Employment, Preparation and Management of Paraeducators: Challenges to Appropriate Service for Students with Developmental Disabilities.

Abstract

The Board of Directors of the Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) have approved a position statement on employment, preparation and management of paraeduca tors. The position holds that: Role distinctions must be established; strategies for structured, systematic man agement, supervision and evaluation of paraeducators need to be developed and disseminated; legal and ethical responsibilities must be clearly stated; job descriptions should be established; opportunities for pre service training, inservice training and professional development combined with career advancement oppor tunities for paraeducators and other support staff need to be made available; and preparation of teachers, therapists and other specialists to work with and supervise paraeducators must be provided. This discussion presents the full position statement and attempts to clarify and expand upon it as well as providing recom mendations for further action by the educational community. The following position statement was passed employment, preparation and manage unanimously by the Board of Directors of ment of paraeducators (paraprofessionals) CEC-MRDD in April 1995. The position was and support staff. Moreover, for the most sent to the membership of the division by way part teachers and other professionals are of the organizations newsletter (MRDD Extypically not prepared at either the under press) in the spring of 1995 for comment. graduate or graduate levels to direct, and As school districts move to include young work effectively with, paraeducators. children and school-aged students with de^'s tbe Posjti°n °f 'he Board of Direc velopmental disabilities in general educators tbe Division on Mental Retardation tion programs, paraeducators and other and Developmental Disabilities that parae support personnel are increasingly being ducators and other support staff can be ask to assume extended roles which are valuable human resources in providing ed closely related to the functions of teachers, ucation, vocational/transitional, therapeu therapists and other direct service profesc'c and other related services to children sionals. Inclusion has, at times, blurred isanc' youth with developmental disabilities sues concerning supervision, training, and their families. Further that paraeduca placement and role of these non-licensed, tors ar|d other support staff must perform non-certified or non-endorsed personnel. educational functions adjunct to the pri Despite the growing reliance on paraedumary role of a teacher, therapist or other cators in more complex and demanding specialist who is licensed/credentialed/en roles, limited attention is being paid to the dorsed within the guidelines set by the state in which they are employed. Decisions con cerning the placement and use of paraedu The authors wish to thank Drs. Edward Polio, . rr , _ . _ , .. cators and other support staff must be way, J. David Smith, and Darlene Perner for their rr in-depth and thoughtful editorial comments on this based on the needs of students w,th dlsabl1 manuscript. Correspondence concerning this artilties. cle should be addressed to Alan Hilton, 830 24th To ensure effective and appropriate Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062. teacher and administrative support for