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State education agencies across the nation are still exploring exactly what role the state should play in assisting paraprofessionals to meet increased qualifications requirements. Until state-level assessments are determined, most state education agencies are leaving the decision about which assessment to use to local school districts. State education agencies are being cautious about the guidance they give because of employment conditions that may vary from district to district. Therefore, local districts are responsible for selecting an assessment tool and determining if the test is a valid measure of the required skills. In some cases, community colleges are working closely with school districts to create training related to the reading, writing and math requirements, and to develop and administer tests that are specifically related to this requirement.

Key policy questions or questions for states include:

• Does the approved state assessment measure not only a paraprofessional’s ability to demonstrate college-level reading, writing and math skills, but also the ability to apply those skills to support classroom instruction?
• Whose responsibility is it to pay for preparation and testing costs?
• Should local districts or the state determine minimum passing scores?
• If a paraprofessional fails the state qualifying assessment, are remediation options available? Is placement in remediation mandatory? How many times is an individual allowed to take the assessment?