Competency Area B: Managing the Work of Paraprofessionals

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Competency Area BManaging the Work of
Paraprofessionals
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Managing the Work of ParaprofessionalsCompet
encies

• Clearly describes, to each paraprofessional,
  their roles and responsibilities.
• Maintains regular positive and supportive
  interaction with paraprofessionals.
• Contributes to the evaluation of paraprofessional
  performance with the intent of assisting
  paraprofessional skill improvement.
• Maintains professionalism through respect,
  confidentiality, and honoring boundaries.
• Provides beginning and substitute
  paraprofessionals with an orientation that
  results in sufficient understanding of the
  setting, staff, students, and staff roles and
  responsibilities.

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Paraprofessionals and those around them must
realize that paraprofessionals assist and
support teachers.
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What is the role of paraprofessionals?
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Definition -
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.
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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b) -
• (b) For paraprofessionals employed to work in
  programs for students with disabilities, the
  school board in each district shall ensure that
  --
• Before or immediately upon employment, each
  paraprofessional develops sufficient knowledge
  and skills in emergency procedures, building
  orientation, roles and responsibilities,
  confidentiality, vulnerability, and
  reportability, among other things, to begin
  meeting the needs of the students with whom the
  paraprofessional works

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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b) - continued
• 2. Annual training opportunities are available
  to enable the paraprofessional to continue to
  further develop the knowledge and skills that are
  specific to the students with whom the
  paraprofessional works, including understanding
  disabilities, following lesson plans, and
  implementing follow-up instructional procedures
  and activities and

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Legislation -

• MS125A.08(b) - continued
• 3. A district wide process obligates each
  paraprofessional to work under the ongoing
  direction of a licensed teacher and, where
  appropriate and possible, the supervision of a
  school nurse.

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Some Appropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Assist teacher to maintain records, folders, and
  filing
• Manage classroom books, supplies, and equipment
• Assist in large group instruction
• Tutor individual and small groups of children
• Prepare duplicate materials
• Report attendance
• Collect data for student assessment, observe and
  record behavior
• Help pupils understand teacher directions
• Play instructional games with children

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Some Appropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Supervise children during recess on the
  playground
• Attend student conferences and IEP staffing
• Prepare instructional resources and collect
  specific materials for lessons
• Help students with missed work and make-up tests
• Arrange learning centers and prepare materials
  for special activities such as art
• Listen to oral reading
• Provide role model for the children

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Some Appropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Record materials for children with disabilities
• Contribute ideas when staff is planning
  instructional program
• Re-teach with special practice after initial
  instruction by teacher
• Supervise test periods and enter grades into
  grade books

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Some Inappropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Assign final grades
• Make retention or promotion decisions
• Initiate formal contact with parents concerning
  child's overall progress
• Administer, score and interpret assessments that
  require subjective judgment
• Assume full responsibility for a class for
  indefinite amount of time

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Some Inappropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Make major decisions as to the subject matter to
  be taught
• Has primary responsibility for writing IEPs
• Sub for a teacher, unless they are an official
  substitute in superintendent's office
• Plan individual daily lesson plans for the
  classroom

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Some Inappropriate Rolesadapted from F. Johnson
(2003)

• Discard instructional materials as inappropriate
• Give permission to observe
• Supervise student teachers

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Job Description Worksheet

• Position Title
• Position Setting
• Hours of employment
• Qualifications (credentials, education and/or
  work experience
• Rationale and/or purpose for the position
• Expectations of the position
• Duties and responsibilities
• Common activities

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Job Description Worksheet, cont.

• Orientation/pre-training requirements
• On-the-job training goals
• Future training needs
• Supervision
• Name(s) of professional(s) directing this
  position and brief description of that
  relationship
• Schedule and structure of supervision (I.e.,
  daily informal direction from lead teacher
  weekly team meetings with instructional team
  annual performance review conducted in spring
  with lead teacher and program administrator)
• Evaluation

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What role do teachers have in paraprofessional
performance reviews?

• In Minnesota, teachers do not hire, terminate or
  conduct performance evaluations -- that is the
  role of administrators.
• But, teachers may contribute to the performance
  evaluation. How might this work? Why is it
  important?

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Teachers Role -

• Work with the administrator responsible for the
  performance evaluation and determine your role.
  For example, teachers might -
• Gather information
• Provide examples of performance
• Work with paraprofessional to grow and improve
  skills
• Provide summative information about performance
• Other???

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Contents for a paraprofessional handbook (F.
Johnson, 2003)

• Orientation checklist
• Related policies and procedures
• Professional Ethics
• Report of Maltreatment
• Evaluation process
• Special education process
• Behavioral management strategies

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Contents for a paraprofessional handbook,
Continued (F. Johnson, 2003)

• Instructional strategies
• Medication reference list
• Substitute information
• Training information (including instructions
  about how to document training activities)
• Other information

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Orientation -

• Introduce the paraprofessional to policies,
  people, roles, responsibilities, school,
  classroom and more
• Consider skills, abilities and interests.
• Show where to go for breaks, phone, email,
  paycheck, schedules, forms, etc.

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Orientation Interview QuestionsFrench, 2003

• Where did you grow up?
• What are your leisure time activities?
• What is your best memory of school?
• What is your understanding of this position?
• Why are you interested in this type of work?
• What are your unique talents and skills?

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Introducing Paraprofessionals to your
Classroom(Gerlach, 2003)

• Allow the paraprofessional to spend at least one
  day observing you and other teachers and students
• Provide an initial orientation to your classroom,
  including
• Daily routines
• Daily and weekly schedules
• Instructional procedures
• Classroom rules
• Lesson plan format
• Procedures for handling student assignments

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Introducing Paraprofessionals to your
Classroom(Gerlach, 2003)

• Explain the activities that take place at the
  beginning of each class, such as
• Attendance
• Warm-up routines
• Lunch counts
• Special services
• Explain your class policies regarding
• Classroom procedures (e.g., posting and handing
  in assignments)
• Room organization and clean-up
• Dismissing the class and small groups
• Student rules
• Bathroom rules

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Introducing Paraprofessionals to your
Classroom(Gerlach, 2003)

• Explain your class policies regarding
  (continued)
• Incomplete work, late or missing work, and
  make-up work
• Parent and family communication
• Other
• Discuss the plans of the students with whom the
  paraprofessional works
• Provide a place for the paraprofessional to put
  his or her things try to get email access)

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Ask yourself these questions(Gerlach, 2003)

• Did I explain what task needs to be done and why,
  how and where it will be done?
• Did I explain how the paraprofessional will be
  observed and supervised?
• Did I discuss how feedback should be provided to
  me?
• Do I speak in team language, such as It would be
  good for both of us if we
• Did I ask for a specific action or did I phrase
  my request in ambiguous terms?

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Ask yourself these questions(Gerlach, 2003)

• Did I provide a written plan?
• Did I set a mutually agreed-upon deadline when I
  delegated a task?
• Did I confirm important content in writing?
• Did I ask if the paraprofessional had any
  questions?

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Planning and SchedulingCompetencies

• Establish goals and detailed plans around which
  activities of paraprofessionals are coordinated.
• Organize and manage schedules that allow for
  cooperation, planning and information sharing.
• Consider the strengths, interests and needs of
  paraprofessionals when managing schedules.
• Manage smooth transitions brought on by changes
  to the daily schedules of paraprofessionals.
• Organize and provide materials and resources that
  are necessary to carry out the objectives of each
  paraprofessionals activity.

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Summary of Student ScheduleStudent
Name___________________Grade______________________
Date____________________
Please fill in class/subject for each half-hour
block using the key (see next slide)
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Summary of Student ScheduleStudent
Name___________________Grade______________________
Date____________________
Please fill in class/subject for each half-hour
block using the key (see next slide)KEY -Blue
- student is in independent class activity, no
para in roomGreen - Student is in independent
class activity, para is in roomBlack - Student
is in independent class but para checks at ___
minute intervalsPurple - Student is receiving
one-to-one direct instruction within general
education classroomRed - Student is pulled out
to receive instruction in a special education
environment Indicates problem areas/have
questions and concerns
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Steps for Delegation to Paraprofessionals French
(2003)

• Delegation is a process that consists of steps
  that can be learned by teachers even if they
  entered the profession believing that supervision
  of paraprofessionals was not part of their job.

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1. Analyze the task

• How urgent and important is the task?
• Could someone else do it?
• What are the component parts of the larger task?

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2. Decide what to delegate

• What are the student needs? Program needs?
• What are the paraprofessionals interests and
  skills?
• What training or coaching would be needed for the
  paraprofessional to complete the task?

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3. Create the plan

• Identify the components of the task, limits of
  authority, performance standards.
• Determine how to direct and monitor the
  paraprofessional and when/how to provide needed
  training.

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4. Select the right person

• Consider interests, preferences, and abilities.
• Consider the degree of challenge the task
  presents.
• Be sure balance and rotate unpleasant tasks.

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5. Direct the task

• Clarify objectives and purposes.
• Communicate effectively.
• Set timelines.

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6. Monitor performance

• Create a system for feedback and provide it.
• Tolerate and manage style differences.
• Let the paraprofessional do the task and dont
  interfere early on while he/she is still
  learning.
• Document and reward good performance.

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• The role and function of adults in the classroom
  must be well defined in order for coordinated
  instruction to occur. Teachers and
  paraprofessionals working with students must take
  time to coordinate and plan together so that
  paraprofessionals are not left alone to create
  and design what they do with students.
• - Barbara Jo Stahl (MDE)