Paraeducators

Special education paraeducators work side-by-side with special education professionals to provide appropriate and meaningful educational programs to students with special needs. Paraeducators might be called educational aides, instructional aides, instructional assistants, or teacher's aides depending on the school district, charter school, or intermediate unit where they work.

The role of the paraeducator has changed over the years. Today, paraeducators have a variety of key responsibilities within a school building and classroom. These roles and responsibilities may vary from setting-to-setting and day-to-day, and are determined within each local educational agency (LEA). It is critical that paraeducators receive appropriate professional development to ensure that they are trained to perform their duties. The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN) offers staff development training at convenient times so that the pool of special education paraeducators are prepared and highly qualified to work with students with disabilities.

PaTTAN has designed training for paraeducators to help them earn a Pennsylvania Special Education Paraeducator Credential of Competency from the PA Bureau of Special Education. This credential is based on ten standards identified by The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) as necessary for a special education paraeducator to know or be able to do in order to work effectively with students in special education programs. Paraeducators work with their supervisor or partner teacher to check off the skill and knowledge areas achieved under each standard on the Paraeducator Credential of Competency Assessment Checklist. Afterschool videoconference training sessions are focused on each individual standard in the Credential of Competency.  The first five standards will be addressed in the 2007-2008 school year and the final five standards will be addressed in the 2008-2009 school year. Materials from each session are posted on the PaTTAN website. Click on "Supporting Students, then "Paraeducators," and finally "Training Materials."  DVDs of each session may be ordered from the Distance Learning Center.