Special education teachers have one of the most challenging and stressful jobs in public education, which often leads to increased burnout. High levels of burnout have, in turn, been related to lower levels of fidelity of implementation in delivery of evidence-based behavior interventions. The purpose of this position paper is to (a) propose…

Inclusion means that students with disabilities have access to high-quality and effective instruction, as well as specialized services as needed, within least restrictive environments. We believe there are no limits on who can or should participate in and benefit from inclusion and we were interested in perceptions resulting from professional…

Authors in this special issue edited by Cook and Friend provide analyses of many important relationships within a school: teacher to teacher; teacher to paraprofessional, educators, and home caregivers; and whole-building systems. Their focus on collaboration prompted these authors to reflect on a possible theoretical mechanism behind the success…

In Queensland, Australia, the school system is being reformed to be more "inclusive". However, the enthusiasm for "inclusive education" in Queensland seems to be waning amongst practitioners, and the "confusion, frustration, guilt and exhaustion" that has emerged with teachers and support practitioners in the UK is…

This paper argues that before Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) can begin to contribute to the realisation of inclusive possibilities in and for education, critical attention must be given to the ways educational difficulties and space are considered and produced within educational institutions. A detailed study of a sixth form college in the…

The concept of children's rights evolved during the 1980s giving prominence to the role of children as active participants in the construction of their lives. The rhetoric of children's rights has emerged as an important consideration in all policy and practice relating to children. Implementation of children's rights in practice is necessary to…

The term "differentiated staffing" implies subdividing the traditional role of the teacher into different professional and paraprofessional functions and duties. These duties are then assigned to teachers and staff members according to their strengths, talents, and interests. The literature indicates that the concept of differentiated staffing…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using senior citizens as volunteers. Points out some of the problems: (1) lack of satisfying role; (2) paid jobs could mean loss of social security or pension benefits; and (3) volunteer status is not as good as that of paid employees. (JOW)

It has been the author's good fortune to have had the experience of working with amazing clerks, secretaries, and media paraprofessionals throughout his career. In his experience, students rarely differentiate between the library professional and paraprofessional. The most accurate description of how most paraprofessionals are treated is "benign…

An overview of school-based cognitive-behavioral programs administered by paraprofessionals showed that paraprofessionals achieve positive results with their school programs, but little systematic information exists on recruiting, selecting, training, or supervising the paraprofessionals effectively. (CE)

This document offers a framework for use by education agencies in developing rules and guidelines for use of paraprofessionals within programs serving individuals with learning disabilities. Separate sections address principles, definitions, ethical responsibilities, education requirements for paraprofessionals, roles and responsibilities of…

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…

Paraprofessional training in administration and scoring of educational and psychological tests for learning disability diagnosis is examined, and it is concluded that projected disadvantages outweigh advantages, indicating caution in adopting the practice. (Author/CL)

This paper considers how the services of paraprofessionals might be used in teaching and learning situations, especially reading instruction. The paper points out that teachers need to observe each child and notice if modifications need to be made in teaching reading, a situation that becomes quite difficult for the regular teacher to determine…

Communication between the teacher and paraprofessional who implement the handicapped child's individualized education program can be enhanced through preacademic year planning (of classroom arrangement and the assignment of responsibilities, the holding of regularly scheduled meetings, on the spot communication, and written communication (such as…