A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Roles for Education Paraprofessionals in Effective Schools - 1997

Early Childhood Education Programs

Calcasieu Parish School District
Lake Charles, Louisiana

Professional Development: A Key Ingredient of Success

Paraprofessionals and teachers train together
Paraprofessionals' roles are clearly defined
Training is program-specific

Overview

Allison has been working as a paraprofessional in an early childhood education program in Calcasieu Parish for two years. When she first began working in the classroom, she felt awkward and unsure of her specific role and responsibilities. In fact, she and the classroom teacher both found it difficult to coordinate their activities. Fortunately, the district addressed this problem by providing them with a series of staff training sessions. In addition, Allison got to observe a more experienced paraprofessional at another school for a day. As a result of these experiences, Allison and the classroom teacher now work together efficiently and effectively as a team.

During the past ten years, the state of Louisiana has implemented two important early childhood education programs. The Model Early Childhood Program was introduced in 1985 to school districts around the state. This program seeks to identify and address the educational and socialization needs of at-risk preschool students through a variety of developmentally appropriate learning activities. The second program, Starting Points, was introduced in 1992. The two programs, which rely heavily on the skill and expertise of both paraprofessionals and teachers for their success, are almost identical in their structure and in their curricular and instructional content. Calcasieu Parish has implemented both the Model Early Childhood Program and Starting Points.

District Context

The Calcasieu Parish School District is located in southwestern Louisiana, near the Texas border and close to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a suburban district with approximately 34,000 students in 64 schools. The student population is about 55 percent white and 35 percent African American. Approximately one-third of all students receive free or reduced-price lunches. There are 12 early childhood education programs in the district's 35 elementary schools--six Model Early Childhood Education programs, two Starting Points programs, and four Starting Points-type classes funded through Title I.

Each teacher and paraprofessional team works in a classroom with 16 to 20 students. Students must be "one year younger than the age required to enter kindergarten" to enroll in either program. Because this age requirement varies from parish to parish in Louisiana, participating students are typically four- or five-year-olds.

Major Program Features

Through an emphasis on flexibility and creativity, the two early childhood education programs promote language development and instill a spirit of independence among very young students. Because paraprofessionals play an important role in supporting and contributing to the educational goals of these programs, the district has developed a training program that not only clarifies their roles and responsibilities but also improves their instructional skills. Paraprofessionals learn to work with teachers to create suitable learning environments and to implement effective teaching practices during regularly scheduled workshops throughout the school year.

Academic Program for Students

The two early childhood programs are based on The Creative Curriculum,⁴ a framework for implementing a developmentally appropriate, center-based program for pre-K students. The framework outlines approaches for arranging and managing classrooms; it also recommends strategies for encouraging students to learn by stimulating their curiosity in the objects and activities available at each center.

Each classroom is divided into ten learning centers:

Block center
Computer center
Home center
Music and movement center
Transportation center

Table toys center
Sand and water center
Library center
Art center
Dramatic center

Students spend two hours each day engaged in center-based activities. During this time they can spend as little or as much time as they want at each center. Afterwards they discuss their experiences with teachers and paraprofessionals, who lead specific activities designed to either introduce a concept or teach a new skill. For example, while visiting the library center, a student may discuss a story that was read by a paraprofessional or teacher. Similarly, the teacher and paraprofessional may introduce a group of students to the concept of measurement as they play with various utensils in the sand and water center.

Besides the centers, the two programs offer other activities that emphasize not only physical skill development but also adult-child interaction and conversation. For example, students spend approximately one hour each day in organized outdoor play designed to develop gross motor skills. Whole-class and small-group discussions and activities--which typically occur at the beginning or end of the day--are also a part of the daily routine. During these sessions, the teacher and paraprofessional can introduce a new topic of general interest to students, play a visual memory game, or teach a new skill for students to practice afterwards in the centers.

Although similar, the Model Program and Starting Points differ in some respects. For example, school districts receiving Model Program grants can determine who is to be classified as "at risk"; these districts can also set their own eligibility criteria for participating students. Starting Points receives support from a federal Childcare and Development Block Grant, and parents of all participants must meet specified income and other eligibility criteria (e.g., parent must be either employed or attending a training program).

The programs also differ in their source of funding and administration. In the past, when Louisiana's Bureau of Elementary Education administered the two programs, the state provided evaluation and technical assistance--with follow-up--to the sites. Currently, only Starting Points is administered by the Bureau, with the state continuing to allocate funds for evaluation and follow-up assistance. The Model Program is funded with money earned from the state's oil revenues and administered by the state's Educational Trust Fund. All funds are distributed directly to the school districts, with none earmarked for state-sponsored evaluation or training.

Staff Development and Training

State-level support. Each fall an early childhood education conference is held in the state; teachers and paraprofessionals who work in Starting Points and the Model Program receive training in appropriate practices and techniques to enhance the center-based activities in their classrooms. Sessions are offered on a range of topics, including room arrangement, classroom management, and assessment. Representatives from the state department of education visit Starting Points classrooms during the academic year to evaluate the quality of the instruction being provided and to offer individualized technical assistance where needed.

District-level support in Calcasieu Parish. Teachers and paraprofessionals in the Starting Points and Model Early Childhood programs continue to receive training throughout the school year from a series of workshops specially developed by the Calcasieu Parish school district. The workshops were developed under the direction of the district's Supervisor of Instruction, with teachers and paraprofessionals working together to clarify the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for both paraprofessionals and teachers in the early childhood classrooms. Mutually accepted job descriptions and a scale for evaluating performance resulted from this effort.

Calcasieu Parish offers support and training for paraprofessionals in many ways. For example, the district encourages struggling paraprofessionals to observe and work with a more experienced mentor at another site. In addition, training workshops encourage paraprofessionals to work in pairs and to be videotaped in order to learn various instructional strategies (e.g., questioning techniques). Group discussions, role playing and modeling, and providing individual feedback are other important features of these training sessions.

The monthly workshops for teachers and paraprofessionals are held at the district's media center. The topics and issues addressed at these workshops reflect the goals of the district, which are to increase the knowledge and skills of both teachers and paraprofessionals and to enhance the ability of paraprofessionals to serve as reinforcers of learning in the classroom.

Workshops are led by district staff, consultants, and instructors from nearby universities. Some recent topics and issues include:

Student observation guides (e.g., determining what paraprofessionals should look for and record as the teacher conducts student screenings)
Student portfolios (e.g., establishing portfolios as a valuable means of recording progress, identifying and selecting appropriate items to be included)
Age-appropriate materials and activities (e.g., increasing awareness of what is appropriate and inappropriate for pre-K students, suggesting new materials and activities to introduce in the classroom)
Books and reading (e.g., forming strategies to enhance students' language skills as they read and discuss stories, sharing these suggestions with parents.
Working with special needs students
Establishing good home-school relationships

Besides lectures and demonstrations, some workshops are very specific, particularly those that focus on new classroom materials. The workshops also provide teachers and paraprofessionals with new activities (e.g., songs, games) for specific centers within the classroom.

Evidence of Success

Teachers and paraprofessionals agree that one major benefit of their training is that they work more effectively as a team in the classroom. For example, before the training, some teachers complained of having to "manage" their aides rather than instructing students--a problem now resolved. Alleviating tension and conflict has contributed to a more positive learning environment for students, many of whom are sensitive to the interpersonal dynamics between the adults in the classroom.

Some teachers note that paraprofessionals have become more skilled in encouraging students' verbal abilities; in addition, the competence of paraprofessionals in other areas is quite high. District and school staff believe that, when teachers and paraprofessionals receive the same training and information, their students receive a higher quality education and a richer school experience.

⁴ The curriculum guide was developed by Diane Trister-Dodge, president and founder of Teaching Strategies, a firm in Washington, D.C.

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[Overview of Effective Programs]

[Title I Instruction]