Paraeducators are often utilized in the education of students with disabilities, and principals play key administrative roles with paraeducators. However, little research exists to understand principals' experiences with paraeducators. This study explored principals' perceptions regarding paraeducators in elementary settings. Given the varied…

Non-certified personnel in K-12 education in Pennsylvania represent approximately one-third of all public education employees. Although there has been large-scale reform in the evaluation of certified staff, the non-certified population may not be evaluated at all. The lack of consistency in evaluating this large segment of K-12 education…

This study aimed to examine and compare the teaching efficacy of paraprofessionals in the four desired domains identified in prior research about teaching special education: academic instruction, behavioral management, assessment, and professional ethics; and to identify what demographic or background factors predicted paraprofessional efficacy in…

A stock inhaler program provided access to rescue medication (albuterol sulfate) for school children. School staff were provided with a standardized protocol for medication administration. We hypothesized licensed nurses were more likely to report compliant events compared to unlicensed school staff. Stock inhaler events were defined as either…

Schools have increasingly relied on paraeducators in elementary settings to help address student needs. Research demonstrates that simple prevention strategies, like active supervision (e.g., moving, scanning, interacting), can reduce problem behavior in areas where paraeducators are assigned; however, less is known about how to best support…

Video prompting (VP) is an evidence-based practice, but few studies have included teachers and paraeducators as implementers. We adopted one of the single-case designs (multiple probe design) to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher and paraeducator-implemented VP on vocational skills for four high school students with significant intellectual and…

The Grow Your Own Teacher (GYOT) program addresses the shortage of qualified teachers by recruiting and training community residents to become qualified teachers. These programs look and feel like community-building strategies instead of teacher pipeline strategies. The GYOT initiative is not new, but the mainstream absorption of the GYOT…

In the increasingly common inclusive classroom setting, paraprofessionals have been called to provide Specialized Academic Instruction for Special Education students in the secondary (middle and high school) General Education classroom. Current prior research on paraprofessionals often focused on the training, responsibilities, and role…

Non-teaching staff comprise over half of all school employees and their turnover may be consequential for school operation, culture, and student success, yet we lack evidence documenting their attrition. We use 11 years of administrative data from Oregon to examine mobility and exit among teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other…

The number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in PreK-12 schools has increased over time. However, paraeducators supporting students with ASD typically receive limited training and are unprepared for their roles. As part of a larger survey study, we conducted a content analysis of responses by paraeducators in one U.S. state across…

The national teacher shortage makes it challenging for principals and superintendents to hire certified teachers. To address this problem, a university in a rural state in the Midwest partnered with their state's agencies to develop a teacher apprenticeship pathway (TAP) for 78 paraprofessionals working in the state's public, non-public, and…

This research study explored the perceptions of paraprofessionals regarding their ability to work successfully with students with disabilities, as well as explored paraprofessionals' feelings about collaborative working relationships with supervising teachers. Extant research showed that in a variety of special education programs,…

This study was designed to gather special education teachers' perceptions of the role and effectiveness of paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs. Participants were special education teachers who were members of an organization specifically dedicated to special education instruction, special education teachers, school…

Amidst changing sociocultural and political climates, limited economic resources and shifting educational policies, classroom teachers continue to hold a significant responsibility in educating an increasingly diverse student population. Balancing the requirement to support student variability within perceived everchanging contexts can be…

This dissertation explores the complex dynamics and conflicts surrounding the privatization of public school services in New Jersey. Through detailed case studies of multiple New Jersey towns, this dissertation examines how local school districts, grappling with funding challenges, consider outsourcing educational support professional roles to cut…