The ParaMet training program was jointly established by an urban university, a disability service provider, and an urban public school system to assist the school system in complying with the paraeducator training and supervision requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and, eventually, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. This article analyzes the strengths and needs of the first 2 cohorts of paraeducators accepted into the ParaMet program. The findings indicate that the paraeducators, who are predominantly from the minority group served by the local public schools, bring unique strengths to the special education teams. However, many will also require extraordinary academic supports to be successful in undergraduate-level training.

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In this study, we investigated the effects of 15 factors on students' selection of concentration areas in special education. Prior to selecting concentrations, three cohorts of undergraduate teacher candidates in the Department of Special Education at the University of Maryland at College Park were asked to rate the impact each factor had on their choice. Results indicated that six factors were consistently rated high regardless of year and concentration area: ages served; prior work and volunteer experience; curriculum content; site visits provided prior to concentration area selection; job availability; and variety of job options. The impact of a variety of experiences and career information on concentration area choice is discussed.