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Supervising Paraeducators--What Every Teacher Should Know

By Nancy French

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) says that paraprofessionals may assist in the delivery of services to children with disabilities. It adds that paraprofessionals should be appropriately trained and supervised. While paraprofessionals have worked alongside teachers and related service providers to help students in special education for at least 40 years, neither teachers nor related service providers have received preparation to train or supervise paraeducators.

Principles of Paraprofessional Supervision

The following four principles guide teachers' work with paraprofessionals.

Actively Involve Paraprofessionals
During orientation, teachers and paraprofessionals should identify and compare their work style preferences. Teachers should also identify programmatic needs, then compare those needs to paraprofessional's skills so they can create a personalized "job description" that helps the paraprofessional know exactly what is expected.
Conduct First--Hand Observations
First--hand observations of the paraprofessional's required tasks enable feedback based on data rather than hearsay. Observations may be quite short -- just five minutes. The key is to observe frequently -- twice a week is not too much.
Focus Observations on Tasks Assigned to the Paraprofessional
The most useful information comes from observations of the specific tasks assigned to the paraprofessional in the personalized job description. The tasks on which a person's performance will be evaluated should never be a surprise.
Use Written Data to Provide Feedback
Written information is more useful than verbal information during conversations about the paraprofessional's work. A teacher may take notes or "script" the exact words the paraprofessional uses while giving directions to a student. Or, he or she may record how often a paraprofessional calls on girls vs. boys or note the duration of waiting time during a brief observation. Clear communication and positive working relationships result when teachers and paraprofessionals examine these records together.

Paraprofessional Vs. Professional Roles

Teachers must always maintain the following four professional roles.

Assessment ---- For special education eligibility or to use in instructional decisions.
Planning -- For IEPs and long--term goals as well as for the adaptations and modifications to daily, weekly, and semester--long instructional sequences.
Collaborating and Consulting with General Educators and Families -- To ensure that IEP goals are addressed, the student has access to the general education curriculum, and the family is appropriately involved in the child's education.
Supervising Paraprofessionals -- To ensure that paraprofessionals contribute appropriately to the educational process, get adequate on--the--job training, direction, and performance feedback.

Of course, paraprofessionals can contribute to all four roles. A paraprofessional may collect student data, charting the frequency of certain behaviors. The teacher can use this data to make assessment decisions. Also, a paraprofessional may suggest or carry out lesson plans; modify instructional materials based on the directions provided by the general education or special education teacher; and under a teacher's direction, contact parents to set up meetings or share specific information about the child.

In most states, school statutes specify the conditions under which teachers and paraprofessionals may be employed and the roles they may assume. Teachers need specific information about the laws and rules in their state, as well as information contained in professional codes of ethics and standards. (Contact CEC toll free at 888/CEC--SPED ext. 466 for a copy of "CEC Knowledge and Skills for Special Education Paraeducators.")

Resources for Teachers Who Must Supervise

The following literature provides valuable information for teachers.

Time Management ---- Mamchak, P. S. (1993). Teacher's time management survival kit: Ready--to--use techniques and materials. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice--Hall.
Managing Workplace Relationships ---- Blanchard, K. H. & S. Johnson. (1983). The one--minute manager. New York: Berkley Books.
Teamwork ---- Larson, C. E. & F. M. J. LaFasto. (1989). Teamwork: What must go right/what can go wrong. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
Needs--Based Negotiating ---- Fisher, R., W. Ury, & B. Patton. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. 2nd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Nancy French is the Director of the PAR2A Center at the Center for Collaborative Educational Leadership, University of Colorado, Denver, Colo. She is a member of CEC Chapter #382.