Paraprofessional Orientation

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Paraprofessional Orientation

• ISD 622
• Department of Special Services

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Agenda

• Welcome
• District 622
• Human Resources
• Confidentiality/Code of Ethics
• Emergency Procedures
• Reportability Vulnerability
• Special Education Process
• The Role of the paraprofessional

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Paraprofessional Orientation Checklist

• District Building Orientation
• Emergency Procedures
• General Orientation
• Feedback and Goal Setting

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District Organization
ISD 622 SCHOOL BOARD   Cathy Miller Nancy
Livingston Scott Duddeck Mark
Wheeler Theresa Augé Marc Cove Pam
Cunningham     SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Patty
Phillips   DIRECTORS Gene Janicke Teaching
Learning Lorie Schulstad- Werk Special
Services Maureen Larson Community
Education Dennis Sullivan Business
Services Keith Gray Human Resources Bob
Biddick Technology  
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Special Services Department
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Principals

• Secondary
• Nancy Weinand John Glenn Middle
• Ruthanne Strohn Maplewood Middle
• Tom Harrold Skyview Middle
•  
• Greg Nelson North High
• John Bezek Tartan High
• Other Programs
• Jackie Schumacher ECSE
• Julie Koehler Beaver Lake
• Mike Gadbois Harmony ALC

• Elementary
• Sara Palodichuk Castle
• Joe Slavin Carver
• Sonya Czerepak Cowern
• Kathy Nadeau Eagle Point
• Pat Steingruebl Richardson
• Peter Mau Oakdale
• Carol Erickson Skyview
• Judy Jemtrud Weaver
• Troy Miller Webster

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School Calendar
www.isd622.org District Information
      Optional Paraprofessional Staff Development
Days   12/04/06 2/16/07 3/9/07
 
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Timesheets

• Total hours worked
• Rate of pay
• Account code
• Generally due on the 5th and 20th of the month

• Request for Leave Form
• Pre-approval for any extra time

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Emergency School Closing

• www.isd622.org
• WCCO television, radio or online
• School Emergency phone tree
• Hourly employees will be paid only for hours
  worked during such emergencies. Hourly
  employees, with their supervisor's approval, may
  elect to make up time lost, if any, by using
  earned vacation, prior accumulated compensatory
  time, or by extending their work day. If the
  hourly employee and supervisor agree to make up
  the time, a report signed by both must be
  submitted to the Payroll Department showing the
  hours lost and the time and dates of the makeup
  time.

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Human Resources

• Jessi Bienfang - Human Resource Specialist
  651-748-7421
• jbienfang_at_isd622.org
• Kecia Swinarski - Sr HR Specialist- Benefits
  Compensation 651-748-7492
• kswinarski_at_isd622.org
• Substitutes - AESOP

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• Affiliated with SEIU Local 284
• Contract is online under the Human Resources
  page
• Union Stewards
• Michelle Hills 748-7202
• Teri Zurbey 748-6906, 748-6764
• Joanne Kern 770-5052 (home)

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Special Services DepartmentNorth St.
Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Schools

• Vision
• Learners with disabilities will lead independent
  and productive lives and have respect for
  themselves and others
• Mission
• Work collaboratively to offer services that
  respectfully provide the support needed to
  maximize the learners potential for
  independence, self-advocacy and a healthy and
  productive life style.

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Confidentiality/Ethics

• Access Confidentiality
• Student, parent family member names
• Social security number, address phone numbers
• Personal characteristics or information that
  could lead to the identity of the student

Goldenrod handouts
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Emergency Procedures

• Know where the Health Office is located
• Meet the HEA
• Seizure Disorders
• Asthma
• Bee Stings/Insect Bites
• Nosebleeds

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Bloodborne Pathogens

• You must complete the online training each year..
• 30 Min Paid time
• www.isd622.org
• Human Resources
• Bloodborne Pathogens Training Module

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Vulnerability Reportability
Students with disabilities are vulnerable to
abuse neglect.

• You are a mandated reporter
• You must report suspected neglect or abuse to
  your immediate supervisor or principal
• If you have questions, the school social worker
  or school nurse are good resources

Orange handouts
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What qualifies as Maltreatment?

• Neglect
• Physical Abuse
• Mental Injury
• Sexual Abuse

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• Why are children with special needs at risk?
• Tips to identify families who may need help
• What should I do if I suspect child abuse?

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• Washington County
• 651.430.6457
• Ramsey County
• 651.266.4500

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A Little Bit of History

• 1900 Almost no programs available for children
  with disabilities
• 1930s We begin to develop special programs for
  students with mild disabilities
• 1954 Brown v. Board of Education
• 50s 60s Research supporting inclusion

Pink handouts
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• 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act
• 1975 Education for the Handicapped Act (PL94-142)
• 1989 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  (IDEA)
• 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

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• 1997 Reauthorization of IDEA (IDEA97)
• Parent Participation
• Student Participation
• Accountability for progress and attainment of IEP
  goals and objectives
• Behavior issues at school and in the classroom

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• 2001 - No Child Left Behind
• Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals by 1/6/06
• December 3, 2004 - Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 2004)

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SE Referral Process
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Components of an IEP

• Information about the students educational
  setting and justification for setting other than
  the general education classroom
• How and how often progress toward the IEP goals
  and objectives will be reported to the parents

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(No Transcript)
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Special Education Services

• Information about special education services, how
  often and where they are provided

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Adaptations in General Special Education

• Paraprofessionals may be assigned to an
  individual student or shared between students,
  assigned to a teacher or to a program
• The duties and responsibilities of the
  paraprofessional are described in this section of
  the IEP

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MCA, BST and other testing information
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Goals and Objectives
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MN Definition of Paraprofessional

• MN 3525.0200 DEFINITIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
• Subp. 10a. Paraprofessional. Paraprofessional
  means a district employee who is primarily
  engaged in direct instruction with one or more
  pupils for instructional activities, physical or
  behavior management, or other purposes under the
  direction of a regular education or special
  education teacher or related services provider.

Green handouts
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Definition of Paraprofessional

• Paraeducators (paraprofessionals) are school
  employees who
• (1) Work under the supervision of teachers or
  other licensed/certificated professionals who
  have responsibility for
• a) Identifying learner needs,
• b) Developing and implementing programs to meet
  learners needs,
• c) Assessing learner performance, and
• d) Evaluating the effectiveness of education
  programs and related services, and
• (2) Who assist with the delivery of instructional
  and other direct services as assigned and
  developed by certified/licensed professional
  practitioners.
• - (Pickett, 2002)

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What roles have you seen paraprofessionals
fulfill in classrooms?

• What has seemed to work?
• What could work better?

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Teacher Responsibilities

• Assess student entry level performance
• Plan instruction for individual students
• Implement goals and objectives (IEP)
• Supervise/coordinate the work of
  paraprofessionals and other support staff
• Evaluate and report student progress
• Involve parents in their childs education
• Coordinate and manage information provided by
  other professionals

Steckelberg, 1995
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Supervisor Responsibilities

• Set an example of professionalism
• Establish criteria for acceptable job performance
  of the professional,
• Provide consistent feedback to assist the
  paraprofessional in refining skills,
• Establish and communicate the paraprofessionals
  role in behavior management,
• Assign the paraprofessional responsibilities
  which facilitate the teachers ability to provide
  more direct student instruction,
• Assist the paraprofessional in defining his/her
  position

Heller and Picket, 1983
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Paraprofessional Roles

• The following is cited in NCLB as appropriate
  roles for paraprofessionals -
• Providing one-on-one tutoring for eligible
  students
• Assisting with classroom management (such as
• organizing instructional and other
  materials)
• Providing assistance in a computer laboratory
• Conducting parental involvement activities
• Providing support in a library or media center
  
• Acting as a translator
• Providing, under the direct supervision of a
  teacher,
• instructional services

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Paraprofessional Roles

• The Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education
  (SPeNSE, 2001) found that while there were
  differences by region and district regarding the
  types of services paraeducators provided, the
  majority of special education paraeducators,
  nationwide, spend at least 10 of their time on
  each of the following activities
• - Providing one-on-one instruction
• - Providing instructional support in small
  groups
• - Modifying materials
• - Implementing behavior management plans
• - Monitoring hallways, study hall, other
• - Meeting with teachers
• - Collecting data on students and
• - Providing personal care assistance.

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Appropriate Roles

• What does it mean to assist and support the
  teacher in providing services
• to students?
• What are appropriate roles for paraprofessionals?

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Whose Role??
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Issues in identifying role

• How have teachers roles changed in the past 15
  years?
• How have paraprofessionals roles changed?
• What issues exist related to supporting students
  in general education classroom?
• What issues exist in supporting students in
  community environments?

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Paraprofessionals MAY

• Assist in organizing field trips
• Read outloud or listen to children read
• Handout collect paperwork
• Assist with supplementary work
• Provide special help such as drilling with flash
  card, spelling and play activities
• Prepare instructional materials
• Reinforce learning in small groups
• Assist children in learning self care skills
• Supervise free play, lunch and recess
• Report observations to the teacher
• Assistant supervision during field trips,
  community instruction assemblies

• Score objective tests and papers
• Assist in record keeping and clerical tasks
• Be left alone in a classroom with students
• Work individually or with groups of students on
  concepts that have been previously taught by the
  teacher
• Be involved in IEP meetings when requested
• Support the includion of students with
  disabilities in the general education classroom
• Assist in data collection, functional assessment
  activities, document student performance
  behaviors.

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Paraprofessionals MAY NOT

• Be given full responsibility for planning or
  supervising field trips
• Teach new concepts or skills
• Be given full responsib ility for planning for
  students instructional needs
• Teach new curriculum content to students without
  disabilities
• Be given responsibility for clerical duties that
  are already assigned to other staff in the
  building.

• Be solely responsible for a classroom or other
  professional service
• Be responsible for diagnostic funtsions
• Be responsible for preparing lesson plans or
  assigning grades
• Be used as a substitute for certified teachers
• Shall not prescribe educational activities or
  materials
• Be assigned to attend IEP meetings in place of a
  certified teacher.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1995) Long, C.
(1996)
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Performance Feedback

• Form to be completed with your supervising
  teacher 2 times during the probationary period,
  usually within the first 6 weeks again at about
  10 weeks
• Annually after the first year

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Feedback format

• Instructional Duties
• Resource Duties
• Organizational Duties
• Behavior Management Duties

• Clerical Duties
• Team Building Duties
• Comments, Concerns and follow-up activities

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Resources

• Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium
• http//ici2.umn.edu/para/
• National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals
• http//www.nrcpara.org/
• Paraeducator Support of Student in Gen Ed
  Classrooms
• http//www.uvm.edu/uapvt/parasupport

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• Please complete the evaluation
• Pick up your certificate of attendance