This guide was developed to provide teachers, related service personnel, administrators, paraprofessionals, and other individuals charged with assisting in the development of Minnesota's paraprofessional workforce, with information and strategies to build strong, effective, supportive teams to ensure successful educational services for all students. It begins by discussing the evolving role of paraprofessionals as instructional supports and key members of the educational team. Federal and state legislation relating to paraprofessionals is reviewed and characteristics of Minnesota paraprofessionals are highlighted. The guide then includes sections that address: (1) the six guiding principles of Minnesota paraprofessionals; (2) the roles of educational team members working with paraprofessionals; (3) paraprofessional competencies, including competencies relating to: understanding special education, characteristics of learners, assessment and diagnosis, instructional content and practice, supporting the teaching and learning environments, managing student behavior, communicating and collaborative partnerships, and professionalism and ethical practices; (4) competencies for individuals who direct the work of paraprofessionals; and (5) creating an Individualized Professional Development Plan. Appendices include core competencies and specialized competencies for Minnesota paraprofessionals, a core paraprofessional skills inventory, a specialized paraprofessional skills inventory, a support assistant work plan request, a job description worksheet, and an Individualized Professional Development Plan. (Contains 12 references.) (CR)