Many paraeducators have no formal education beyond high school and are provided with minimal training once on the job. Furthermore, as more schools turn to inclusionary practices, the impetus for highly qualified paraeducators becomes more important. However, little research has examined efficient ways to train paraeducators who work in inclusive classrooms. Through an adapted alternating treatments design (AATD), the general and comparative effects of two prominent training approaches were assessed: didactic instruction and performance feedback. Analysis of these approaches on paraeducators’ use of positive behavior support strategies in inclusive settings revealed that with an equal amount of training time for each approach, performance feedback consistently produced stronger immediate and maintained effects than didactic instruction.

Evidence-based practices for children with disabilities have empirical support for their effectiveness; however, the demographics of participants making up the evidence base are generally unknown, leaving generalizability of the evidence unclear. This study presents a systematic literature review of participant racial and socioeconomic demographics in one area of special education research, parent-implemented interventions for reducing problem behavior in children with autism, to examine demographic reporting practices, participant characteristics, and their similarity to the general population. Participant race, income, education level, and marital status were aggregated across 23 studies and compared with population-level demographics using chi-square analyses. Results indicated (a) these demographics were infrequently reported; (b) participants with reported demographics were overwhelmingly from White, well-educated, two-parent families; and (c) participants were significantly different from the U.S. population on every tested demographic. Implications of findings and recommendations for reporting participant demographics and increasing diversity in special education research are discussed.

Extended school year (ESY) is a summer program available for students with disabilities who meet specific qualifying criteria. Teachers are often hesitant to accept the position of the ESY teacher due to the ambiguities and demands of the position. The purpose of this article is to briefly share the impetus and focus of ESY and give special education teachers nine tips to create and execute an effective ESY program. When implemented correctly, ESY programs have the potential to help students maintain learned skills and master targeted skills.

With continued emphasis on inclusive practices, paraeducators are increasingly relied upon as an integral part of instructional service delivery for students with disabilities. However, research consistently reveals that the effective use of paraeducators depends largely on teacher leadership and supervision. Currently, few teacher preparation programs offer meaningful coursework pertaining to managing paraeducators, leaving teachers unprepared for their supervisory role upon entering the field. Incorporating paraeducators into the instructional planning and delivery process requires that several considerations be made. This column shares several recommendations with teachers for designing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of lesson plans that incorporate paraeducators in the inclusive setting. A lesson plan template is provided and discussed, and guidance is provided for teaching paraeducators evidence-based practices (EBPs) using behavioral skills training and supporting them in using EBPs during instruction.

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.