The Paraeducator Effectiveness Study: Supervision Models in Inclusive and Self-Contained Settings

The Paraeducator Effectiveness
Study: Supervision Models in
Inclusive and Self-Contained
Settings

Elena Sandoval-Lucero, Ph.D.
National Conference for Paraprofessionals
April 30, 2009

The Research on Paraeducator
Supervision
Duties/Responsibilities
Research has found that teachers tend to assign
responsibilities to paraeducators based on how they
perceive the paraeducator role (i.e. clerical versus.
Instructional) regardless of the individual interests,
career goals, skills, or abilities of paraeducators
(Rueda & Monzo, 2000).
A more effective method of supervising paraeducators
would be to design individualized job descriptions for
paraeducators based on their interests, strengths, and
abilities (French, 2002; Giangreco, 2003; Rueda &
Monzo, 2000).

Supervision
Training, Coaching, Feedback
In numerous recent studies, paraeducators report inadequate
paraeducator training, confusion about roles and responsibilities, low
salaries, limited advancement, lack of support, and under appreciation of
their contribution (Chopra, Sandoval-Lucero, Aragon, Berg de Balderas,
Bernal, & Carroll, 2004; French & Cabell, 1993; French & Chopra, 1999;
Giangreco, 2003; Hadadian & Yssel, 1998; Mendez-Negrete & Saldana,
2004; Morehouse & Albright, 1991; Passaro, Pickett, Latham, & HongBo,
1994; Pickett, Likins, & Wallace, 2003; Rueda, Monzo, & Higareda 2004).

On the other hand, paraeducators who are well trained report satisfaction
with learning and are able to apply new skills on the job (Griffin-Shirley, &
Matlock, 2004; Hall, McClannahan, & Krantz, 1995; Owens, Fredrick, &
Shippen, 2004; Reinoehl & Halle, 1994; Storey, Smith, & Strain, 1993)

Supervision
Collaboration
Paraeducators who describe being valued members of the team are
better able to fulfill important and needed roles such as helping to create
strong connections between the school and the community (Chopra,
Sandoval-Lucero, Aragon, Carroll, Berg de Balderas, & Bernal, 2004).
Teacher as Executive
The inclusive special educator is responsible for coordinating a complex
system of adults, students, paraeducators, related service providers, and
general classroom teachers. This contemporary role is similar to that of an
executive in a business setting (French & Chopra, 2006).

Executive Functions of Paraeducator
Supervision
Providing Orientation
Planning for Paraeducator
Scheduling
Delegating
Promoting Paraeducator Growth and
Development
Monitoring Performance
Managing the Workplace

Paraeducator Effectiveness Study

This research explored the
hypothesis that paraeducators
affect student achievement
It documents the use of research-
based methods and techniques
by paraeducators in Colorado
who have taken CO-TOP training
and those who have not.
The study also considers the
context in which the
paraeducators work, including
systems of supervision.

CO-TOP (Comprehensive Training
Opportunities for Paraeducators)
Paraeducator training curriculum provides research-based techniques
to paraeducators in greater depth than many training programs.

Topics selected based on needs assessments, studies of paraeducator
duties, and the literature.

Curriculum developed over time using experts to advise, panels to
review, field testing, revising, and final formatting

Delivered in districts by local instructors who have been trained to
deliver the curriculum

Mixed Methods Design
Data Collection

Paraeducators
•They do their jobs
•We observe while
they work
Teachers Student
•Complete a Achievement
•LoU Interview Self-Report Form

•Supervising Teacher •Provide Demographic
Assessment of Information about ACES –
Paraeducator Skills themselves Academic
Competency
•Demographic Evaluation
Information Scales

Research Participants - Teachers

Supervising Teacher’s # of Years in Supervising Teacher length of
this school
< 1year = 8 time supervising this
2-5 years = 51 paraeducator
6-10 years = 15 < 1 year = 10
11-15 years = 8 1-5 years = 56
16+ years = 9 6-10 years = 6
Secret # of years = 4
11-15 years = 2
Position of Person with whom 16+ years = 2
Paraeducator works Can’t remember = 19
2 - Classroom teacher
2 – Library Technology Educator Supervising Teacher –Training to
8 - Speech/Language Supervise Paraeducators?
Pathologist
83- special education teacher 41 – yes
54 – no

Research Participants - Teachers

Ages of Supervising Teachers
< 30 years = 8
31-40 = 19 Teacher Race/Ethnicity
41-50 = 25 0 = African American, Black
51-60 = 33 2 = Hispanic, Latino
61+ = 1 0 = Asian
86 = White, Caucasian
Supervising Teachers Level of 7 = Didn’t say
Education
B.A./ B.S. – 17
M.A./M.S. – 74
Won’t tell / Don’t know – 4

Findings: Teacher Interviews
# Paraeducators working for teachers who: Trained to Supervise?
Yes No
Don’t use basic supervision components 15 33
Use basic supervision components 26 21
Total 41 54

We asked about basic components of supervision:
How paraeducators are assigned to particular tasks
How planning occurs for the lessons and tasks paraeducators carry out
Meetings with paraeducators
Coaching, performance monitoring and feedback

Findings: Teacher Interviews
The facts:
56.8% of paraeducators were supervised by teachers with no
preparation to supervise
Of these, 61.1% received little to no supervision

Only 43.2% of paraeducators were supervised by teachers with
some preparation to supervise
Of these, only 63.4% actually received coaching and feedback

Our Conclusions:
Paraeducators who work with teachers
with no training receive very little
supervision – work almost entirely
independently
Even teachers who are trained to
supervise don’t always use what they know

Findings: Paraeducator Work Settings

Settings: We observed paraeducators working in:
General education classes
Speech language pathologist’s rooms
Special education classrooms
Libraries
Computer labs
Lunchrooms
Playgrounds
Bus loading / unloading

Findings: Two Effective Supervision Models

Effective supervision model in a self-contained
setting
Effective supervision model in an inclusive
setting

Providing Orientation: Self Contained Setting

Clear Expectations
Clear Expectations for staff (teachers and paraprofessionals)
High Expectations for students
Ability to see improvement
Behavior expectations

“I have very high expectations for the students and the adults.”

“My expectation is that we need to show that the kids are improving and
learning something.”

“A passion for kids, and can they get along with adults…Those are the only
things I look for when I am hiring. I can teach them other things. I cannot
teach them to love children and get along with adults. I believe that very
strongly.”

Planning for Paraeducator: Self
Contained Setting
Paraeducator Duties/Responsibilities
Duties tailored to the student’s needs and the paraeducator’s
interests, skills, abilities.
Paraeducator input into duties/responsibilities

At the end of the school year when we are looking at next year’s program we
attempt to identify the needs and objectives of the students coming in. We
know the strengths of the paras and how they fit with the students.
We talk to the paras about what types of things they are more comfortable with
and what they would like to be doing. If they prefer to work with the reading
program [for example].

Scheduling: Self Contained Setting
Master Schedule
Teachers do baseline assessments
Task analysis
Paraeducator input

“I have a schedule for how they are supposed to be collecting data and what
they are supposed to teach. They are actually involved in the scheduling itself.
The whole schedule is put into place in the spring before the next school year
so they know what they are going to be doing when they come in the next
school year…We have a lot of variables…we have a master schedule that
controls everything. I look at the needs of every student and how we do that.”

Delegating: Self Contained Setting
Clearly defined roles for staff
Promoting Independence
Individualized based on experience

As a teacher it is my role to take on as many kids as six at once. I
see the role of the TA as either one-on-one or a small group. A
number of my TA’s can take on more than that. Kathy can take on
the whole group because she has been trained in what we are
doing and has experienced my programs.
I feel that the teacher should do the original testing for the baseline,
so the TA knows what they are looking to gain from the baseline. It
is the teacher’s role to figure out where to start so they can define
the target and the TA can see if there is success.
“And once you have a system, I can leave for awhile and the
system is still there. You have to model. I don’t just throw someone
into something. I will show them how to do is so that it is using
independence. We set people up to fail, but I think you need to look
at parts of the system. It is important to develop the standards and
goals for what to do so they can work independently.”

Development: Self Contained Setting
Training
Modeling
Shadowing
Observation

“I have the master schedule to start with. With a new TA I set it up where I am teaching the
exact same thing they are, so that we can combine the groups and model it for them or set
them up with another TA to watch what she is doing.”

“I do a lot of modeling and the verbal usage I want them using. I watch to see if they are
providing the prompts. If we are taking data it is important to differentiate between
independently worked on, or prompted production. I have trained them all in terms of
collecting data, having to analyze data, and what is the aim to have the student move up.”

“The classroom is set up so that I can work with my students, but I can observe all three
locations in the classroom at once.”

“[The classroom set up] is good for behavior problems that I should intervene with. My team has
all been trained on what I want them to do with behavior, and how to deal with a behavior. I only
do that if I feel I need to. I don’t want to undermine their authority.”

Monitoring Performance: Self-Contained Setting

Feedback/ Reinforcement
“I am constantly talking about what I want to see and providing feedback.”

“I am always re-evaluating things. I think that is something teachers need to do. Based
upon personalities, strengths of individuals and make changes accordingly.”

Communication
Relationships with GE teachers

“When my teammates go out into a class they are there to help all students…The nice
thing about that is that teachers will be happier to work with my students…It helps my
relationships with the general education teachers….A lot of the teachers have been
here for while and know my process well. We’ve trained each other. They know my
expectations for behavior of our students. And the students know my expectations and
we are totally in sync the teachers, paras, me, and the students.”

Monitoring Performance: Self-Contained Setting

Data Collection
Assessment/analysis
Ability to see improvement

“We start developing the materials and the assessments that need to be
completed in the spring and the paras know what assessments we are
looking to do. They know the assessments for all their kids in each specific
area. All of them have been trained on how to analyze and give these
assessments…We know where every student is performing. If they finish
their assessments with their students they know where to go next.”

“I believe in data collection strongly. We collect data on everything…We
look where the data points are when they come in, and then we can track
the progress that the student makes, see what areas there has been
progress and that is reinforcing for the paras.”

Managing the Workplace: Self-Contained Setting

Structure
“Structure is great for kids and is just as important
for adults. The kids will feel safe and be
successful.”

“The classroom is set up so that I can work with
my students, but I can observe all three locations
in the classroom at once.”

“TA’s get frustrated by confusion. I want everything organized and to run
efficiently. No one should be wandering or not doing anything. There is way
to much to teach to waste time. TA”s get frustrated by not knowing what to
do….. TA”s get frustrated because they don’t see success, but if you
provide the right standards for student progress then you will see
development.”

Providing Orientation: Inclusive Setting

Clear Expectations
Clear Expectations for staff
Success expectations for students
Seeing growth
Share students goals and objectives
Behavior expectations

“I prepare a folder for the paras so they’re clear on who they’re working
with, what their expectation is, what the child is supposed to be working
on. So I think I have pretty clear expectations.”

“All the case managers really do [work together]. Everybody getting
along, knowing the expectations…so, we do as case managers spend
time really talking about that.”

“They have all the kids’ behavior plans. I’ll have the para help me write
the behavior plans, and the general ed teacher.”

Paraeducator Duties and Responsibilities:
Inclusive Setting
Plans
Informal to More Formal
Duties/Responsibilities
Paraeducator duties tailored to student’s needs and paraeducator interests, skills,
abilities
GE teacher and paraeducator input

“It just depends on the extent of training of the para and the significance of the
child. For some paras I will write at this time this is exactly what I want you to do
and these are the activities that I want you to do. There are other paras that I’ll
say, ‘These are the goals and objectives that I want you to work on.’ They know
what the materials are and they know what to do and they just work better if they
have a little bit more freedom that way, even though I’m guiding the instruction,
they’re doing the day to day. Today we’re going to do this game, tomorrow we’re
going to do an activity, this is seat work, that type of thing. So it just kind of
depends. It’s more individual based on the para and the para’s needs and the
significance of the child.”

Scheduling: Inclusive Setting
Individualized
Flexibility
“I assign my paras to individual students or classrooms”
“In fact, we’ve had to change the schedule, we have a student with autism in 1st
grade, and [his schedule wasn’t working]. He just needs fewer adults with
him…It does affect adults. Paras can start to feel like, ‘What am I doing wrong?’
and it’s not them. It’s just that we do not have the right structure in place for
him. So today in fact I wrote a big note for the paras saying, ‘I appreciate the
job that you’re doing. Everyone’s doing a great job. It’s just sometimes it’s the
nature of the beast. We’re gonna have to make adjustments and thank you for
being flexible about it.’ So I think I do try to give them pats on the back and
show appreciation and that king of thing.”
“For some paras I will write at this time this is exactly what I want you to do and
these are the activities that I want you to do. There are other paras I’ll say,
‘These are the goals and objectives that I want you to work on.” They know
what the materials are and they know what to do and they just work better if
they have a little bit more freedom.”

Delegating: Inclusive Setting

GE Teacher and Paraeducator input
Based on paraeducator experience

“I’ll have the para help me write the behavior plans and
the general ed teacher.”
“They know what materials are and they know what to do
and they just work better if they have a bit more freedom
that way, even though I am still guiding the instruction.”

Development: Inclusive Setting
Training
Modeling
Shadowing
Observation

“Every Thursday morning we have a para meeting” that’s about 8:15, goes for about
a half hour. We generally pick some type of a topic. For the last two weeks we’ve
been talking about prompting. So we’ve been doing some training on that. We’ll
provide some type of written [material] that they can take with them and then we’ll
do modeling, some discussions of that other para have done”

“I have been doing a lot of training. I’ll go and do the job for the para. I have the para
come and shadow me and then I model this is my expectation, this is what I want to
happen, this is how I want you to intervene with behavior, that kind of thing.”

“Also, when a para is new I’ll have them go shadow another para that way they see
this is what we do and how we intervene.”

Monitoring Performance: Inclusive Setting
Communication
Relationships with GE teachers
Meet weekly/twice weekly
Team meetings

“I try to meet the paras weekly, sometimes twice a week. ‘How’s it going?’ ‘What’s going on?’ ‘What do
you need?’ that type of thing so that I’m seeing what their needs are. I also talk to the general education
teachers and if they’re voicing any concerns to me about something that the paras have done, or not
having enough to do, then I’ll try to work on training the para that way.”

“I’m pretty hands on about it. I feel like that paras can say to me, ‘I need help on this.’ I really work at
making myself available for that training.”

Feedback
“I think we try to communicate along the road how they’re not meeting the expectations.”

“So today in fact I wrote a big note for the paras saying, ‘I appreciate the job that you’re doing. Everyone’s
doing a great job. It’s just sometimes it’s the nature of the beast. We’re gonna have to make adjustments
and thank you for being flexible about it.’ So, I think I do try to give them the pats on the back and show
appreciation and that kind of thing.”

Monitoring Performance: Inclusive Setting

Data collection
Develop tools

“I also give all the paras copies of the goals and objectives that the
student has and sometimes I’ll provide a little checklist that they can keep
data on. I’ll train them how to keep those records.”

“[The guided reading plan] I think it will help them see too. I don’t know
that they always see growth that they know how to measure that growth,
even though I have them doing data.”

Managing the Workplace: Inclusive Setting

Collaboration
Team environment
Talk with GE teachers and paras
Team teaching

“What we do for our meetings is we have an agenda and anybody
can add agenda items. So we have a set agenda so no one feels
like their time is wasted…We have norms that we have established
that just say this is that we want to be as a department…I think that
really helps. It just sets a tone for this is that we want to do and be
and we’re gonna present the positive about everyone.”

“We do feel like there’s good collaboration across the whole school
[working] with the paras. It’s not just me. I feel like it pretty global”

Managing the Workplace: Inclusive Setting

“I think that's probably the biggest key. I think even the
collaboration between the paras helps so much
because then it’s not just the case manager or the
teacher or somebody else saying, ‘Why don’t we do this
with Joey?’ The paras are collaborating they can share
their frustrations or share success stories…I really think
that part really, really helped build our department.

Similarities in the Supervision Models
Self Contained Setting Inclusive Setting
Providing Orientation: Clear Providing Orientation: Clear
Expectations Expectations
Providing Orientation: Growth Providing Orientation: Growth
Providing Orientation: Behavior Providing Orientation: Behavior
expectations expectations
Planning for Paraeducator: Planning for Paraeducator:
Paraeducator Input into duties Paraeducator Input into duties
and responsibilities and responsibilities
Planning for Paraeducator: Planning for Paraeducator:
Duties designed based on Duties designed based on
students needs and students needs and
paraeducator interests, skills, paraeducator interests, skills,
abilities abilities
Promoting Paraeducator Promoting Paraeducator
Growth and Development: Growth and Development:
Training, Modeling, Shadowing Training, Modeling, Shadowing
Delegating: Based on Delegating: Based on
paraeducator experience paraeducator experience
Managing the Workplace: Managing the Workplace:
Observation, Communication, Observation, Communication,
Feedback Feedback

Differences in the Supervision Models
Self Contained Setting Inclusive Setting
Planning for paraeducator: Planning for paraeducator: More
Organized plans for everyone in individualized supervision from
program from teachers to informal to formal
paraeducators to students Scheduling: Individualized &
Scheduling: Master Schedule flexible
Monitoring performance: Monitoring Performance:
Observation conducted by Observation conducted by general
supervising teacher in the education teachers and case
classroom managers throughout the building
Managing the workplace: Managing the workplace: Strong
Strong emphasis on structure emphasis on collaboration
Managing the workplace: Managing the workplace:
Strong emphasis on data and Interested in developing better
documenting student growth system for collecting data and
documenting student growth

Questions?
Contact Information

Ritu V. Chopra Elena Sandoval-Lucero
Assistant Research Professor Principal Investigator, Teacher Training Project
Executive Director Director of Admissions and Outreach
The PAR2A Center Metropolitan State College of Denver
University of Colorado Denver Campus Box, 16, P.O. Box 173362
1380 Lawrence St,, Suite 710 Denver, CO 80217
Office: 303-315-6361 Office: 303-352-4166
ritu.chopra@ucdenver,edu esando14@mscd.edu

The Paraeducator Effectiveness Study: Supervision Models in Inclusive and Self-Contained Settings

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