (NEA); Kent Gerlach, School of Education, Pacific Lutheran University/Tacoma, Washington; Ron Guyer, Ontario School District, Oregon; Nancy French, University of Colorado-Denver; Thomas Longhurst, Department of Speech Pathology, Idaho State Kelly, Kansas State University; Phyllis Department of Education; Richard Mainzer, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC); Marilyn Likens, Utah State University; Marion Ceasar, former paraeducator and representative of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Beth Ryberg, parent, Heartland AEA11, Iowa; Barbara Jo Stahl, Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning; Nancy Striffler, Child Development Center, Georgetown University; Richard White, Department of Counseling and Special Education, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Susan Simon, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Jo Thomason, Council of Administrators in Special Education, CEC. While they were not members of the Task Force, Nesa Chappelle of the NEA and Tish Olshefski of the AFT were always available to answer questions and provide invaluable council. Teri Wallace from the University Affiliated Program of Minnesota, Richard Herriges of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers and Joy Markowitz, Project FORUM, located at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education also made important contributions to the development of the guidelines. I especially want to thank the more than 400 paraeducators, teachers, principals, State and local education personnel, faculty at two- and four-year institutions of higher education, parents, and representatives of professional organizations representing disciplines who different responded to the validation survey we conducted as part of the work of the project. Their evaluation of the proposed guidelines for teacher/provider and paraeducator scopes of responsibilities and the standards for paraeducator preparation reassured us that our efforts were on target and will serve as resources for different service delivery systems, personnel development programs, and general and special education, multilingual, Title I, and other compensatory/remedial programs as well as home- and center-based early childhood programs. I will never be able to adequately express my gratitude to Peggy Hayden and Andy Humm for their contributions to all components of the project. Peggy facilitated three meetings of the taskforce whose members represented different disciplines, different provider systems, 3 NRC for Paraprofessionals 7 unions, and paraeducators. personnel development institutions, Her parents, different professionalism, humor, and organizational/facilitation skills enabled us to accomplish our objectives. Andy did everything from a literature review to preparing an annotated bibliography to editing this manual to making meeting arrangements. Charlotte Fisk and Richard Bruce provided word processing services, entered the results of the survey into our data bank (including the responses to open-ended questions that, in some Both of them maintained cases, were quite lengthy), and designed the format for this report. their sense of humor throughout this process which was not always easy. I want to recognize the work of thousands of teacher/provider and And finally, paraeducator teams who work in schools and other learning environments nationwide. They make a difference in the lives of all the learners and the parents whom they serve every day. Anna Lou Pickett Project Director National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals 4 NRC for Paraprofessionals 8 III - DEFINING THE TERMS In this report we use several terms that may not be exactly the same as those used in your State or local education agency (SEA/LEA) or other education provider agencies that serve children and youth of different ages, who have different ability levels, and who come from diverse cultural and language minority heritages and family backgrounds. To assist you, the terms are defined here. PARAEDUCATORS are FAMILY includes parents and other adults who school/ agency whose positions may have legal responsibility for a child's care employees either are 1) instructional in nature or who provide other and well-being. direct services to children and youth and/or GUIDING PRINCIPLES of are statements their families; and 2) who work under the beliefs that provide a philosophical framework on supervision of teachers or ,other professional which SEAs, ,LEAs, and other agencies can build practitioners who are responsible for a) the to ensure appropriate team roles, supervision, and design, implementation, and assessment of professional development and respect for learner progress, and b) the evaluation of the paraeducators. effectiveness of learning programs and related services for children and youth and/or their STANDARDS are statements that describe job families (Pickett, 1989). Other titles used to functions/tasks that are related to competency identify employees these may include: areas established for an occupation. The standards paraprofessional, teacher aide/assistant, include performance indicators and the skills and education technician, transition trainer, job knowledge required to carry out tasks. coach, therapy assistant, home visitor, and many others. COMPETENCIES specific are skills and knowledge required for employment in various LEARNER refers to school-age students, programs and position levels. infants, and young children served in home- and center-based programs. used It is PROGRAM PLANNING TEAMS are interchangeably with child, and youth, responsible for developing individualized student. education plans (IEPs), individualized transition plans (ITPs), and individualized family service AGENCY designates early childhood service plans (IFSPs) for learners. Membership includes provider including systems home-based representatives from education and related programs for infants and toddlers, Head Start, services disciplines that are required to identify and other pre-school education programs. learner goals and plans to meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities or other PROVIDER encompasses early childhood special needs. Team members may be general and specialists who plan and provide learning special education early teachers, childhood experiences for infants, toddlers, and young occupational and physical educators, families, children, and/or related services personnel (0Ts/PTs), therapists speech language from other disciplines including: speech pathologists (SLPs), psychologists, social workers, language pathologists, physical and administrators, physicians, nurses, transition occupational therapists, nurses, and transition and more. specialists, paraeducators, Team specialists. leadership may rotate or be assumed by a person representing discipline with the the primary 5 NRC for Paraprofessionals 9 responsibility for achieving the goals and opportunities standardized, for systematic paraeducator professional development, and 5) objectives of the individual learner. ensuring that teachers/providers are aware of PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION and prepared for their roles as supervisors of TEAMS are much smaller and have day-to- paraeducators. day responsibility for providing education and Teachers/providers have responsibility for other direct services to children/youth and 2. supervising and integrating paraeducators into their families. Program implementation teams are found in inclusive general and special includes learning This environments. 1) planning the tasks that paraeducators will carry Title classrooms, education out, 2) developing daily/weekly schedules for multilingual/ESL, childhood, early and paraeducators, appropriately delegating preparation to-work/vocational school- 3) A teacher, responsibilities paraeducators, programs. childhood early 4) to day-to-day performance of monitoring educator, transition specialist, or another the provider who has the primary responsibility paraeducators, 5) providing feedback and on- for developing, implementing and evaluating paraeducators, and to the-job training 6) assumes team information about sharing relevant learning usually activities paraeducator strengths and training needs with leadership. Typically, program implementation team members include but are principals or agency directors. not limited to early childhood or transition SCOPES OF RESPONSIBILITY AND SKILL paraeducators. specialists, teachers, and STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS/ Other staff who support learning activities or PROVIDERS AND PARAEDUCATORS provide related services may also include OTs, PTs, SLPs, and nurses, however, these The scope of teacher/provider responsibilities personnel rarely serve as leaders of program targets their roles connected with the supervision implementation teams. and integration of paraeducators into program implementation teacher/ Neither the teams. PARAEDUCATOR MANAGEMENT AND provider scope of responsibilities nor their skill SUPERVISION standards are designed to include all duties and Responsibility management the for and functions performed by teachers/providers in the supervision of paraeducators is divided into planning, delivery, and assessment of learning The first is the roles and two components. programs and other services. The paraeducator responsibilities of district level administrators, scope of responsibilities and the skill standards are building principals, agency/program and designed for team members who work alongside The second component is directors. the programs teachers/providers various and in of supervisory responsibilities roles and settings and assist them with achieving learning teachers/providers. goals for children and youth. We have developed Administrative personnel in LEAs and of responsibilities scopes paraeducators for 1. other education provider agencies have working in three position levels, as well as skill and knowledge standards for each of the three operational responsibility for establishing personnel and carrying out practices levels. connected with paraeducator employment, INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION and dismissal. preparation, evaluation, (IHE) refers to both community colleges and This includes 1) developing paraeducator colleges or universities that provide undergraduate job descriptions and performance criteria, personnel preparation graduate-level and 2) determining placement, 3) assessing programs. overall performance, providing 4) 6 NRC for Paraprofessionals 10