Appendix: Existing or Proposed State Paraeducator Certification Policies

Alabama. Letter of approval required. Thirty hours of formal training; permanent.

Delaware.Permit with requirements not specified; must have evaluated experience and training and skills relevant to the position; permanent.

Florida. Legislation outlining career ladder with LEA option (not mandatory) passed in 1998. Current regulations specify standards and procedures that apply to teacher aides, including health, age, knowledge of policies, and instructional practices.

Georgia. State license requires two years of college or 50 hours; renewable every three years, requiring additional 50 hours instruction or inservice.

Idaho. Special education—state standards for knowledge and performance. Recommendations for orientation and training in first year of employment.

Illinois. State certificate requires completion of a teacher aide training program approved by the superintendent or 30 semester hours; permanent. Legislation pending for revision and creation of task force to study issue.

Indiana. Special education—appropriately trained paraprofessionals may work under the direction of a teacher or related services personnel. Public agencies must provide preservice and inservice training.

Iowa. New hires must complete inservice in first year of employment. LEAs must have staff development plan that includes paraeducators. Special education—preservice and inservice requirements. Certificate granted to those who complete a recognized paraeducator preparation program with 90 clock hours of training.

Kansas. The state requires a permit for special education only. Effective May 2000, state regulations are no longer in effect, but districts must follow these standards in order to receive state reimbursement of approximately$8,000 per special education paraprofessional. Level 1—Twenty hours, renewable every year. Level 2—Thirty semester hours plus 450 hours inservice plus two years’ experience at Level 1; renew every three years. Level 3—Sixty semester hours or AA degree plus 900 hours inservice plus three years at Level 2; renew every three years.

Maine. Education technician/Level I—high school diploma, orientation, ongoing inservice. Education technician/Level II—Two years college plus inservice. Education technician/Level III—three years college plus inservice. All are renewed yearly.

Maryland. State task force report recommending licensure standards presented to state legislature in 1998; no LEA mandate. 2001—Development of state regulations in progress.

Minnesota. Minnesota Omnibus Education Bill of 1998 requires school boards in districts where paraprofessionals are employed in programs for students with disabilities to ensure that: Paraprofessionals have sufficient knowledge and skills in various areas, annual training opportunities to further develop knowledge and skills, and ongoing direction of their work by a licensed teacher, and where appropriate and possible, the supervision of a school nurse.

Mississippi. Assistant teacher; complete the reading, language arts, and math portions of a current nationally normed eighth grade standardized achievement test (exempt if holding a teaching certificate). HS diploma or GED; participate in annual training provided by the district.

Missouri. State requirement for instructional aides only of 60 hours college; renewed yearly.

New Hampshire. State Certificate. HS diploma, one year experience; complete a two-week orientation session on special education. Certified paraprofessionals must complete 50 hours in areas determined by the professional development master plan for their district.

New Jersey. Paraprofessional positions are approved by the county superintendent of schools who must develop job descriptions and standards for appointment.

New Mexico. State requirement that paraprofessional must complete a training program designed by local school district. Training varies according to district and how they use paraprofessionals.

New York. State certified. Teacher aide: must fulfill civil service requirements; responsibilities are non-teaching. Teaching assistant—temporary license: HS diploma; responsibilities are instructional in nature. Teaching assistant—continuing certificate: six hours of collegiate study; one year of experience; responsibilities are instructional in nature. Teaching assistant—Level I: HS diploma; satisfactory level of performance on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination Test. Teaching assistant—Level II: all requirements of Level I plus six hours of collegiate study. Teaching assistant-Level III: all requirements of Level II plus 18 hours of collegiate study. Teaching assistant— paraprofessional certificate: all requirements of Level III plus must be matriculated in a program registered as leading to teacher certification.

Ohio. State permit. Education aide needs skills sufficient to do the job, one-year permit. Education Assistant—high school diploma and participation in unspecified inservice training under a one-year permit; renewed every four years.

Oklahoma. Legislation passed 1999; in process at state department of education.

Oregon. Under discussion at state department of education

Pennsylvania. State certified (private schools only).

Rhode Island. State requirement. High school diploma; training at discretion of district (Rhode Island Federation of Teachers is working to revise).

South Carolina. HS diploma; participation in preservice and inservice training programs for aides.

Texas. State certified. Education Aide—high school diploma and experience working with children; Education Aide II—Fifteen hours college or demonstrated proficiency; Education Aide III—Thirty hours college and three years as Aide I or II. Legislation introduced for revision, 1999.

Utah. Standards for special education paraeducators were developed and approved by state board in May 1995. Collaboration with the state office of education, school districts, and two- and four-year institutes created two-year associate degree programs for paraeducator development that is articulated to four-year special education and elementary education teacher preparation programs.

Vermont. Level I—Six hours college, renewed yearly. Level II—Thirty hours college plus one year experience, renewed every two years. Level III—Sixty hours college plus two years’ experience, renewed every three years. Level IV—Ninety hours college, renew every four years. Personnel standards for paraprofessionals will be included in special education rules in 2002.

Washington. Current system defined but not mandatory.

Wisconsin. Special education only. Three years college or three years supervising youth activities or some combination that can include two years at voc-tech school specializing in childcare, renewed every five years.

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Source: Adapted from a table on the American Federation of Teachers Web site www.aft.org/psrp/certification/status.html, retrieved 1/10/02 with additional updates provided by paraeducator experts.