This technical assistance manual provides information for assessing the impact of increased employment of paraprofessionals on all special educational and personnel practices, facilitating the integration of paraprofessionals into various classroom settings and staffing patterns, and improving the performance and productivity of paraprofessionals through comprehensive standardized systems of career development. Parts I and II provide background information on the changing responsibilities of teachers, other support personnel, and paraprofessionals; reasons for the increased utilization of paraprofessionals in roles that are becoming more sophisticated and challenging; and suggestions for structuring personnel practices and training programs to improve the performance and management of paraprofessionals. Extensive appendices include: (1) competencies for instructional paraprofessionals; (2) an outline of a model core curriculum designed specifically for paraprofessionals employed by public schools; (3) a format for developing functional job descriptions along with an example of a model career ladder for paraprofessionals; (4) samples of performance review instruments; (5) a description of the roles and responsibilities of policy makers and administrators at the state, district, and building level; and (6) a discussion of management skills required by teachers to supervise and work more effectively with paraprofessionals. (Contains 10 references.) (JDD)