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A Teacher’s Guide to Working with Paraeducators and Other Classroom Aides - ASCD

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Paraeducators—also known as teacher aides, teaching assistants, and instruction assistants—are playing an increasingly important role in schools. Most teachers, however, have never been trained to work effectively with other adults in their classrooms. In A Teacher’s Guide to Working with Paraeducat

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EasyCBM running recordF and P running record San Diego Quick Reading inventory

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EasyCBM running recordF and P running record San Diego Quick Reading inventory

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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1053451220910740

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What are some successful practices around collaboration with different educational partners (teachers, psychologists, service providers, etc.)? 

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What are some successful practices around collaboration with different educational partners (teachers, psychologists, service providers, etc.)? 

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Collaboration: Special Education Teachers and General Education Teacher

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Collaboration: Special Education Teachers and General Education Teacher

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Collaboration of Special Education and General Education Teachers

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An Idea of How Notes can be Structured when collaborating with partner teacher.

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Collaboration:Partnering With Colleagues, Families, and Caregivers to Promote Student Success

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Collaboration:Partnering With Colleagues, Families, and Caregivers to Promote Student Success

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To the learning disabled community, and our allies,

Our students are in a mental health crisis, one that disproportionately impacts students with learning disabilities. A 2019 CDC report indicated 33% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. This number jumped to 44% during the pandemic. For those of us in the learning disability community, mental health issues permeate our everyday lives. The limited research we have supports a strong correlation between learning disabilities and mental health disorders. For example, one study found that individuals with learning disabilities report mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation at twice the rate of their non-disabled peers, even controlling for possible confounding factors. Another meta-analytic study shows varying rates of comorbidity, from 8% to 46.3%, for ADHD and anxiety among students with LD.

Yet, the causal relationship between mental health and learning disabilities is still poorly understood. The topic of mental health rates in the LD community came up time and time again in conversations among our Young Adult Leadership Council members, where for many of us mental health struggles are woven throughout our LD stories. We write this letter first as a note of acknowledgement to the LD community, second to bring awareness of this issue to a broader global community, and third to call in parents, teachers, policy makers, and researchers to help us address this issue.

Generally, poor mental health is associated with challenges with decision making, difficulty in school, difficulty forming positive relationships, and other risky or potentially harmful behaviors. Dual-disability diagnoses present even greater challenges, as many experience persistent stress, anxiety,, trauma, bullying, internalizing problems, and feelings of social isolation as they navigate a world with learning disabilities and mental health disorders. These negative experiences are especially concerning when you consider that almost one-third of incarcerated individuals report having a learning disability, and mental health issues affect approximately half of the incarcerated populations.

"Not being diagnosed until recently as an adult, I never understood why I struggled like I did. However, after my diagnosis, I realized that my anxiety and depressive episodes contributed to my perfectionism and impulsive choices. Undiagnosed individuals with ADHD face the harsh reality of being prone to depression and anxiety. It could lead someone to a pathway of substance abuse and impulsive decision making that can have serious consequences. When you live in a world where people don't understand individuals with attention issues, it can make you feel like something is inherently wrong with you, which can also contribute to depression."
-Misha Nicholas

We know that students with LD report more issues with mental health. However, that is the extent of the research. We do not know the cause of these lower mental health rates in students with learning disabilities. Anecdotal reports by students with LD suggest that many experience educational trauma. We need research in order to know the extent and impact of this educational trauma. Is educational trauma a risk factor for poor mental health?

As members and activists on the National Center for Learning Disabilities' Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC), we feel it is imperative to kick-start a solution-driven mental health initiative focused on the intersectionality of learning disabilities and mental health disorders. Many of us navigate life as learning disabled people struggling with mental health. Research suggests that promoting a sense of belonging and peer social support within schools can protect learning disabled individuals from many documented negative outcomes. Yet, many of us experienced various forms of educational trauma throughout education in the form of persistent academic failure, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, bullying, social isolation, and ridicule. Educational trauma refers to the perpetual pattern of harmful cycles within educational systems that detrimentally affect academic and emotional outcomes.

"The humiliation, bullying, and systematic exclusion was shattering beyond words. Eventually the educational trauma I experienced became a bigger barrier to learning than my actual learning disability."
-Erin

Many young adults with learning disabilities describe their K-12 educational experiences as traumatic. They describe feelings of being misunderstood. Often, they report that those around them failed to understand their learning and mental health struggles, as they lacked the words to describe the shame they felt to the adults and peers in their lives. These struggles span well beyond weaknesses in reading, writing, and math. Mental health and learning disabilities are interwoven, and these challenges follow learning disabled individuals as they transition out of high school and into postsecondary education and the workplace.

"It was not until undergrad that I learned that it isn't normal to feel like you can't breathe every time before attempting homework."
-Stevie Mays

Many learning disabled people report feeling unsafe and like they do not belong in the classroom. In talking with almost any learning disabled person, they will tell you that their learning disability has impacted them far beyond just their struggle with learning skills like math and reading. They will tell you that existing as a learning disabled person impacts one's whole experience with the world, how the world interacts with them, and how they interact with the world. Yes, it's important for us to help LD students in academic areas like reading and writing. But if we fail to look beyond academics, at the whole person, we miss an entire aspect of the learning disabled experience. We miss what it actually means to exist as a learning disabled person.

"At age 16, as everyone around me wrote in fine penmanship, I felt like a child still writing with red crayon. It didn't matter what or how well I wrote - I wasn't allowed to belong."
-Brody

What are you doing personally to better understand and address the experiences of the learning disabled community and why our peers are pushed out of schools, into the prison system, into low-wage careers, and, in the best case, into college settings that don't support us?

We need to talk about mental illness for what it is: a disability. A disability that deserves the same support and focus as dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities.

Our dyslexia, anxiety, ADHD, depression, dysgraphia, PTSD, and more are disabilities that need support, understanding, and recognition. Many of us on the YALC say that finding the LD community was the key to us feeling like we finally understood ourselves and were able to come out of our shame. We found strength in our shared experiences and were able to name many of our experiences for what they were: educational trauma. In doing so we found our voice, not only to share our stories but to advocate for our community as a whole.

To the LD person reading this, we see and empathize with your struggles. We encourage you to seek out your LD community and embrace your disability identity. The disability label (including mental health and learning disabilities) give you access to support and treatment. It also comes with a community that wants to welcome you in.

Finally, this letter is a call to action - a call to our researchers, policy makers, educators, and parents and caregivers to better understand, address, and find solutions for the mental health needs of individuals with learning disabilities.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!

For researchers:

Include mental health as measures in your data collection, and mental health disabilities as covariates.

Research educational trauma, including its prevalence and impact on students with learning disabilities.

Conduct holistic research on the experiences of LD students beyond our academic success, and understand the impact on our non-academic lives.

Research the intersection of mental health and learning disabilities, and specifically the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and historically marginalized groups.

Include LD people in your research process beyond them being research subjects. Ensure that learning disabled people are a part of the research design process. Get feedback from the LD community and ensure that the research questions you ask are aligned with the values of the community you're studying. Hire LD people in your labs and centers so a good percentage of the next generation of people studying LD are LD themselves.

For policy makers:

Increase funding for early identification, treatment, and psychological support within schools. We need well-funded school-based mental health programs, school psychologists, counselors, and social workers.

Keep your promise and fully fund IDEA, after over 40 years of never doing so.

Ban the practices of seclusion and restraint that have harmed and oppressed disabled students for decades.

For educators:

Many of your students are walking into your classroom with years of educational trauma. You can end it. Focus on students' strengths while also acknowledging and building solutions to address our weaknesses, and listen to students when they are brave in sharing their experiences.

Be aware of the interconnectedness of mental health and learning disabilities, and work with us to create strategies that address what we need and prevent negative outcomes.

Avoid terms such as "lazy" when you talk about your disabled students. We aren't lazy. We're trying our best.

For parents and caregivers:

Talk about mental health with us, and help us own our identities as members of the disability community.

Look for early warning signs of mental health issues and teach us to be self-advocates, so that when we're on our own, we've got the skills to stand up for ourselves and the things we need to be successful learners.

For the learning disabled community:

Embrace your learning disability identity. Don't be afraid to use the language of disability. Taboo and stigma lead people to use euphemisms. But ultimately, our legal rights and our connection to community depend on identifying as disabled. We can end the stigma and taboo of being disabled by embracing this community.

Be willing to talk about how mental health impacts you in school. We are functioning in school systems that are not designed for us and that "others" us constantly. Allowing yourself to get support is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. We know it's hard to stick out as the one using accommodations, but you'll be glad you did.

Understand that you'll need to self-advocate for both your LD and your mental health. This may look like telling your parents and educators what you need in a classroom setting to succeed. This means attending your IEP meeting and making sure your accommodations reflect your needs.

This call to action only scratches the surface of a larger conversation. Our voice matters. Join us in amplifying this initiative by signing below.

Sincerely,

The Young Adult Leadership Council

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Collaboration: Partnering With Colleagues, Families, and Caregivers to Promote Student Success - NCLD

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Collaboration is an effective tool that allows general educators, special educators, learning specialists, administrators, and others to work together to meet the needs of students. It is particularly important to sustain inclusive settings.

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When Special and General Educators Collaborate, Everybody Wins

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When Special and General Educators Collaborate, Everybody Wins

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How can we improve collaboration between general and special education teachers? What are the benefits to this work? What are the key components of implementation?

These are timely questions as districts like mine seek to push special education students into core instruction with more frequency. Some educators are hesitant to dive into this model, but solid support and intentional steps make the process easier.

I was often frustrated as a special education teacher when I was expected to use parallel curriculum to teach students who had learning disabilities. I felt as though I didn't have permission to think like a general educator, even though I knew my students would benefit. At the time, our district mandated that special education teachers use separate curriculum, which excluded us from general education professional development (PD) opportunities. This situation left me feeling isolated and disconnected from general education standards and instruction.

That all changed when our district adopted the Common Core State Standards nearly a decade ago. I remember the sinking feeling in my stomach when a 5th grade student whom I had successfully taught to read (i.e., decode) sat in tears during the Smarter Balanced Assessment exam as he struggled to compose a written response to a prompt. His despair propelled me into action: I felt compelled from that day forward to give my special education students access to the same writing instruction as their peers.

Our district is in the early stages of inclusion, with leaders working to provide special education teachers access to PD tied to general education standards. Because I will move into an elementary principal role next school year, I have a newfound responsibility to support staff to use their talents in ways that honor all our learners. I recognize that traditional models of specially designed instruction have not helped our students with learning disabilities gain skills at the same rates as their peers.

We must create time for special educators and general educators to get to know each other's strengths and dispel the mysteries that lie behind their separate doors. Each discipline has strategies and practices that improve student learning.

Based on my experiences with colleagues, I see the following list as imperative to foster collaboration:

Trust: Building relational trust between teachers who share a physical classroom or responsibility for student learning is the first ingredient to a successful collaborative partnership. Our district uses the Dufour model of PLC work . Special educators are part of grade-level teams to share data and challenges. This approach creates safe space for staff to learn about each other beyond the classroom.

Vision: Any strong initiative needs a well-articulated vision that is clearly communicated to the school and community. Our district mission is "Developing Washington's Most Sought-After Graduates." Each school has its own vision statement related to this work.

Commitment to Staff Development: Inclusive schools are most successful when leaders show visible commitment to growing the skills of staff responsible for inclusive implementation. Leaders in our district spent time analyzing special education achievement data to determine the move toward inclusion. Next steps include identifying the PD both special and general education teachers need in order to ensure a sustainable inclusion model and hone teachers' skills over time. Ongoing collaboration between staff and leaders is also essential. As a new building leader, I plan to spend time in classrooms to determine which teachers need support and which teachers deserve recognition for their inclusion accomplishments.

Common Language: A common language is an essential component during implementation. When I taught in a resource room, the required math curriculum had strategies to solve story problems that were disconnected from the classroom instruction. My students grew minimally on grade-level benchmark assessments. Our schools are identifying essential standards and pre-teaching vocabulary in order to ensure all staff use the same language and terms about student achievement.

Routines: The general and special education teachers who work together must create classroom routines as one. Special educators are adept in understanding how routine prepares the brain to learn and reduces behavior concerns. General education teachers understand how to teach routines to larger groups of students to maximize instructional time. Put the two together, and you have a teaching powerhouse. Special educators and general educators should spend time together discussing student needs and their unique strategies for building upon student strengths and successes.

Learning Targets: General education teachers are masters at identifying learning targets that prepare students to advance and experts at differentiating instruction. On the other hand, special educators can identify how to break those targets into their component parts, provide necessary accommodations, and focus on student progress toward individualized goals and objectives. Our grade-level teams identify essential standards that we want all students to learn, then work together to provide the necessary scaffolds.

Remediation: Students with identified disabilities need dedicated time and specially designed instruction to close specific skills gaps. As they work, connect back to general education instruction with mnemonics, graphic organizers, and visual supports.

Technology: Though general education teachers often have many technology resources, special education teachers bring experience in assistive programs, devices, and tools. An important component of this work is normalizing the use of technology for all students, who should have access to individual devices to support communication and instruction access. For example, I have taught students to use text-to-speech and speech-to-text software on Chromebooks. When general education students take note of unfamiliar technology, explain the ways it helps other learners connect with the information.

Capitalize on Family Partnerships: As a special educator, I often taught the same students for multiple years and was able to develop deep connections with families that my general education colleagues-who had students for only one school year-were not always able to accomplish. We maximize opportunities for all students with increased partnerships and trust with families. Capitalize on those relationships in any classroom by sitting down as a team with parents and showing a vested interest from both general and special education lenses. Too often, special education focuses on deficits, pointing out to parents what their children cannot do. When we partner with general educators, the conversation shifts to what children can learn to do.

When a collaborative teaching model between special education and general education works, the benefits for our students are endless. We must act with intention and focus in order to capitalize on the skills of general and special educators. Our kids deserve nothing less.

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When Special and General Educators Collaborate, Everybody Wins

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How can we improve collaboration between general and special education teachers? What are the benefits to this work? What are the key components of implementation? These are timely questions as districts like mine seek to push special education students into core instruction with more frequency.

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Use this assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of your team.

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Graphic Organizer that offers tips on ways to increase communication with different educational partners.

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What are some good literacy resources that kiddos can access on an app...mod severe kids who would need read aloud options....

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What are some good literacy resources that kiddos can access on an app...mod severe kids who would need read aloud options....

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How to data track regularly and efficiently when its just you due to staff shortages and 3 new kids and 2 who need a 1:1?

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How to data track regularly and efficiently when its just you due to staff shortages and 3 new kids and 2 who need a 1:1?

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Mary Ann Dewann, Ph.D.
County Superintendent of Schools

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free parent questionnaires for teachers - Google Search/Pinterest

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free parent questionnaire for teachers - Google Search

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ERIC - ED372494 - The Home-School Connection_ Guidelines for Working with Parents., 1994

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Effective Ways to Communicate with  Parents

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Effective Ways to Communicate with  Parents

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Teacher-Parent Communication in 4 Effective Ways _ Learning Without Tears

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#2- Leading Effective Meetings With Professionals and Families
#3- Collaborate With Families to Support Student Learning and Secure Needed Services

McLeskey, James, et al. High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms

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Free samples on Pinterest

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Resources for parents!

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Get Started - Parents Helping Parents _ Parents Helping Parents

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1) Showing appreciation and gratitude goes a long way in building a strong bond.
2) Be transparent and have an open line of communication. This helps build trust with one another.
3) If you have rules for the students, have one for the staff also. Set the expectations of what you would like the classroom to be like. Set the example.

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https://info.flipgrid.com/
Especially useful for EL learners who can record responses
UDL in action
increases engagement

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Jamboard with students working from home for math and learning
https://jamboard.google.com/

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Learn what a token board is used for and how to implement them to effectively reinforce behaviour.

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By Linda Carling, Ed.D.
Dr. Linda Carling is an Associate Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education Center for Technology in Education. She specializes in learning engagement and design and is a parent of a child with a disability.
As schools are faced with the challenge of providing learning opportunities for all students at a distance, parents are called on to be more involved than ever before, particularly for their younger learners and those with learning challenges and disabilities. Maintaining high levels of engagement can be challenging even for savvy adult learners.

How do we best help our kids make the most of these distance learning experiences?

The term "engagement" refers to the amount and quality of time students spend on distance learning activities. Distance learning activities can be in a synchronous (real-time) learning experience where students have some type of scheduled online interaction with a teacher or group, or asynchronous (not in real time) learning experience where students interact with online resources at their own pace.

Regardless of the mode of delivery, many students are asked to be engaged in a way that's new to them. Teachers might hold live or video-recorded class lectures or activities, or perhaps parents are given digital learning resources to work through with their children. Without effective supports for children from teachers and parents in place at home, families can easily become disengaged and frustrated.

Here are eight tips to help your child maintain focus and stay engaged during this time of distance learning.

1. Understand the expectation for distance learning. How much time should students spend online for learning purposes? There are screen time considerations for all students, and older students can handle longer amounts of time than younger students. Your child's teacher or school should provide some guidance for what is reasonable. For young children, interaction and play is valuable for learning.

2. Determine what type of activities work best for your child. Are their certain types of distance learning activities that your child prefers over others? For example, does your child work better with synchronous activities where they respond to a live instructor, or in person sitting one-on-one with you? What learning platforms seems to engage your child more than others? The answers to these questions can be valuable for you and your child's teacher to help plan for learning experiences that work best for your child.

3. Encourage movement. Kids need to move their bodies frequently throughout the day. Allow time for exercise before your child is expected to focus on a distance learning task. Some children are able to better focus on tasks when standing. Consider having your computer or tablet be on a raised surface so that your child can stand.

4. Reduce distractions. Where possible, reduce distractions when your child is completing schoolwork. This includes noise as well as visual noise or clutter. A designated workspace that is comfortable for your child will be helpful.

5. Adjust your schedule as needed. If your child is frustrated - or alternately, if your child is very engaged in learning - make a change in your schedule to allow for a break (and revisit at a later day or time) or to spend time delving deeper into the topic. Some learning activities will be easier to move through than others. Consider working with your child on those activities or subjects that are more difficult during the times of day when your child is most alert and engaged. Learning material that is easier for a child, and therefore moved through more quickly, can be completed at a different time (such as in the afternoon or even another day). It's also helpful to share with your teacher what is working best for you and your child.

6. Use a checklist for focus. For some children who really struggle with focusing, a basic visual checklist of tasks needed for a particular activity will be helpful. For example, if the child is asked to watch a lesson, read a prompt, and then provide a written response to the prompt, the checklist would have keywords for each of these required activities: watch, read, write. The child would check off each task with you as it is completed, and receive some positive praise or another reward when finished.

7. Give your child (and yourself) a break. Your teacher does not want your child to be frustrated with or miserable about learning. In fact, teachers spend time trying to make lessons interesting, and to tailor instruction to provide the right level of challenge for their students. If something is too challenging, or your child has hit a frustration level, it's okay to stop the activity and give them a break. It's also okay to slow down the pace, which means giving your child time to think and process information. It also means participating in segments of learning one at a time rather than trying to tackle a whole lesson in one sitting. You can give yourself permission to pick that lesson back up another time or another day.

8. Provide immediate positive feedback. Each time your child completes distance learning instruction, provide immediate and positive feedback! Something as simple as putting a check mark, star, or sticker on the work assignment can go a long way in helping to motivate your child. And don't forget to celebrate yourself, as you are playing such an important role to help your child learn and grow.

Examples of rewards: praise; stickers; choose a movie; a treat such as ice cream, candy, or a popsicle; tablet time; choose a family activity; play with a special toy; free choice time; or an extra 15 minutes to play before bedtime

Teachers should plan for a variety of learning experiences, online and off, and be able to support parents by modifying or adapting activities to meet the needs of their students. Schooling from a distance is as new a territory for teachers as it is for parents. Getting feedback from parents about what is working and where they need additional support is essential.

With creative thinking and effort by teachers and families as partners, children will continue to build their knowledge and skills, but also build confidence and a love for learning.

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8 Tips to Help Your Child Focus and Stay Engaged During Distance Learning - JHU School of Education

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By Linda Carling, Ed.D. Dr. Linda Carling is an Associate Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education Center for Technology in Education. She specializes in learning engagement and design and is a parent of a child with a disability.

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Google Calendar
In-person learning at Los Altos
Shared documents
Jamboard with students working from home for math and learning

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1. Professionals need to provide student-specific and context-based information in order for paraeducators to do their jobs effectively. 2 Paraeducators are supposed to work under the direction of a teacher or other professional. 3. The biggest reported obstacle to professional– paraeducator planning is time to meet. (find ways to meet synchronously and asynchronously)

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Work more effectively with your para educator

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Work more effectively with your para educator

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By: Jill Morgan and Betty Y. Ashbaker

1. Set aside a regular time to meet with your paraeducator and plan your work together: Situations change, so schedules need to be adjusted to allow for ongoing meetings throughout the school year.

2. Be sure that you have a clear idea of what you wish to accomplish with your students before you share your plans with your paraeducator and ask for her suggestions (see Note 1). Keep an open mind and be prepared to incorporate her suggestions, as she will bring a new perspective and her own rich experience to your work together for student success.

3. Prepare a written job description for your paraeducator. For each role you assign her, include details of what the role includes and what it does not include so that she knows exactly what the limits of her responsibilities are.

4. Check school and district policies and procedures regarding the employment and supervision of paraeducators to ensure that you are not assigning responsibilities that your paraeducator should not assume.

5. Clearly explain to your paraeducator what her role is in relation to parents--what information she should or should not share with them--and whether she will be invited to parent-teacher conferences. It may be useful to put this in writing so that she can refer to it during the school year.

6. Ask your paraeducator to list her previous experience and what skills/assets she thinks she brings to the job. Ask her if there are additional responsibilities she believes she could take on in the light of these skills/assets.

7. Check whether your paraeducator has the necessary skills before you assign her roles. This may mean that initially you assign simple tasks and then add more complex roles as you observe her work and see how well she handles each additional responsibility.

8. Be aware of your paraeducator's strengths and preferences. For example, some people prefer to have things written down. They may not tell you, but you will notice that tasks do not get done if they are not written down. Other people may need to have Instructions explained several times. Express your needs and preferences to your paraeducator so that you can both respect each other's strengths.

9. If a task or teaching assignment is not performed the way you expected, before you challenge your paraeducator, ask yourself "Did I give clear directions? Did I misunderstand what she said she would do? or Were there other factors I was not aware of that prevented her completing the assignment?"

10. Be honest with your paraeducator. If you do not agree with the way that she does something in particular, then let her know. But remember to also let her know about what she does that you do like and agree with.

11. Be specific in the feedback you give your paraeducator. If she has done something particularly well, tell her exactly what it is rather than expressing your approval in general terms. If you need to ask her to change what she does, be specific about what you would like her to do instead and provide a rationale for the new behavior or method.

12. Ask your paraeducator to observe you as you teach so that you can model effective instructional practices for her. In order to focus her attention on one specific aspect at a time, ask her to take data on your performance so that you can discuss the data afterwards and explain why you do certain things that you would also like her to do.

13. Although you may feel that you cannot do without your paraeducator, even for a day, remember that you will not be able to provide all of the training she needs. Do what is necessary to ensure that she can take advantage of training opportunities offered outside your classroom.

14. Get in the habit of holding 'professional dialogue' with your paraeducator: Her relationship with the students may be different from yours, and she may see them in a different context if they live in the same community or she supervises recess. Seek her perspective on students' strengths and abilities and on new ways of meeting their individual needs.

15. Be supportive of your paraeducator, especially in front of students. As far as is possible, uphold her decisions. If you disagree or feel that you need to correct or change what she does, do it privately and in an appropriate manner.

16. Get into the personal habit of monitoring your own classroom practices and setting goals for improvement. This will set an excellent example for your paraeducator of the need to constantly seek better ways to meet student needs.

17. Be an advocate for your paraeducator with the school administration. Do what you can to see that she has a mailbox (or that her name is put on yours) so that any information that comes to the school relating to paraeducators can be routed to her; find out what training opportunities may be available for her; ask that she be allowed planning time or be paid to attend IEP meetings or parent-teacher conferences.

18. Share items from your professional journals and publications with your paraeducator: Let her know that the school subscribes to journals, and tell her how she can access them.

19. If you work with more than one paraeducator, make sure that they all understand the others' roles and responsibilities and what they can expect of each other.

20. Remember that the students' best interests come first. All of the decisions you make with and in regard to your paraeducator and her work should be based on considerations of whether or not they will enhance student success.

Persons interested in submitting material for 20 Ways To ... should contact Robin H. Lock, College of Education, Box 41071, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 76409-1701.

Note: More than 90% of paraeducators nationwide are female. We have therefore used the pronouns "her" and "she."

About the authors

Jill Morgan, PhD, is a research associate at Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities. Having taught both general and special education in elementary schools in the United Kingdom, she has a particular interest in providing training for teachers and paraeducators so that they can work more effectively together. Betty Y. Ashbaker, PhD, is assistant professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education at Brigham Young University. As a teacher and school district administrator, she has extensive experience providing inservice training and firsthand knowledge of the resources that paraeducators represent in the classroom.

Address: Jill Morgan, Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6800; e-mail: Jmorgan@cc.usu.edu

Jill Morgan and Betty Y. Ashbaker Intervention in School and Clinic, Vol. 36, No. 4, march 2001 (pp230-231)

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Work More Effectively with Your Paraeducator

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LD OnLine is the leading website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.

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10 Ways to Create Time and Make the Most of Your Collaboration with Paraprofessionals

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10 Ways to Create Time and Make the Most of Your Collaboration with Paraprofessionals

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Today I want to share a number of ideas for creating and making the most of opportunities for collaboration with paraprofessionals. I talk a lot on this blog about the need for training and collaborating with paraprofessionals and building teams. We all know that one of the most difficult parts of running a special education classroom, whether self-contained or supporting students in general education, is managing adults. In this day and age, you rarely actually have time set aside for collaboration when the students aren't there. In many if not most schools, paraprofessionals arrive when the students arrive and leave when they leave. If they do have time before or after school, it is typically taken up with school duties like bus duty or after school care. So it's all well and good to talk about the need for collaboration, but actually making it happen is a whole other story, but I have some solutions to share today.

I am very excited to be the featured post on #WeTeachSped today! We Teach Sped is a group of special education bloggers who have networked and planned to provide you with a month of posts on special education across our blog. Below you can see the calendar for topics and the blogs you can find them on. Check out our Facebook page to catch them posted there each day along with other goodies we find along the way. And since today was my WeTeachSped day, I thought I would reach out to some of my fellow bloggers for solutions on how they create time in their day for collaboration with their classroom team.

1. Zoning Plans

First, I've talked about using zoning plans here before many times, but I still think they are helpful. In a world in which time to talk about what needs to happen in the classroom is limited, you don't want to have to take up that time by giving directions on where to be and what to do. A zoning plan helps with that by automatizing the process. It tells everyone what their duties will be and who they should be prompting or supporting. It also reminds them about things like taking a student's communication device to PE or that they need to give a student time to process. I also use visual reminders for staff (including me) around the room to remind us all about waiting for responses, not prompting too often, not talking too much, etc. The more that you can put in writing and in static form, the more you can spend the time you have to collaborate talking about issues that have arisen and questions someone might have.

2. Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS)

I've talked about the CAPS several times on this blog, and firmly believe that it is useful in many ways. One way is to share information with paraprofessionals about what each student needs in each setting and situation. It's a good way to share IEP information in a way that they can use it and implement it. The CAPS let's them know what accomodations and modifications can be used, what supports the students need at different times of the day, and what the goals are that are being taught. Again, it's a way to make some information you share automatic, freeing up the precious time you have together to talk other concerns of the day or the week.

3. Sharing with Fellow Teachers

"My paras always have duty and then have to go home." That's one of the common statements I hear in why collaboration is so difficult. One solution is to work with a fellow teacher in the building to share duty time. Perhaps the other teacher or her paras can take bus duty or after school duty for your paras one day a week and then you can have that time to collaborate. Then, on another day of the week, your class can cover for the other teachers' so they can collaborate.

4. Talk with Administrators

I know this sounds trite, and for many it seems impossible, but perhaps you could talk to the administrators about the possibility of having one day a week when the para is covered by someone else in the building for 15 minutes so you can meet briefly. If you share why you want the opportunity to collaborate, the function of it, share an agenda of information that is shared, and explain the impact on the students, that might help an administrator to see that you don't want this time to be time for the para to make you copies, but for you to work together as a team and share information. Approaching it that way can sometimes make a difference in the administrator understanding your needs.

5. One-Man-Down Schedule

This isn't a solution that will work every week, but it might work every month or occasionally. In addition to difficulty collaborating it's hard to find time to train paraprofessionals on the skills and curriculum they need to implement. Try running what I call a "one-man-down" schedule. This is the schedule that is run when one of the staff is absent and there is no substitute (because we know those days happen). Take a day every once in a while to take yourself out of the running of the day or part of the day and hang back. Take that opportunity to observe the classroom (it's hard to do that if you are running it) and take that time to provide support, modeling, coaching and feedback to the staff while they are in the moment with the students. That will be the most effective training you can provide and can be highly beneficial.

[Tweet "Using a 1-Man-Down schedule can allow time for training classroom staff."]

6. Google Docs

Sarah, from Primarily Ausome, uses Google Docs to create lessons that paraprofessionals can have access to an edit. The paraprofessionals can comment with their ideas when they have a chance and contribute in an ongoing working document for the team.

7. Whiteboard

Alyssa, from Simply Special Ed, uses a whiteboard for paraprofessionals to write ideas or questions down throughout the day. Then when they meet in the 15 minutes before or after school that they have carved out, they know what needs to be discussed. This way everyone remembers the issues to discuss and the meeting time can be efficient and effective.

8. Schedule Therapies

Pam, from Mrs P's Specialties, has scheduled therapies (e.g., OT, speech) so that all the students are covered for 30 minutes and she can use that time to meet with her teaching assistants. The therapists often ran a group together with the students, freeing up the classroom staff to meet.

[Tweet "Work with therapists to schedule their times so you can collaborate with staff."]

9. Catching Time

Sebrina, from Burke's Special Kids, says her staff eats lunch together with the kids and talk during socialization on the playground for a few minutes when they can. This solution will depend on the needs of the students being served at that time, but sometimes those between times can be used productively to share information. Sometimes her paraprofessional can also stay for a few minutes after school so they have a few minutes.

Jennipher, from Teach Love Autism, says her students have a highly structured morning routine that involves chores, breakfast, morning work and bathroom breaks. Prior to the bathroom breaks, her students are pretty independent at the routine, so she and her staff can find some time to talk while the students work.

10. Scheduling Time Within the School Day

Jannike, from Special Ed Connections ...., said that her staff meet for about 5 minutes after students are put on their buses and before the paras leave for the day. During the day, she schedules paraprofessionals with at least one 15-minute time block where they are floating, to give them a break to do other things in the classroom (separate from their actual break). Then she schedules herself for similar periods during her day so she can go around to observe and coach the staff and answer questions if needed.

And finally to make a good point about how important finding this time is, check out this article from Virginia Commonwealth University's TTAC on 10 Things Every Paraprofessional Wants You To Know. It's a good read and a good discussion starter with your staff as you are getting to know each other.

So how do you create opportunities to collaborate with staff in your classroom? The more ideas the better!!

Until next time,

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10 Ways to Create Time and Make the Most of Your Collaboration with Paraprofessionals - Autism Classroom Resources

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Finding time for collaboration with paraprofessionals in a special education classroom is challenging. These are 10 ways to effectively collaborate.

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Free currently but requires administrative approval and a supervising instructor

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Welcome to the Paraeducator Self Study Program

A paraeducator is an individual employed to perform instructional and related non-instructional duties in school settings under the direction of a certificated teacher or administrator. Other terms used for the position of paraeducator include paraprofessional, teaching assistant, and instructional aide. Early Childhood Paraeducators are used at age levels (birth to 5) and work with students either indirectly, on a one-to-one basis, or in small and large groups.

The Paraeducator Self Study Program is a web-based method for school districts to provide introductory training for their paraeducators. It contains several units pertaining to paraeducators' roles and responsibilities, and core knowledge and skills in reinforcing instruction. It is intended to be supplemental to the training provided by school districts, and assists schools in meeting the paraeducator training requirements of No Child Left Behind, the Nebraska Rule 11, and IDEA.

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A paraeducator is an individual employed to perform instructional and related non-instructional duties in school settings under the direction of a certificated teacher or administrator. Other terms used for the position of paraeducator include paraprofessional, teaching assistant, and instructional aide.

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This contains a lot of valuable information. I would make sure to scroll down to the links mid way down to view various examples of planning forms that can be downloaded for your own adaptation.

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Planning for the Paraeducator

How is planning for a paraeducator different than planning for yourself and from co-planning with a peer?

You may have already read about co-planning in another section of the Special Connections website. The forms contained in that section provide an excellent basis for planning with another teacher. However, planning for a paraeducator is different because the role is different than yours, and it doesn't legitimately allow them to make decisions about the curriculum or instruction that students receive. While you may be able to use shorthand in your plan book or on a planning form to remind yourself of what you intend to do, a paraeducator cannot be expected to read your mind and is left stranded without written plans.

Why is planning for paraeducators important?

Dynamic instruction is founded on good planning and good planning is founded on assessment information. While most teachers have stopped using the planning forms their education professors gave them, effective teachers are absolutely clear about the purposes of their lessons and they create classroom experiences that target those purposes. They decide ahead of time what activities they'll engage students in, how they'll provide directions to students, and what materials they'll need at their fingertips. They know what homework will be assigned and they know beforehand how they'll prepare students to engage with the concepts.

When experienced school professionals fail to plan, they may be able to wing it or make it through a class or two without disastrous results. However, when no one plans for the instruction delivered by paraeducators, it means that paraeducators, who are unprepared to plan lessons, are on their own to design the instruction. It is legally and ethically unacceptable for a paraeducator to work with students who have complex learning needs, or with social, emotional, or health issues, with no written plan provided by a supervisor. Yet, it is commonly done.

Paraeducators, unfortunately, are frequently allowed to make decisions that should be rightfully made by fully qualified professionals. Interviews with paraeducators have revealed intuitive or "home grown" attitudes about their roles in supporting students, in the absence of written plans. Some paraeducators believe it is their job to keep students with disabilities from "bothering the classroom teacher." They believe that they are responsible for all aspects of a child's education, that they have to create all adaptations for the child, and that they are responsible totally for the child. And, sadly, they have been allowed to deliver services with little guidance.

Paraeducators who are placed in such positions realize that they are poorly equipped to do the job. Some paraeducators have reported that, "I make my own plans." Others reported, "No one plans, I just follow along trying to do what I'm supposed to," and still others reported that they "write lesson plans for the reading group." Paraeducators in many locations have reported that they held full responsibility for students, including planning lessons and activities, creating curricular and instructional adaptations and modifications even though state policies do not advocate such responsibilities for paraeducators.

When teachers were asked if they planned for paraeducators, they often admitted that they did not. Some teachers justified their lack of planning for paraeducators, "I don't need to plan - she just knows what to do." Some said, "She doesn't need a written plan, I just tell her what to do on the 'fly' (French, 1998)." While these responses may reflect the current state of affairs, none of them exemplify a legal or ethical position.

Should we expect something different from paraeducators than we expect from teachers? In a word, yes. Paraeducators are not teachers. They are valuable school employees who hold a legitimate role in the teaching process, but they work in a different capacity than teachers. For example, paraeducators assist teachers of students who are learning English but they do not have the skills to conduct language assessments or to plan lessons that focus on language acquisition.

We expect nurses and doctors to have different roles. We recognize that a nurse may give the injection to a patient, but we understand that the doctor prescribed it. Nurses do not prescribe medications or courses or treatment-they deliver them. They provide daily care to patients; ensure the delivery of prescribed medications and treatments, and record data so that the doctor can make informed decisions about further treatment. Similarly, we do not want paraeducators prescribing instructional sequences, units, lessons, or adaptations. We do want paraeducators delivering instruction and interventions, carrying out the curricular adaptation plans made by the professional.

Designing instructional environments and making decisions about the goals, objectives, activities, and evaluations of instructional episodes are tasks that are well outside the paraeducator's scope of responsibility. We should not let it slide when a paraeducator, who works on an hourly basis, with little preparation, and no professional credential, is allowed to plan or, worse, is forced into planning for students because the professional has neglected to do so. Paraeducators should not be asked to do the teacher's job. There is an important instructional role for paraeducators, but that does not include usurping the teacher's role.

What factors should I consider in planning for paraeducators?

First, let's consider what it is that a special educator plans. Those who work in self-contained classes plan like any other teacher for all the curricular and instructional needs of their students. There is little else to say about that situation.

On the other hand, special education teachers who work in inclusion programs have to plan differently. Their plans are not so much about the curricular standards (because general education teachers plan the class lessons). They are about the adaptations to general education curriculum and instruction that are driven by the IEP and are necessary to the success of students in general education classes.

Because the tasks that paraeducators perform vary substantially in complexity and risk, the type and level of planning also varies. Consider the following factors.

Paraeducator Experience, Skill, and Training.

If a paraeducator has performed the same type of instructional activity, student supervision assignment, clerical task, behavior management technique, data collection, or health service in the past, and has performed satisfactorily, then plans may be very brief. A sentence or phrase added to the schedule would suffice. On the other hand, if a paraeducator is new to the position, has received only a brief training, or doesn't have the skills, the plan must be more detailed, specifying outcomes, actions, materials, cautions, and levels of authority.

Complexity of the Task

Obviously, clerical work requires minimal planning and direction, but instructional work requires more. The more complex the instruction, or the intervention, the more important it is to give specific directions in the plan for data recording and instructional techniques. For example, a paraeducator should be given specific directions regarding the amount of student success or failure to tolerate. A paraeducator may be directed to allow a student to fail at a task and then redirect his or her efforts or, alternatively, to give enough prompts and cues so that student performance is errorless.

Behavior issues are also complex. A paraeducator working with students who have significant behavior or social issues needs more guidance about appropriate ways to interact with the students, appropriate limits to set, and types of behavior to tolerate or ignore, as well as the behaviors that require interruption, redirection, or reinforcement.

Risk

Two circumstances that increase risk are structure and distance. Structure refers to the circumstances of the situation. Where there are walls and doors, where the activities are performed uniformly with other students, where there is little movement or few choices, there tends to be less risk. Within a school, physical education classes pose greater risks for students than English classes.

Distance is the physical separation between the paraeducator and the person responsible for the outcomes of instruction. Where the paraeducator performs his or her work matters. The distance of the paraeducator from the supervising professional is one factor that contributes to risk. The greater the distance, the greater the risk. Greater risk requires more specific guidance.

For example, Ruby works one-to-one with an elementary school student with autism in the general classroom, hallways, lunchroom, and playground-all at some distance from the special education teacher. Ruby needs full information about the student's health, academic needs, appropriate adaptations, and appropriate instructional techniques, as well as specific directions on how to cue the student to engage in activities. The plan should tell Ruby how much or little verbalization to use and how to work around the student's sensitivities to touch and other sensory inputs.

Another example is of a secondary special education program where students go into the community for life-skills experiences, vocational exploration, or work experience. The paraeducator is working in a high-risk situation, away from the teacher, and in a low-structure situation. Such a paraeducator should have a list of precautions and emergency procedures, as well as specific goals and directions for the instructional sequences that take place in the community setting.

What do plans for paraeducators contain?

Components of Plans

1. Purpose of task, lesson or adaptation

2. Long term student goals, short term objectives

3. Specific student needs & strengths

4. Materials & Research

5. Sequence of actions, use of cues or prompts, permissible adaptations

6. Data structure for documenting student performance

Good plans are brief, easy to read at a glance, and relatively easy to write. They also contain six key components.

Components of Plans

A good plan specifies how to do the task, the purposes of the task or lesson, the specific student needs to be addressed or strengths on which to capitalize, the materials to use, and the type of data needed to determine whether the student achievement is satisfactory, moving in the right direction, or unsatisfactory.

It is also important for the paraeducator to understand how the task fits into the broader goals and outcomes for the student. For example, James, a student with severe and multiple disabilities, has been learning to raise and lower his left arm. If Lu, the paraeducator who works with him, understands that James is preparing for a communication device that depends on this skill, she will be sure that he practices many times a day and that he practices correctly. So, the plan may tell Lu that the goal is for James to raise and lower his left arm deliberately. It should also tell her that the long-range goal is that he will be able to use a button or switch that controls an assistive speaking device. The plan also needs to have a place to document the number of opportunities he had to practice the skill, the amount of cueing or prompting he required to perform the skill, and the number of times he successfully performed the skill, with or without cueing or prompting.

How can I plan for paraeducators efficiently?

Communicating About Plans

When you plan for yourself, communicating with another person isn't an issue. But, when you plan for paraeducators, lack of clarity can cause unexpected problems. Try to look at the plan from the paraeducator's point of view. Unless the plan is communicated in a format that she understands, she may not be able to use it.

Good planning formats are easy to use and user-friendly. If the planning form or format is handy, simple, and includes all key components, you will improve your communication and minimize the amount of time you spend doing it. How can you be sure the paraeducator knows how to carry out the plan? You may also need to check for understanding about the plan. Asking the paraeducator if he or she has any questions is one way to open the opportunity for clarification.

Planning Forms and Formats

Plans do not necessarily adhere to a predetermined format. Many teachers use their creative talents to design forms and formats that respond to the unique characteristics of their own situation. Professionals have sufficient latitude to create a planning form or format that pleases them and addresses the combined needs of the team. What is contained in the written plan, the amount of detail, and the specificity of directions are all negotiable.

Although a paper-based planning form isn't necessary and plans certainly may be written on any type of surface (chalkboards, dry-mark boards) or electronic platform (hand-held electronic planner, centrally located computer), school professionals tend to rely on paper.

Using blank paper means that the plan-writer will have to write certain pieces of information or structural aspects of the plan over and over again. Forms eliminate the duplication of effort and streamline the planning process. Paper-based planning forms, like other planning formats, must also meet the dual tests of ease-of-use and user-friendliness.

Click the links below to view various examples of planning forms that can be downloaded for your own adaptation.

Ease of Use

Ease-of-use means that the plan form or format should be readily available and comprehensive enough to cover all the key components, yet simple enough that the professional can use it consistently. The professional is the best judge of ease-of-use. For example, a template created and kept on a word processor may be readily available for a professional who has a computer on his or her desk. Multiple copies of a printed form kept in a desktop folder may be easier for another teacher who prefers the pen to the keyboard.

Length of the form is also important. Too many components make it difficult to know what to write and too tedious to write it in each space. Including too few components may result in the transmission of too little information or of information that is too general to be useful.

User-Friendly

User-friendliness refers to the visual appeal of the form and its familiarity. User-friendliness is best judged by the paraeducator. Visual appeal often means that there is a lot of white space or graphics on the page and that the length is sufficient but not overwhelming. A paraeducator faced with a two- to three-page plan will be less likely to read the plan carefully than she would given a single page, neatly written or typed. The use of common terminology and a reading level that is consistent with the knowledge and literacy level of the paraeducator are also important factors in user-friendliness.

What is the role of the paraeducator in adapting curriculum and instruction?

The paraeducator holds the ethical responsibility to follow written plans and oral directions provided by any or all school professionals assigned to the student with disabilities. The written plans need not be complex, but must be developed by the professionals who participated in assessment of the student and in the IEP planning, and who hold responsibility for that student's IEP goals and objectives. A list of goals and the related adaptations covering the range of classroom instructional situations meets the legal requirements if it is shared with the paraeducator as well as general education teachers.

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Collaboration/Working Effectively with Paraeducators/Teacher Tools/Planning for the Paraeducator | Special Connections

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Planning for the Paraeducator How is planning for a paraeducator different than planning for yourself and from co-planning with a peer? You may have already read about co-planning in another section of the Special Connections website. The forms contained in that section provide an excellent basis for planning with another teacher.

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Working with Paraeducators: Tools and Strategies for Planning, Performance Feedback, and Evaluation

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Continuation of Learning: Resources to Consider when Planning for an Extended School Closure

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Continuation of Learning: Resources to Consider when Planning for an Extended School Closure

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​Schools-City Collaborative and Digital Connectivity Series

Date recorded: September 21, 2020

At the third Connectivity Series convening on September 21, we collaborated on education and digital inclusion priorities. Attendees learned about connectivity options in the home, State offers for education, and San Jose City programs and services in support of K-12 education to provide resources and opportunities in support of student success.

Funding Community WiFi: Access East Side Model Webinar

Date recorded: July 29, 2020

The Funding Community WiFi: Access East Side Model convening served as a tech bond follow-up session to our June 3rd Connectivity, Digital Inclusion, and Access Forum and provided information on the Access East Side Wi-Fi pilot program and the City's partnership.

Connectivity, Digital Inclusion, and Access Forum

Date recorded: June 3, 2020

The Connectivity, Digital Inclusion, and Access Forum convening served as an important information-gathering opportunity to strengthen the City-wide effort to close the digital divide to K-12 students. It also provided information on the development of partnerships and other current needs.

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​Schools-City Collaborative and Digital Connectivity Series Date recorded: September 21, 2020 At the third Connectivity Series convening on September 21, we collaborated on education and digital inclusion priorities. Attendees learned about connectivity options in the home, State offers for education, and San Jose City programs and services in support of K-12 education to provide resources and opportunities in support of student success.

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Santa Clara County Office of Education Offers New Interactive Distance Learning Resources for Educator

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Santa Clara County Office of Education Offers New Interactive Distance Learning Resources for Educator

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Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) announces new interactive distance learning webinars for educators, students, and parents that are now available on the SCCOE learning resource portal. These webinars feature content that can be used by PreK-12 educators and include both digital and non-digital options for learning at home

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Online Professional Learning  for Extended Closures

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Online Professional Learning  for Extended Closures

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Special Online Professional Learning Courses to Prepare for Possible Extended School Closures due to the coronavirus

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Browse the digital badge & micro-credential catalog for high-quality, personalized professional learning opportunities.  Improve your practice and hone your skills while learning at a time and place that fits into your busy schedule

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Santa Clara County Office of Education Catalog

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© 2022 Santa Clara County Office of Education Catalog All Rights Reserved.

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Excel Sheet of Additional Online Resources 

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Excel Sheet of Additional Online Resources 

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​​​The Educational Technology & Leadership team has curated this list of resources that district & school leaders might consider as additional resources ​in planning for an extended school closure

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California K-12 Digital Resources

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Online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest research databases, and TeachingBooks.net are available - at school, at home, in libraries, on laptops, on phones - to all.

These three databases are provided for all California students from the California State Library.

A comprehensive interactive resource for research and learning for grades K-12. Includes correlations to California Content Standards and other valuable teacher resources. Post links directly to each school level, elementary, middle or high.

Need help from Britannica? See our support page. (800) 621-3900 x 7160 | edsupport@eb.com

* The icons above and main links below work for accessing these resources on your school campus. Students and staff with the district/school's off-campus access name and access codes should use the "Off-Campus Access" links below when using from public libraries or other non-school locations.

eLibrary -Guided Research edition delivers one of the largest general reference collections of periodical and digital media content including more than 11,000 Research Topics(Grades 6+)
eLibrary Guided Research Off-Campus Access

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eLibrary Database Edition Off-Campus Access

Schools & Educators Complete - eBook subscription database of over 13,000 titles that supports English Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education, Information Literacy and Technology.(Grades 9+, possibly some content for Middle School, also includes professional development content for faculty)

Need help from ProQuest? See our support page. (800) 521-0600 ext. 72971 | customerservice@proquest.com

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Online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest research databases, and TeachingBooks.net are available - at school, at home, in libraries, on laptops, on phones - to all. These three databases are provided for all California students from the California State Library. A comprehensive interactive resource for research and learning for grades K-12.

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SCCOE Learning Resource Portal

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Information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) is frequently updated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Officials from the Santa Clara County Office of Education are in constant communication with Public Health Department officials and our county's school district leaders to make sure the most recent and accurate information is available. Click the box below to see the latest updates regarding COVID-19 in Santa Clara County.

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We know you miss your teachers and friends. While your school is closed, check out these great websites for seriously fun learning. ​

FOR STUDENTS

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Home | Santa Clara County Office of Education

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Information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) is frequently updated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Officials from the Santa Clara County Office of Education are in constant communication with Public Health Department officials and our county's school district leaders to make sure the most recent and accurate information is available.