FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
SALLY BRADSHAW
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
LINDA J. EADS, ED. D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
February 26, 2003
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
District School Superintendents
Directors of Title I Programs
District Certification Contacts
Directors of Personnel
FROM:
Betty Coxe
SUBJECT:
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Title I Paraprofessional Qualification
Requirements/Assessments
This document is sent to provide information regarding the NCLB qualification
requirements for paraprofessionals providing instructional support in Title I
schoolwide and targeted assistance programs. The main topic is information,
as it is known to date, regarding the use of a locally-developed academic
assessment for meeting the educational requirements for paraprofessionals.
Resource sites for the most recent federal documents relating to NCLB and the
Department’s NCLB Updates on personnel issues are also included.
If you have questions relating to this memorandum, please direct them to
Beverly Gregory, Chief, Bureau of Educator Certification, at edcert@fldoe.org.
Additional questions relating to specific program issues are to be directed to
your established program contact person(s). We hope this information is
helpful in determining the qualifications of instructional support personnel for
compliance with NCLB.
BC/bg
Attachments
BETTY COXE
Deputy Chancellor
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 501 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 413-0555 • www.fldoe.org
Paraprofessional
Assessments
Section 1119 of the No Child Left Behind Act establishes the educational qualification requirements
for all paraprofessionals providing instructional support services in Title I schoolwide programs and
instructional paraprofessionals paid with Title I, Part A funds in targeted assistance programs.
Additionally, the Title I Final Regulations relating to NCLB clarify that a paraprofessional paid with
Title I, Part A funds providing instructional support to a public school teacher who is providing
services to eligible private school students must meet the educational requirements. One of the
following requirements must be met:
1.
An associate’s or higher degree,
2.
Two years of study at an institution of higher education, or
3.
A rigorous state or
local
assessment of knowledge of and the ability to assist in
instruction in reading, writing, and mathematics or reading readiness, writing readiness,
or mathematics readiness.
In keeping with the Department’s desire to grant flexibility to school districts whenever possible, the
Department will not be developing a state test for meeting option three but rather will be allowing the
local district to identify and approve the assessment(s) to comply with the paraprofessional
qualification requirements of NCLB. The district must use a pen and paper test or a computerized
version of a test. In addition, the district may require additional competency demonstration
components such as observations and portfolios. However, such observations or portfolios alone are
not sufficient to meet this requirement. The assessment(s) approved by the school district must be
rigorous and objective and must have a standard that each candidate is expected to meet or exceed
and must be applied uniformly. The school district shall maintain documentation of test results.
At the time of this memorandum, the Department has identified for district consideration the
following assessments as meeting the requirements of NCLB. This list
is not exhaustive
as there
may be additional existing appropriate assessment instruments or other paraprofessional assessment
instruments under development.
Department of Education Acceptable Paraprofessional Assessments:
•
Educational Testing Service Praxis Parapro Assessment
•
College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST)
•
The Florida Teacher Certification Examination General Knowledge Test -- passing scores
earned July 1, 2002, and after
•
Educational Testing Service Praxis I: Academic Skills -- passing scores earned prior to July
1, 2002
Tests of Adult Basic Education are not approved at this time since discussions on the use of the TABE
are still on-going at a national level.
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The Department is presently in the process of developing the guidelines for the next LEA
Consolidated Application for programs under NCLB. This process will link the Title I LEA grant
application and the existing LEA Plan requirements. Currently, Title I LEA plans have been approved
through the end of the 2007-08 school year. However, all school districts shall be required to submit
an amendment that shall describe the process/plan that has been developed to assist existing
paraprofessionals in meeting the requirements of Section 1119, the professional development that has
been (or will be) provided, and the assessment(s) that shall be used to satisfy the rigorous
paraprofessional testing requirement. If an assessment other than the ones shown in the above list is
identified for use, the district must submit written documentation identifying the test and supporting
information describing the reliability, validity, and skills and level tested. Specific amendment
guidelines will be sent to each district under separate cover.
A reminder of the time line for meeting one of the three paraprofessional qualification options is:
paraprofessionals hired after January 8, 2002, must qualify at the time of hiring, and existing
paraprofessionals hired on or before January 8, 2002, must qualify no later than January 8, 2006.
These timelines were provided in the NCLB update memorandum of November 26, 2002, at the
following web address: http://info.firn.edu/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-723/NCLB-Parapro-Req-ChartA.pdf.
Resources on NCLB Personnel Issues
The following resources are identified for more information. Please note that draft guidance
documents may be subject to change.
Legislation, Regulations, & Guidance Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (general
site):
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/asst.html
Title I Paraprofessional Draft Non-Regulatory Guidance:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/paraguidance.pdf
Title II, Part A Non-Regulatory Draft Guidance:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SIP/Titleiiguidance2002.doc
34 CFR Part 200 Title I- Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Final
Rule
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2002-4/120202a.html
Florida Department of Education No Child Left Behind Updates:
http://info.firn.edu/dscgi/ds.py/View/Collection-262
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