Unfortunately, Arkansas has faced a massive shortage of certified teachers for decades. Statewide, 4 percent of public school teachers are uncertified, with another 3 percent teaching out of field. In many districts, the percentage of uncertified is much higher: as high as 56 percent in the Helena-West Helena School District, and 52 percent in the…

Unfortunately, far too many Arkansas students are being taught by teachers who are uncertified in the subject they are teaching. This report analyzes the extent and potential causes of Arkansas' teacher shortage and propose a series of recommendations for state policymakers. Two primary findings about the shortage were identified: (1) Shortages…

This report examines what is known about enrollment, discipline, and support staff in alternative schools, among other objectives. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed data on alternative schools for school years 2013-14 and 2015-16 from Education's Civil Rights Data Collection (most recent years available); visited selected school…

There is currently heightened awareness among policymakers and administrators at state and local levels about addressing more effectively issues related to the employment, roles, preparation, and supervision of paraeducators. Despite this increased scrutiny, catalyzed by provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997 and the No Child…

Existing federal laws require training for paraeducators hired with federal funds. The challenge of professional development for paraeducators has become more acute as they have increased dramatically in absolute numbers and as a proportion of all instructional staff. This report is a guide to state and local education agencies that are designing…

This document is an updated version of the Title I Paraprofessionals Non-Regulatory Guidance. It has been reorganized so that all questions addressing similar topics are in the same section. In addition to a number of minor and technical changes, the following questions are new or have been significantly revised: (1) B-15 is revised to highlight…

The report documents evaluation by the Office of Educational Assessment of implementation by the New York City school system of the State Incentive Grant to Improve Pupil Performance which provided training to 5,000 teachers and 3,400 paraprofessionals serving handicapped students in elementary, intermediate, and junior high self-contained…

The Bilingual Pupil Services Program (B.P.S.) has been administered for ten years by the Office of Bilingual Education of the New York City Public Schools. In the 1983-84 school year the project provided in-service training of para-professionals to work with students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in grades one through six in the already…

This guide initiated by the Area Media Committees for the state of Georgia provides a description of the role of the community in the development of school media programs as well as the responsibilities of educational personnel, including the superintendent, system media contact person, media coordinator, curriculum coordinator, system media…

This report responds to a Wisconsin Legislature request by describing how special education program aides are used in Wisconsin schools and examining recent employment trends. An introductory section summarizes current rules and policies on eligibility for approval of aide positions, state funding, and qualifications for licenses. It defines…

Paraprofessionals in education have become specialists, who are more accurately described as paraeducators. Paraeducators work alongside their professional colleagues and participate in the delivery of instruction and related services. This pamphlet provides information about strategies that can improve the deployment, supervision, and training of…

This report provides policymakers and administrators in state departments of education and local education agencies, personnel developers in institutions of higher education, professional organizations representing different disciplines, and unions and other stakeholders with information they can build on to address issues and practices…

This project was designed to develop instructional materials to prepare teachers of students with disabling conditions and other professional personnel to assume responsibilities as classroom managers and supervisors. The first two parts of the manual, for policy makers, administrators, and staff developers, contain: (1) information about the…

This report provides an analysis of the activities being conducted by 25 federally-funded projects across the country that focus on issues related to paraeducators of students with disabilities. A definition of paraprofessionals/paraeducators is offered with a discussion of their increasing role in the education of students with disabilities in…

This study represents the third volume of a three-part report which presents the annual salaries and hourly wage rates paid to 10 categories of support personnel for 1986-87 by surveyed school systems. A system-by-system listing conveys data concerning enrollment; the budgeted expenditure per student; the highest, lowest, and average hourly wage…