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Paraprofessionals are educator assistants who provide instructional support for preK-12 classroom teachers. Working under the direction and supervision of certified teachers, paraprofessionals take on tasks that free teachers to spend more time on lesson planning, collaborating with their educational teams and direct teaching.

Work Settings: Preschools and day care centers Elementary schools Junior and senior high schools Vocational education

Since paraprofessionals were introduced into classrooms over 40 years ago, the job market for them has grown. The value of paraprofessionals was first recognized in the 1950s when there was a shortage of teachers. Aides were needed to perform clerical tasks and student monitoring so that teachers could spend more time on instruction. Federal legislation -- particularly the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), but also Head Start, compensatory education and bilingual education -- furthered the employment of paraprofessionals. In 1974, the employment of paraprofessionals who work with students with disabilities increased as a result of the landmark Education for all Handicapped Children Act, now titled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Job Titles: Teacher aide or assistant Instructional aide or assistant Special education aide or assistant Preschool or early childhood assistant Bilingual aide or assistant Learning resources assistant

Although the need for paraprofessionals has steadily increased, state and federal policy debates frequently ignored this often-used resource in the public schools. Some steps were taken to establish a credentialing system, but these efforts were not given priority. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), paraprofessional issues have moved to the forefront, and there is new interest in improving paraprofessional qualifications to assist teachers and other educators in advancing student learning.

Today, paraprofessionals are seen as critical to classroom management and student success for a variety of reasons, including ongoing efforts to more effectively serve children with disabilities and those who come from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds; increasing teacher responsibilities; the national teacher shortage; increasing numbers of learners who come from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural heritages; and the rise in average class size.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 1.2 million teacher aides and assistants employed in public and private schools and in early childhood education. A lower estimate resulted from a survey conducted by the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals, which reported roughly 525,000 paraeducators currently employed in fulltime positions nationwide. Most are hired with designated funds from federal programs for migrant, special-education and educationally disadvantaged students. Some states also provide special funding for paraprofessionals.

Duties Include: Giving individualized attention Tutoring students Assisting with classroom management Recording grades Setting up computers and other equipment and assisting students with their use Preparing instructional materials Conducting parental involvement activities Acting as translators Working with special-education students and ESL students.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all paraprofessionals hired after January 2002 who are working in schools supported with Title I funds and have instructional-related responsibilities must meet new minimum education and/or skills standards. Paraprofessionals hired before that date have been given until January 2006 to meet the new criteria.

Individuals who perform only clerical duties, or work in food services, cafeteria or playground supervision, personal care services, noninstructional computer assistance and similar positions are not considered paraprofessionals under Title I.

The new employment criteria included in NCLB require that paraprofessionals do one of the following:

• Complete the equivalent of two years of full-time study (defined by states) at an institution of higher education (which could be 48-60 semester hours or the equivalent in quarters, depending on the state)
• Obtain an associate of arts (AA) degree
• Possess a high school diploma and meet rigorous standards of quality by demonstrating through a formal assessment the skills and knowledge to assist in the teaching of reading, writing or mathematics. The assessment is expected to evaluate competencies equivalent to those achieved by two years of college and be valid, reliable and documented.

Nationwide statistics on the number of paraprofessionals who already meet the NCLB requirements are not available. One state – Connecticut -- conducted a survey to determine the number of currently employed paraprofessionals who hold an AA degree or have two years of college. In the 134 school districts that responded to the survey, 380 of the 1,233 paraprofessionals funded by Title I already had an AA degree or two years of college.

In most communities, two-year colleges will be the primary postsecondary provider helping paraprofessionals meet new federal requirements. Because community colleges are within commuting distance of most Americans, working paraprofessionals will not need to travel as far as if they were required to attend a four-year college or university. Community colleges tend to offer the flexible class schedules convenient for working paraprofessionals, with online courses, evening and weekend classes or intensive "mini-semesters."

Also, community colleges can provide developmental English and math or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses for paraprofessionals and paraprofessional candidates who may need additional assistance in reviewing or developing college-level academic skills. In addition, community colleges offer courses on technology applications that are increasingly used by paraprofessionals in the classroom.

Community colleges are not only well suited for meeting the specific needs of paraprofessionals, but they are also typically lower-cost institutions and offer services off-site and through distance education. They can serve as a much-needed pipeline for the nation’s increasingly diverse classrooms, encouraging the increasing number of students of color who attend community colleges to pursue education as a career choice.

For further discussion of paraprofessionals at the community college see:

• Associate Degrees
• Credentialing & Licensure
• Testing

Sources and Links

• U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2002-2003 http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos153.htm

• Pickett, A. L. (1995). Paraprofessionals in the Education Workforce. National Education Association, http://www.nea.org/esp/resource/parawork.htm

• Pickett, A. L., Likins, M., & Wallace, T. (2003). The Employment & Preparation of Paraeducators: The State of the Art – 2003. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals, http://www.nrcpara.org

• U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-2001. Washington, DC: US Department of Labor.