Employment and Utilization of Paraeducators in Inclusive Settings

Abstract

The study, undertaken in two New England states using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, investigated paraeducators' experiences in inclusive educational settings, including administrative policies, job responsibilities, training, retention, and relationships with members of the school community. Findings emphasized the need for more training for paraeducators and the importance of relationships within the educational community. We conclude with recommendations for policymakers, administrators, teachers, institutions of higher education, and paraeducators to create effective inclusive educational programs.Professionals in the field of special education have acknowledged that providing free public education for all children and youth with disabilities presents unique challenges to general education systems as well as to those who provide supportive services such as special education and compensatory education programs. These challenges have become more complex due to several factors, including federal legislation; an increase in the number of identified students and those at risk; the change from segregated, special classes to more inclusive settings; and the national public mandate calling for a restructuring of America's schools. In response to these challenges, employment of paraprofessionals, or, as they are more recently titled, paraeducators, has grown tremendously over the past 20 years (Pickett, 1996).Paraeducators have been employed in public schools for more than 50 years, and their roles and responsibilities have changed over time. Nationally, research has shown that paraeducators remain responsible for many of the clerical and student supervision aspects of schools; however, their responsibilities also include assisting the professional educator with instruction, working with parent groups, facilitating the inclusion of children with disabilities or cultural and language differences, and providing support for related services (Steckelberg, & Hoffman, 1986).As employment of paraeducators has increased, concerns regarding three issues have emerged: (a) the definition of the roles and responsibilities of paraeducators and their supervi-sors, (b) the adequacy of the training and support that paraeducators receive to provide effective direct services to students with special needs, and (c) the debate over how much responsibility for providing direct instructional services should be delegated to paraeducators as currently trained and supervised.A study of paraeducators working in inclusive educational settings (those settings in which students with mild to significant disabilities and typical students both participate in the general education classroom and curriculum) was conducted in two New England states to assess the paraeducators' perceptions of conditions relating to their employment. Purpose and MethodologyThe study was designed to gather information concerning the educational and experiential background of the participating paraeducators and the paraeducators' perceptions of district policie...

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