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PARAEDUCATOR'S ROLE IS CHANGING AMID TEACHER SHORTAGEMay 19, 2000As they come up short in their search for qualified special education teachers, school districts are handing more responsibility to paraeducators. But in many states, added responsibility does not necessarily come with more respect, teacher support, training or pay, researchers say. In most states, no training or specific qualifications are required of paraeducators, even though they are assigned to work directly with students, often independently of general ed teachers. Some states are starting to recognize this can endanger students with special needs and may present a liability issue for school districts. "You don't take the most vulnerable, at-risk students together with the people with the least amount of training and expertise and say 'Good luck, you start in 10 minutes,'" says Barbara Jo Stahl, Comprehensive Systems of Professional Development coordinator for the Division of Special Education in Minnesota's Department of Children, Families and Learning. Compounding the problem, few states have established job descriptions for their paraeducators, making the development of hiring criteria and training more difficult, according to Anna Lou Pickett, director of the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals. Speaking earlier this month to members of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Stahl, Pickett and others explained the necessity and the process of developing paraeducator training and certification programs. Pickett and Kent Gerlach, Professor of Education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., have published several articles and a book on the role paraeducators play in American schools. Based on research and discussions with a group of educators, administrators and state staffers, Pickett's resource center has compiled a set of guidelines, standards, responsibilities, job descriptions and other information to assist states in developing their own programs. No Respect Pickett's National Resource Center estimates U.S. schools currently employ about 400,000 paraeducators, including 200,000 in special education roles. As Pickett and Gerlach noted, it could be the only job in the country of such popularity that has no standard job description or recognition as a career. In Minnesota, as well as in other states, the number of paraeducators employed has increased dramatically as federal law pushed harder for inclusion of students with special needs in general ed classrooms, according to Stahl. The benefits of training and support programs for paraeducators reach beyond helping students get a better education. Such efforts show paraeducators they are respected, important members of a classroom teaching team. Combined with further career development opportunities and fair compensation, training can help cut down on paraeducator turnover, Gerlach noted. The typical paraeducator is a mother who wants to remain in the local community and work hours that coincide with her children's school hours, Pickett said. However, most still want to improve their skills, get more training and succeed at their jobs. "One of the things that really needs to happen is there needs to be a parallel track for career development," she argues. Paraeducator assignments generally fall into three categories, according to Pickett's research group. Entry level paraeducators have far less intensive responsibilities than teachers, handling tasks such as monitoring playgrounds, lunchrooms and buses. Level two paraeducators are more focused on learning. They spend 90 percent of their time in classrooms, often self-contained, working with kids. Level three paraeducators get even more responsibility. They are often involved in inclusion efforts and working with students in English as a Second Language programs. The level three paraeducator usually has less supervision, therefore more independence, than other paraeducators. The majority of paraeducators fall into the level three category, Pickett says, but very few are trained to handle those responsibilities or are recognized for the roles they play. Those who are, she added, tend to stick around longer or continue their education to become teachers. In fact, thanks to the teacher shortage across the country, many school districts are encouraging paraeducators to get teacher certification by offering incentives and collaborating with local universities, Gerlach said. This does not mean, however, that all or even most paraeducators want to become teachers. In Washington, he noted, 80 percent of paraeducators surveyed in the late 1990s said their career goal was to have the responsibilities of a paraeducator and be recognized for it. Developing a statewide plan As with most education programs these days, developing a statewide plan to certify paraeducators and standardize their roles requires collaboration with organizations beyond the state and local education agencies. In Minnesota, the state education department established a Statewide Paraprofessional Consortium, headed by Stahl and Teri Wallace, who is slated to replace the retiring Pickett at the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals. The consortium, composed of paraeducators, teachers, administrators, union representatives, university and college instructors and state agency representatives, built a paraprofessional training program and maintains ongoing services for paraprofessionals.
Minnesota's consortium used its competencies list as the basis for establishing a skill inventory paraeducators can use as a checklist to make sure their professional development stays on task. The group also drew up training materials for paraeducators and teachers and a career ladder paraprofessionals can use to plan their development. It includes the opportunity to earn a core certificate or specialized high school diploma, move on to an Associate's degree and eventually get a Bachelor's degree specifically designed for their roles as classroom support personnel, Wallace said. Defining Roles States must also focus on making teachers active participants in the paraeducators' continuous learning process, Gerlach and Pickett say. The paraeducator's role is to "assist and support" the teacher, according to Gerlach, and it must be clearly defined, with boundaries or limits established for what a paraeducator can do on his or her own. Whether and to what extent the paraeducator is involved in typical domains of teachers, such as curriculum planning, student assessment, IEP team meetings and parent interaction depends largely on the school's or district's needs and on the relationship between the paraeducator and the teacher, Pickett said.
Beyond the teacher, the entire school district can play a role in making paraeducators feel like valued members of the educational community, Gerlach said. Through his experience in Washington, he noted school districts can make several small adjustments that cost little but have a lasting impact on how a paraeducator is perceived. For example, he said, all paraeducators should receive an employee handbook and code of conduct when they start working for a school district. They should also be afforded opportunities to meet and network with other paraeducators in the district throughout the school year, and they should be given more opportunities to attend professional conferences or seminars that specifically address paraeducator issues. In Minnesota, the Paraprofessional Consortium sponsors a statewide conference each year and several regional conferences. The group is also putting together a speakers' network to make more expert information and insight available for local training programs and is considering offering a summer institute for teams of paraeducators and teachers to help them work better together. The consortium recognizes excellence among paraeducators with an annual award, as well as an award for best instructional team. The state also observes Paraprofessional Week once a year. "It's important to celebrate and to recognize that expertise that is out there," Wallace said.8 |
