Paraeducators play an important role in the education of students with significant disabilities. They can best contribute to improving student outcomes when they are skilled in using evidence-based practices. Tiered training is a practical and promising solution for how teachers can train teams of paraeducators to use evidence-based practices.…

Education for healthcare professionals, including radiography, is focused on cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning. The aim of this article is to present and argue for the consideration of the HECAF model, which is designed to improve the teaching and learning of Ethics and Human Rights in the radiography undergraduate programme. This…

The purpose of this case study was to examine how students with severe disabilities participated in service-learning at a food pantry and the curricular goals they addressed. Service-learning is a form of experiential learning that blends classroom instruction with community service. Participants included 3 high school students with severe…

Many schools use paraprofessionals to implement and monitor interventions. Though paraprofessionals are cost-effective, many questions remain about the training and skills they need to implement a wide array of school-based interventions. In this study, we compare paraprofessionals' (i.e., undergraduates) implementation of the Group-Academic…

Across the country, paraprofessionals in cities are primarily Black and Latina women, and they are far more likely than teachers to live in the district and even the school zone where they work. However the percentages of Black teachers in major city school districts across the nation have declined, while the percentages of census-designated…

Although previous research suggests the use of classroom management strategies can support student engagement and learning, gaps in the literature still exist including the frequency of classroom management strategies in small-group instruction. The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure the frequency of paraprofessionals' (n = 94)…

Although previous research suggests the use of classroom management strategies can support student engagement and learning, gaps in the literature still exist including the frequency of classroom management strategies in small-group instruction. The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure the frequency of paraprofessionals' (n = 94)…

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme has been in existence in Ireland, in various different iterations, since 1979. This article presents a critical policy analysis of two iterations of the scheme, operational between 1998 and 2014, using a hybrid analytical framework. It highlights the contextual factors influencing those iterations, presents…

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…

Paraprofessionals are a primary resource in special education. National data show that the number of individuals serving in the paraprofessional role continues to increase across the United States, alongside the complexity of the role itself. Educational entities have provided guidance on the competencies paraprofessionals should obtain prior to…

This article looks at the opportunities and barriers paraprofessionals face on their journey to becoming teachers and makes some recommendations for ways that colleges and universities, districts, and accrediting bodies may better serve, retain, and promote this unique population of educators. The article identifies shifts in higher education like…

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…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how nature-inspired art education might foster a sense of connectedness and collaboration in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (hereinafter knows as ASD) in a day program. While many studies have uncovered such beneficial art education for children with ASD, there has been little research attempted…

Preventative and intensive reading intervention can be administered to at-risk students in a systematic way to help facilitate gains on literacy outcomes. Despite this fact, there are clear barriers to implementation. One solution may be to use paraprofessionals to provide supplemental reading instruction. This study employed meta-analytic…

Research has shown that students of color benefit from having teachers who share their racial background. The paraprofessionals and education assistants currently working in schools represent one potential source of such teachers. Many of them are committed to schools and students but need support to obtain a teaching license. Laura Delgado,…