NCLB News: No Crisis for Paraprofessionals

I'm not sure if anyone cares about paraprofessionals anymore, but a relatively new little report from the Urban Institute points out that the NCLB requirements for paras might not be having the anticipated effects of forcing paras out of the classroom or limiting low-income students' access to minority and bilingual aides.

The report, commissioned by Recruiting New Teachers and funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education, is based on a survey of states and districts. "These districts projected that by the NCLB deadline next year, an average of 90 percent (urban) to 95 percent (rural) of aides would 'probably meet requirements.'"

Paras, unlike classroom teachers, were not given an extra year to comply with the HQ requirements of NCLB. Most have been asked to meet the HQ requirements via WorkKeys or ParaPro tests. However, most states don't have good data on paras, and rates vary widely.

Read the Report: Crisis Brewing? Paraprofessionals and NCLB
Recent clips: New rules may mean fewer teacher aides
Previous Posts: Paraprofessional Aides: Teaching's Underclass