Paraeducators special education programs

Over the past 20 years, there has been a steady increase in the number of paraprofessional personnel employed in special education, Title 1, and bilingual education programs.

Currently, there are approximately , paraeducators working in the United States. Data indicates that 95 percent of paraeducators are women working for little more than minimum wage, that the role of paraeducators has shifted from clerical work to greater instructional involvement with special education students, and that job satisfaction is low among paraeducators.

Home Supports Paraprofessionals Credential of Competency. Credential of Competency. In this Section The following navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Credential of Competency for Special Education Paraeducators in Pennsylvania The Credential of Competency for Special Education Paraeducators in Pennsylvania is a completely voluntary program for paraeducators and school districts who wish to participate.

Do you have paraeducators in your school or classroom? Of course, you do. According to the U. Department of Education, during the school year, there were almost , special education paraeducators in the country. Paraeducators are critically important to schools, teachers, and students—but they can be truly effective partners when administrators and teachers are strategic and intentional in how paraeducators support them and students in the classroom with planning, instruction, and managing student behavior.

How can you best develop and utilize paraeducator knowledge, skills and abilities in your classrooms? Glad you asked!