Human Resources — Paraprofessionals

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As required by the No Child Left Behind Act, new qualification requirements for paraprofessionals took effect January 2006.The following Q & A information is designed to answer many important questions you may have about the impact the new legislation has on your employment qualifications with the Marple Newtown School District.

Q: What is Title I?

A: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is designed to help disadvantaged children reach high academic standards. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Title I was amended to require that paraprofessionals meet higher standards of qualification to ensure that students who need the most instructional support help get it from qualified paraprofessionals. As a result qualification standards were established for paraprofessional under Title I.

Individual schools with poverty rates above 40 percent may use Title I funds along with other funds to operate a schoolwide program. Schools with poverty rates below 40 percent, or those not choosing to be declared schoolwide programs, are targeted assistance program schools.

Q: What type of Title I program does MNSD operate?

A: MNSD receives federal funds under Title I based upon a percentage of students from low-income families. MNSD has a poverty rate percentage below 40 and has a targeted assistance program.

Q: How does MNSD use it’s Title I funds?

A: With the limited amount of funds we receive for our targeted assistance program, we target much of our Title I money to our Title I Assistant positions. All of our employees in Title I Assistant positions meet the "Highly Qualified" standard under NCLB. We do not use our Title I funds as a schoolwide program.

Q: What is a paraprofessional?

A: Under Title I a paraprofessional is an employee who provides instructional support in programs supported with Title I funds such as one-on-one tutoring, assist with classroom management, such as by organizing instructional materials, provide instructional assistance in a computer lab, provide instructional assistance in a library or media center, conduct parental involvement activities, acts as a translator, or provide instructional services under the direction of a highly qualified teacher.

Individuals who work in food service, cafeteria or playground supervision, personal care services, non-instructional computer assistance, and similar positions are not considered paraprofessionals under Title I, Part A.

Q: What are the qualification requirements for Title I paraprofessionals?

A: (1) All Title I paraprofessionals must have a secondary diploma or its recognized equivalent.

(2) Additionally, except as noted below, paraprofessionals hired after January 8, 2002, and working in a program supported with Title I, Part A funds must have —

• Completed two years of study at an institution of higher education; or
• Obtained an associate’s (or higher) degree; or
• Met a rigorous standard of quality and be able to demonstrate, through formal State or local academic assessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics (or, as appropriate, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness

Paraprofessionals hired on or before January 8, 2002, and working in a program supported with Title I, Part A funds must meet these requirements by January 8, 2006. [ Section 1119 (c) and (d) of Title I ]

Paraprofessionals who only serve as translators or who only conduct parental involvement activities must have a secondary school diploma or its equivalent, but do not have to meet the additional requirements. [Section 119 (e)]

Q: How do the new requirements apply to paraprofessionals in a schoolwide program?

A: The requirements apply to all paraprofessionals in a Title I schoolwide program, without regard to whether the position is funded with Federal, State, or local funds. In a schoolwide program, Title I funds support all teachers and paraprofessionals. This requirement does not apply to paraprofessionals in MNSD.

Q: How do the new requirements apply to paraprofessionals in a targeted assistance program?

A: In a Title I targeted assistance program, the requirements apply to all paraprofessionals who are paid with Title I, Part A funds (but not to paraprofessionals paid with State or local funds in targeted assistance programs). MNSD has a targeted assistance program. Only Title I Assistant paraprofessionals are required to meet these requirements.

Q: How do the requirements apply to paraprofessionals who work solely as translators to bilingual aides?

A paraprofessional who is proficient in English and a language other than English and acts solely as a translator to enhance the participation of limited English proficient children under Title I, Part A, must have a secondary school diploma or its equivalent but does not have to meet the other educational requirements.

Q: How do the requirements apply to persons who work with special education students?

A: If a person working with special education students does NOT provide any instructional support (such as a person who solely provides personal care services), that person is not considered a paraprofessional under Title I, Part A, and the requirements do not apply.

If a person works in a Title I targeted assistance program, has instructional support duties, and is paid, in whole or in part, with Title I, Part A funds, the requirements apply. If the person is not paid with Title I, Part A funds, however, the requirements do not apply. Special Education Assistants in MNSD are not paid with Title I funds and the requirements do not apply.

If a person works in a Title I schoolwide program and has instructional support duties, the requirements apply without regard to the source of funding that supports the position.

Q: How do the requirements apply if a person performing non-instructional duties becomes an instructional paraprofessional?

A: In districts with schoolwide programs, paraprofessionals in the building performing instructional support duties are required to be "Highly Qualified" under NCLB.

In districts with targeted assistance programs, paraprofessionals performing instructional support duties are not required to be "Highly Qualified" under NCLB. If a person performing non-instructional duties in MNSD becomes an instructional paraprofessional they are not required to be”Highly Qualified”. If a person performing non-instructional duties in MNSD becomes a Title I Assistant paraprofessional they are required to be”Highly Qualified”.

In summary MNSD Instructional Assistants, Special Education Assistants and any other paraprofessional position providing instructional support services, with the exception of Title I Assistants, are not required to be "Highly Qualified" under NCLB as we currently use our Title I funds for targeted assistance programs. In MNSD all Title I Assistants are “Highly Qualified”.

The impact of these revisions can affect employees in every school district differently. Should someone from MNSD become employed as a paraprofessional in a district where they use Title I funds for a schoolwide program or differently, they may be required to be "Highly Qualified" to work there. The same would apply to someone from another district becoming employed by MNSD as a Title I Assistant.

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