Business
Department
ParaProfessional
Information (NCLB)
The requirement that paraprofessionals be highly qualified applies
only to instructional paraprofessionals who work in programs supported
by Title I funds (school-wide or targeted assistance). However,
all Title I paraprofessionals must, at a minimum, have a high school
diploma or its recognized equivalent.
Paraprofessionals who provide instructional services must have
done one of the following to meet the highly qualified requirements--
• completed two years of study at an institution of higher education;
or
• obtained an associate's or higher degree; or
• passed a test that demonstrates knowledge of and the ability to
assist in the instruction of reading, writing, and mathematics.
Timeline for Compliance
• Instructional paraprofessionals newly hired after January 8,
2002 who work in programs supported by Title I funds (school-wide
or targeted assistance), must meet these requirements upon
employment.
• Instructional paraprofessionals who were hired on or before
January 8, 2002 and who work in programs supported by Title
I funds (school-wide
or targeted assistance), must meet the requirements by January
8, 2006.
Guidelines and Definitions for Highly Qualified Paraprofessional
Requirements
• The state equates 48 semester hours (excluding remedial
courses), as the equivalent of two years of college. Developmental
courses
may count toward the 48 hours.
• The state does not require that the coursework or associate's
degree be in any specific subject or field. The nature
of the coursework or degree is left to the discretion
of the
school
system. However,
the coursework must have been obtained from an accredited
institution of higher education.
• The SDE has collaborated with the Tennessee Board of
Regents (TBR) in the development of an on-line associate's
degree
program for paraprofessionals. Information about the
on-line degree
is on the TBR web site at http://www.tn.regentsdegrees.org/.
• Tennessee has adopted the ParaPro Assessment as the
statewide test for paraprofessionals.
The ParaPro was developed by Educational Testing
Service (ETS) to satisfy the test option for paraprofessionals.
Information about this test is available on the ETS
web site at http://www
.ets.org/parapro.
• The Tennessee passing score for the ParaPro Assessment
is 456.
• All instructional paraprofessionals newly hired
after January 8, 2002 who have not completed
two years of
college or do
not hold an associate's degree or higher, must
pass the ParaPro test prior
to being hired in a Title I school or program.
• Paraprofessionals may take the ParaPro test
in two different settings. They can register
for the
paper
and pencil version
with ETS, or school districts can order the on-line
version for their
paraprofessionals to take on site. The cost for
either version of the test is $40 (no registration
fee).
• A study guide for the ParaPro is available
and can be ordered from the ETS web site above
or by
calling
800-537-3l61.
The
cost of the study guide is $25.
• Aides that are working as translators or
parent liaisons do not need to meet these
requirements. However, all
paraprofessionals, including translators
and parent liaisons, must now have,
at a
minimum, earned a secondary school diploma
or
its recognized equivalent.
• The highly qualified status will be portable
across school systems.
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