Welcome back to our seasoned paraeducator

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Welcome back to our seasoned paraeducator

• All staff inservice
• August 2009-2010

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New year

• New ways to
• Provide support to students, staff and families
• Gain inservice points
• Number of points needed per year

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We will be experiencing a paradigm shift

• More focused on students, less on adults
• More about developing independence than getting
  work done
• More about teaching skills than tapping
• Being more proactive and prepared than reactive
  and flying by the seat of your pants

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Changes in expectations

• Making accommodations, modifications before
  class, not during
• Making accommodations and modifications so that
  students can produce work independently
• Using technology to support students
• Increase communication and collaboration
  regarding student needs

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Help to shift our lives

• Para study group conducted spring and summer 2009
• Input from general education teachers,
  superintendents and special education staff
• Student support plan for specially designed
  instruction
• Meetings with Principals and outside service
  providers

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Paraeducator.net is gone

• Infinitec will be replacing online learning
  opportunities for staff
• Web site is http//myinfinitec.org or access the
  line at our web site www.highplainsed.com
• You will need an email addresses to sign up for
  access
• Steps for registering are listed on the Infinitec
  website under How to Create an account (Kansas).

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Access to the website is based on your school
districts email address. If you are using an
email address other than a school district email,
(hotmail.com, yahoo.com, etc.) we will need to
add your email address manually. If you have
difficulty securing an email address, please let
your supervisor know.
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All HPEC member districts are Infinitec members.
This site is open to all staff.
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Not all offerings are equal

• Not all of the online offerings on infinite have
  inservice points
• Points range from .25 to 1.00. Please round up
  to 1 when completing your staff development plan
• The HPEC central office does not access your
  account. Please send the email from Infinitec
  stating the name of the inservice, date and score
  with para inservice plan.

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Please send in your confirmation

• Gail Gillespie,
• Thank you for using the Kansas Infinitec
  Coalition website and Congratulations on passing
  a quiz!
• This email is to confirm that you PASSED the quiz
  listed below
• Title Adaptations for Students with Learning
  Disabilities
• Date 2009-06-29
• Credit Hours 1.00
• Result PASSED - 80

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To be identified as a highly qualified
paraeducator, you need
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Completed at least 2 years of study at an
institution of higher education. A minimum of 48
hours must be accumulated. The college hours
must be hours that can be applied to a
baccalaureate degree or obtained an AA degree (or
higher),
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OR

• Meet rigorous standards as demonstrated through
  a formal State or Local assessment. Approved
  paraeducator assessments are
• (1) ParaPro by ETS
• (2) WorkKeys by ACT
• (3) ParaEducator by Master Teacher

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Back to before

• HPEC will reimburse paraeducators the cost of the
  ParaPro test who receive a passing grade on the
  exam. Reimbursement will be awarded when the
  paraeducator submits
• Documentation of a passing score AND
• Receipt of payment for the test

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• The ParaPro Assessment is available by
  appointment at the HPEC Central Office. Please
  contact High Plains Education Central Office for
  further information.

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Study help for ParaPro

• You can prepare for the exam by reviewing a study
  guide available through HPECs Media Center. You
  can also download ETSs ParaPro Assessment Test
  at a Glance from our website.

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Who needs to be highly qualified?

• All paraeducators hired after January 8, 2002 to
  work in Title I schoolwide programs.
• HPEC member district Title I schoolwide programs
  are
• Syracuse Elementary
• Sublette Elementary
• Hugoton Elementary
• Ulysses, K-8
• Lakin Elementary
• Montezuma and Copeland Elementary

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Tiered point system beginning July, 2009
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Tier I

• Paraeducators who have worked as a Kansas special
  education para less than 3 years (within the past
  3 years) are to complete 20 hours of inservice if
  employed for 9 months during the school year.

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Tier II

• Paraeducators who have worked as a Kansas special
  education para for more than 3 years (including
  the past 3 years) must complete 10 hours in
  inservice if employed for 9 months during the
  school year.

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Why are inservice points soooo important ?

• No points, no pay
• No points, no job

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Options for inservice points

• Attending HPEC sponsored inservice
• Attending local district inservice when
  appropriate
• Appropriate training offered by other agencies
  such as hospitals, SRS, Area Mental Health
  covering topics such as CPR, First Aid
• Approved on line training such as autism modules,
  reading academy and infinitec

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Still need plans quarterly
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What is a workday?

• 7 hours a day max
• 35 hours a week
• Not to exceed personnel action

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Workmans Compensation changes

• Please report any on the job injury immediately
  to your supervisor, Principal and Chrissie at the
  HPEC Central Office
• Workmans Compensation forms must be completed
  and in the HPEC central office within 5 days
• Workmans Compensation does not apply to all
  circumstances

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Changes to pay day

• Still on the 27th of the month unless the 27th
  falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday
• Then checks will be mailed the preceding HPEC
  Central office workday
• The HPEC Central office calendar may be found on
  our web site at www.highplainsed.com under About
  HPEC

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Chrissie still recommends
Direct Deposit
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Please send in leave forms as leave
happens.Please have your supervisor and
principal sign your leave form.
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Beginning July 1, 2009, mileage reimbursement
rate is .55 cents per mile
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Benefits

• Paraeducators are eligible to participate in our
  Section 125 plan.
• Section 125 offers a before tax benefit to pay
  for medical expense reimbursement, Dependent care
  reimbursement, cancer insurance and other
  options.
• See your American Fidelity representative when
  he/she comes to your district. Probably late
  October, early November.
• Because it is an offered benefit, you must sign
  that you accept or decline participation in a 125
  program.
• Besides, they are really nice people.

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Communication

• Common Planning
• Written and explicit planning
• Responsibilities
• Chain of Command
• In class-general education teacher
• In resource room, special education teacher

• Schedule
• Plan for down time-make a list
• More than go to 5th grade science.

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Where to start

• Immediate supervisor
• Principal
• Area Supervisor
• Director

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Problem solving checklist

• Identify the problem or issue, not people
• Listen openly without judgment
• Focus on the future. Dont rehash the past
• Determine options and solutions
• Reflect on choice, adjust

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Confidentiality

• When in doubt ask.
• Those who need to know.
• Information for instruction, not moaning,
  groaning and gripping.
• If you need a sounding board, talk to your
  supervisor, principal, HPEC area supervisor, HPEC
  Director. Not the cook, regular education
  teacher, parent, hair dresser !!!

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You touch many lives.

• Be gentle, be kind, be caring.

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We believe in growing our own.
We will reimburse paraeducators for college
coursework leading to a degree in education. See
page 18 of the handbook.
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Under 60
If you have less than 60 credit hours or less
than an associates degree, HPEC will reimburse
employed paraeducators up to 70 per credit hour
for coursework leading to an associates degree in
education. If you have complete your associates
degree and are beginning coursework at the
junior/senior level, HPEC will reimburse
educational coursework up to 140 per credit
hour. There are some stipulations. Please refer
to page 18 of the paraeducator handbook.
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Get money
To receive reimbursement Send an email or snail
mail to Gail Gillespie at ggilles_at_pld.com before
you enroll in class. Please list the name of the
college, name of the class and number of credit
hours for the class. Funds are set aside on a
first come, first serve basis. When you have
completed the class, fill out an expense report
showing the cost of the credit hours. Attach
proof of payment to this expense report. Send an
official transcript to the HPEC Central office.
Classes with a grade of C or better will be
reimbursed.
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Use of Cell phones
The paraeducator serves as a role model for all
students in the district. Schools do not allow
student use of cell phones during instructional
time. Please do not use cell phones during
instructional time with students. (page 27)