Montana

Department of Education

Best Term to Access Data Using Site's Search Engine

• Paraprofessionals
• Paraeducators is considered a subset of paraprofessionals distinguished by working under the direction of educational professionals and/or related service providers responsible for the conduct and management of the classroom or program, including design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs and student progress (Paraprofessionals in Montana: A Resource Guide for Administrators, Educators, and Paraprofessionals, January, 2012).

Compliance with NCLB

• Guidelines for Meeting Requirements for Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals
• Assist the local agency with the steps necessary to meet mandated expectations

Paraeducator Assessment Comparisons

• Local agencies choose the assessment paraprofessionals take to meet mandated expectations; this document compares all available assessments to assist this selection.

Paraprofessionals Achieving Standards Successfully (PASS)

• MEA-MFT PASS is an intensive four-day course designed to help Montana paraprofessionals meet the "high quality paraprofessional" definition in the No Child Left Behind Act.

Standards to Measure Professional Growth of Paraeducators

• Paraprofessionals in Montana: A Resource Guide For Administrators, Educators, and Paraprofessionals, January 2012
  • Section VI, pages 10-13, lists standards and competencies designed to assist paraprofessionals in meeting the criteria to become highly qualified and to direct training programs for paraprofessionals
• Special Education/Title 1/ESL Paraprofessional Evaluation
  • A form to measure growth based upon the standards and competencies

Policy that Distinguishes Paraeducators Working with Special Education

• Paraprofessionals in Montana: A Resource Guide For Administrators, Educators, and Paraprofessionals, January 2012
  • Professional development explicably for special education paraeducators is found in section VIII, Educating the Paraprofessional, page 30-35, Orientation to Special Education.
  • The appendices expands upon specific role responsibilities
    • Physical Therapy assistants
    • Occupational therapy assistants
    • Speech-language assistant
• Paraprofessional Orientation Manual
  • This document is a collection of worksheets to accompany the above resource guide.
  • Section 1, page 3, provides a guide to accompany a state provided presentation for Orientation of Special Education Paraeducators

Resource Guide for Supervisors: Assisting Local Agencies in Supervision of Paraeducators Beyond NCLB Mandated Expectations

• Paraprofessionals in Montana: A Resource Guide For Administrators, Educators, and Paraprofessionals, January 2012
  • This inclusive document covers such topics as:
    • Rationale for using paraprofessionals
    • Legal authority for paraprofessionals in Montana's schools
    • Suggested standards and competencies
    • Role definition for administrators, teachers and paraprofessionals
    • Professional development curriculum for the training of paraprofessionals
      • Orientation
      • Code of ethics
      • Communication in the classroom
      • Team building
      • Instructional tactics
      • Health and safety
    • Appendix B, pages 78-80, reviews supervisor responsibilities
• Guidance for Use of Paraprofessional Document
  • Provides reasons to use the resource guide
• Paraprofessional Orientation Manual
  • This document provides worksheets to assist with the above resource guide.
  • Section 1, page 4, lists topics to present in orientation professional development for paraprofessionals.
• Resource Guide for Paraprofessionals
  • https://sites.google.com/site/paraorientation/home
  • The Department of Education is currently creating an interactive website to modernize the above documents.
• Job Description of Special Education/Title I/ESL Paraprofessionals
  • Lists qualifications of, defines supervisor for, and general responsibilities.
• Sample Interview Questions Tied to Paraprofessional Portfolio Assessment
  • To be used when completion of a portfolio has been chosen as the means to highly qualified status.

Standards to Measure the Professional Growth of Teachers in a Position to Supervise Paraeducators

Not evident