The Role of Administrators in Paraprofessional Supervision to Support Ethnic Minority Students with Special Needs

Ashbaker, Betty Y.; Morgan, Jill

doi:10.4148/0146-9282.1196

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Many have noted that the effective use of paraeducators relies on the teachers' leadership and ability to integrate paraeducators into the classroom setting (Biggs, Carter, Bumble, Barnes, & Mazur, 2018; Chopra, Sandoval‐Lucero, & French, 2011; Douglas, Chapin, & Nolan, 2016; French & Chopra, 2006). The literature recommends the following as the main teacher competencies related to paraeducator supervision: (a) knowledge of roles and responsibilities of paraeducators related to instruction, intervention, and direct services; (b) delegation of specific tasks based on the legitimate role of paraeducators; (c) developing instructional plans for paraeducators; (d) conducting planning meetings; (e) providing on‐the‐job training and coaching; (f) monitoring day‐to‐day activities; and, (g) providing feedback (Ashbaker & Morgan, 2006, 2010; Capizzi & DaFonte, 2012; Causton‐Theoharis et al, 2007; Chopra & Giangreco, 2019; Chopra & Uitto, 2015; French, 2003; Sobeck & Robertson, 2019; Wallace, Shin, Bartholomay, & Stahl, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paraeducator supervision in pre‐service teacher preparation programs: Results of a national survey

Sobeck

Douglas

Chopra

et al. 2020

Psychology in the Schools

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Paraeducators need appropriate supervision and supports from teachers to be effective in their roles contributing to the inclusion and instruction of students with disabilities. However, previous research has demonstrated that teachers are unprepared for their supervisory role and report a lack of meaningful coursework and other learning experiences related to paraeducator supervision in teacher preparation programs they attended. Therefore, to gain insight into current practices in institutions of higher education (IHEs) as they relate to preparing pre‐service special education teachers to work effectively with paraeducators, the authors conducted a national online mixed‐methods survey of teacher educators. The majority of respondents found pre‐service teacher training on paraeducators to be important, but over a third reported that no coursework is allocated for this topic, and the majority shared that pre‐service teachers do not complete any project or assignment related to supervising paraeducators during their preparation program. Several barriers to effectively training pre‐service teachers to support and supervise paraeducators were identified (e.g., time, priority, clarity in the standards, and resources), as well as suggestions for improving preparation programs (e.g., improved coursework, more opportunities within practicum experiences working with paraeducators, and specifying specific content to cover through the standards) are shared. The importance of exposing pre‐service teachers to content specific to managing paraeducators and the need for further clarification of competencies pre‐service teachers need relative to paraeducators is discussed, as well as directions for future research are also offered.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paraeducator supervision in pre‐service teacher preparation programs: Results of a national survey

Sobeck

Douglas

Chopra

et al. 2020

Psychology in the Schools

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“…In previous studies, qualitative data were not used to analyse in‐depth experiences of paraprofessionals through extensive observation and interview (Klingner and Boardman, ). Additionally, previous studies did not focus on multiple perspectives and include information on teacher perceptions in order to understand the dictum and overall classroom relationship (Ashbaker and Morgan, ). This study used a qualitative approach to fill these gaps as well as employ quantitative survey measures to provide supporting data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To fill these two gaps, this study will employ a mixed methods approach to collect comprehensive data that are best suited to explore the deeper issues of this profession. Finally, the majority of studies on paraprofessional job responsibilities and satisfaction only focus on the paraprofessional and are not directly applicable to current schools (Ashbaker and Morgan, ; Giangreco et al., ). To fill this gap, this study attempts to investigate a local school system and make contact with paraprofessionals and teachers to determine their meaning, making perspectives relating to their job and provide multiple perspectives.…”

Section: Gaps In Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of paraprofessionals in US preschool special education and general education classrooms

Brown

Stanton‐Chapman

2014

Research in Spec Educ Needs

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A substantial challenge confronting public education systems across the world is the employment and retention of high-quality paraprofessionals (also known as teaching assistants and educational assistants). The current study expands upon previous research by employing a mixed methods design to examine the relationship between paraprofessionals' perceptions of their responsibilities and the corresponding satisfaction and issues relating to their job in the USA. Analytic induction through the generation of themes was used to analyse the qualitative data and revealed that paraprofessionals perceive or demonstrate issues relating to three primary domains: confusion of responsibilities in different contexts, relational power dynamics between paraprofessionals and teachers, and satisfaction based on both monetary compensation and recognition. In addition to the qualitative findings, researchers designed the paraprofessional perception survey, a quantitative survey measuring the concept of paraprofessional perceptions relating to their job. Results from the survey analysis revealed similar findings across domains. Additional results, practice implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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“…Federal law such as Every Student Succeeds Act of (2015) requires supervision, and encourages schools to allocate funds for ongoing training and supervision for paraprofessionals, yet gives minimal guidance on the type and delivery of professional development resources (e.g., Ashbaker & Morgan, 2006; Sobeck, 2016). For some time, special education scholars have raised serious concerns about the extent to which paraprofessionals are supervised, trained, and utilized in schools (e.g., Broer et al, 2005; Giangreco et al, 2013).…”

Section: Paraprofessional Roles Supervision and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current status and future directions in assessment of paraprofessional practices

Lekwa

Reddy

2021

Psychology in the Schools

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Paraprofessionals have become a significant portion of the educational workforce for students with or at risk for needing, or receiving special educational services. Although best practice and federal legislation require supervision of paraprofessionals by certified professional educators, research indicates that supervision rendered to paraprofessionals is often ad hoc, infrequent, and not based on data. We critically examined the availability and validity evidence of existing assessment approaches (published or publically posted) for evaluation and monitoring of paraprofessional practices in schools in the United States. Overall results from a systematic review of research literature and a review of materials made available publically by schools yielded 14 assessment tools with a focus on 18 constructs. Each assessment lacked reliability and validity evidence, and had limited utility for guiding paraprofessional supervision and professional development. Based on the larger paraprofessional literature and availability of assessments, a framework of recommendations for measurement development and validation is proposed. Specifically, we offer suggestions for domains of practice and validation efforts for evaluating forms of reliability, construct validity, and consequential validity for new assessment approaches for these important school personnel.

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The Role of Administrators in Paraprofessional Supervision to Support Ethnic Minority Students with Special Needs

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

Paraeducator supervision in pre‐service teacher preparation programs: Results of a national survey

Paraeducator supervision in pre‐service teacher preparation programs: Results of a national survey

Experiences of paraprofessionals in US preschool special education and general education classrooms

Current status and future directions in assessment of paraprofessional practices

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