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…

Three issues (job descriptions, salary schedules, and credentials) in the employment of paraprofessionals in special education and other educational programs for the handicapped are examined in the report. A sampling of a variety of paraprofessional job descriptions leads to the strong recommendation that detailed job descriptions be provided…

The increasing importance of the paraprofessional as part of an education team warrants carefully contructed certification programs. This article (1) recounts the history of paraprofessionals; (2) provides four arguments in favor of certification; (3) describes one existing program; (4) suggests characteristics of effective programs; and (5) warns…

Paraprofessionals in special education play an increasingly important role in schools in such diverse areas as coach for a group of trainable mentally retarded adolescents and parent worker at a center for seriously emotionally disturbed students. (PHR)

Identifies and discusses issues associated with the employment of paraprofessionals in special education programs likely to be of the greatest importance and interest to teacher educators. These include teacher preparation to supervise, training of paraprofessionals, role overlap, paraprofessionals as community links, and paraprofessionals as…

In response to P.L. 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act), the paper provides a suggested system for developing job descriptions and career ladders and lattices for paraprofessionals working with the handicapped with particular emphasis for those working with the severely/profoundly handicapped and in mainstreaming programs.…

Presented is a bibliography of materials and resources related to the training and utilization of paraprofessionals in special education. Materials are divided into three categories: general information, training models, and training materials. General information entries usually include author, title, source, publication date, and pagination.…

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…

This training program is intended to help administrators and staff developers prepare teachers of special needs students to work more effectively with paraprofessionals--to direct and monitor their activities, to assess their contributions to the instructional process, and to use systematic procedures to improve their skills and productivity.…

This paper discusses the use of paraprofessionals in the classroom. Section 1 examines the present situation, framing issues confronting the field with regard to training and utilization of paraprofessionals. It focuses on: distinctions in the roles and responsibilities of teachers and paraprofessionals; an analysis of duties performed by…

This kit for training paraeducators working with students who have disabilities includes a facilitator's manual, a paraeducator workbook, and six videotapes, one for each unit of instruction, and an instructor training videotape. The materials are to be used with small groups during training sessions totaling 14-20 hours. The facilitator's manual…

Reported are results of a survey of 69 preservice and inservice special education training programs for paraprofessionals in institutions of higher education; and presented are program descriptions based on material and information gathered from the survey, from on-site visits, and at regional conferences. Noted among findings are that a broad…

Presented are findings of a study on the utilization of paraprofessionals in public school programs for handicapped children; and provided are descriptions of four program models for training paraprofessionals working with handicapped children. Results are reported for the following areas: number of states and territories responding, number of…

This digest is concerned with the need to develop standards and infrastructure for improving the employment, placement, preparation, and supervision of paraeducators in inclusive general and special education classrooms, Title I, multilingual/English as a Second Language, and early childhood programs. It discusses teacher responsibilities for…

This technical assistance manual provides information for assessing the impact of increased employment of paraprofessionals on all special educational and personnel practices, facilitating the integration of paraprofessionals into various classroom settings and staffing patterns, and improving the performance and productivity of paraprofessionals…