Purpose/Objectives: School nutrition (SN) assistants/technicians are vital to the operation of successful school nutrition programs. The objective of this study was to update the 2006 Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills (CKS) needed by effective SN assistants/technicians. Changes in SN programs since 2006, including the implementation of…

Research has focused on methods to support, train, and prepare one-to-one paraprofessionals from perspectives of administrators and teachers. This quantitative study extended research by investigating perspectives of one-to-one paraprofessionals on preparation, support, communication, feedback, and involvement in planning. These variables were…

Supporting the development and training of paraeducators can be complex; however, that support in rural settings can be especially challenging. The unique structure of rural settings, often with limited personnel and available resources, can create challenges for recruiting and retaining quality candidates within the field of paraeducation. This…

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the perceived effect that training had on special education paraprofessionals at a suburban public middle school in the south-central region of the United States of America. Qualitative research was conducted with 7 participants, utilizing demographic surveys and interviews. The…

Paraprofessionals are often tasked with implementing behavior management strategies to support the complex needs of students with disruptive behavior disorders. This study examined reported use and effectiveness of common classroom behavior strategies from 86 paraprofessionals working in 36 elementary schools using a mixed method design. Data were…

In the field of visual disabilities, students who have visual impairments in addition to other disabilities receive limited amounts of direct service time from a teacher of students who are visually impaired (TVI), leaving most of their education in the hands of special education teachers and paraprofessionals. These professionals can support…

This capstone project focuses on the use of Improvement Science Methodology to improve the onboarding, training, and retention of paraeducators. The project aims to involve those closest to the work in identifying and addressing challenges through a process of continuous improvement. The author draws on relevant literature around improvement…

The aim of this study is to identify the expressions of legitimacy work available to professional support staff at contemporary higher education institutions (HEIs) and how these expressions can be understood as strategies in their work. Academics are the given audience for this legitimacy work. Professional support staff are commonly described as…

Through a social constructivist lens, this study looked at how paraprofessionals understand mathematics instructional content and associated pedagogical skills and explore an organization's current involvement of support staff in schools' mathematical classrooms. The setting for this bounded case study was two elementary schools contained in one…

Classroom observation is an accountability practice which promotes the evaluation of teachers' capacity to meet standards, improve teaching practices, and enhance student learning outcomes. Prior research has revealed that these practices are not without bias: the reliability of observation can be challenged because of classroom or observer…

Professional staff occupy an essential role in universities, and yet they have received little attention in the existing French literature, despite the considerable changes afoot in academic institutions. Based on qualitative research consisting primarily of 43 semi-structured interviews, this article looks at representations of development…

This case study examined how the academic advising (hence, advising) component of a Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher program can be tailored to honor bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals' (hence, BL/BC paras) assets and differential needs. Data collection strategies included participant observation, interviews, a focus group, field notes, and…

High-quality professional development can lead to increased and sustained implementation of evidence-based practices. This study examined the effects of practice-based coaching paired with scripted supports on a paraeducator's use of shared book reading strategies. Indirectly evaluated were impacts on the expressive and receptive vocabulary…

Paraeducators in the United States are often paired with students with disabilities who have experienced trauma, but paraeducators may not be adequately knowledgeable about behavioral impacts of trauma. A review of all states and the District of Columbia in the United States found that no specific jurisdiction has required trauma education for…

Paraeducators are often utilized in the education of students with disabilities, and principals play key administrative roles with paraeducators. However, little research exists to understand principals' experiences with paraeducators. This study explored principals' perceptions regarding paraeducators in elementary settings. Given the varied…