Teacher Engagement with Students with Disabilities: Differences between Paraprofessional Service Delivery Models

Abstract

The level of engagement that general education teachers have with students with disabilities in their classrooms has been identified in the literature as a key factor effecting the success of inclusive educational experiences. This study describes differences in teacher engagement identified within two approaches to providing paraprofessional supports in general education classrooms; program-based and one-on-one. Findings were based on the observed and reported experiences of 103 school personnel (e.g., teachers, special educators, paraprofessionals, administrators) from four schools (Grades K-12). The study describes characteristics of teacher engagement and disengagement, the involvement of special educators, and phenomena associated with teacher disengagement when one-on-one paraprofessional service delivery was used. The discussion presents implications of these data for school improvement.