Northwest Sampler

Now that we have outlined some ideas for making paraeducators successful members of the instructional team, let’s look at what three schools and one school district in the Northwest are doing. Each of these schools employs paraeducators for different purposes. Some have reported success with increasing student achievement using paraeducators to tutor children in reading, or have found paraeducators beneficial in providing a connection for students and families to the school. The schools illustrate the common keys to success discussed in this booklet: administrative support and leadership; teacher direction of paraeducator work; respect for the unique role of paraeducators as part of a collaborative team, and the importance of paraeducator training, standards, and professional development. These are just a few of the many schools in the region and across the country implementing these keys to success. We provide contact information so schools can get in touch with each other to share ideas and learn from each other.