ERIC Number: ED646691
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 150
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-8340-9146-2
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Professional Development for Special Education Paraeducators: How to Effectively Train Classroom Staff to Support Students with Complex Instructional and Behavioral Needs
Cara Olson-Sawyer
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Portland State University
According to data from U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics in 2018, it is estimated that there are 1,308,100 paraeducators employed in public schools in the United States. Despite the prevalence of paraeducators, these employees receive limited opportunity for training. In addition, there is little guidance from the Department of Education or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for effective professional development (Brock & Carter, 2013) and there are no standardized job qualifications or job descriptions across states and school districts. This lack of uniformity, combined with vague job descriptions often result in paraeducators entering the education field with no formal education and training, despite the fact that these are the employees who are most likely to work with the most challenging students (Brock & Carter, 2013; Giangreco, Doylem & Suter, 2012). To work with students with disabilities more successfully, there needs to be a concerted effort to identify and develop comprehensive and effective training options for paraeducators, including components of adult learning theory and self-monitoring measurement tools. This quantitative, pre/post design study examined the impact of professional development model, TEACH (Training to Evidence- and Assessment-based Classroom Habits; Borgmeier, Simonsen, & Freeman, 2014) on a group of eight paraeducators' implementation of pre-correction and active supervision and disruptive, off-task student behavior. The results of all of these measures were mixed, showing that TEACH had a positive impact on self-efficacy, active supervision, and out of classroom referrals for students while the opposite was true for pre-correction and on-task student behavior. Based on the results, recommendations are made for future research in this area. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Paraprofessional School Personnel, Students with Disabilities, Training, Professional Development, Evidence Based Practice, Student Behavior, Program Effectiveness, Self Efficacy, Supervision, Referral, Discipline, Student Needs, Behavior Problems
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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