TOP-SET* LDE

The Project TOP Teachers* LDE - Transition of Paraeducators to Teachers of Linguistically Diverse Education - was funded by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). This project was based on a longstanding successful partnership between The PAR²A Center, Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD), Denver Public Schools, Adams County School District 14 and Adams 12 Five Star Schools. The project addressed the shortage of highly qualified English Language Acquisition Teachers in the targeted districts and was anchored in the research evidence that paraeducators are excellent candidates to fill teaching positions as they are highly motivated and familiar with challenging classroom environments. The project provided an opportunity to 18 highly qualified paraeducators to complete their teacher licensure and become highly qualified teachers of Linguistically Diverse Education by Spring of 2009. These paraeducators had been nominated by their school districts because of their outstanding abilities and promise of success as future teachers. The proposed project met the participants’ needs for financial, academic and career supports through individualized advising and mentoring and helped them achieve their goal of becoming highly qualified teachers.