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

Overview of Effective Programs

The exhibit below presents an overview of the programs.

Summary of Profiled Programs

Program Name	Location	Population Served	Program Focus
PARAPROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
Early Childhood Education Programs	Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana	Student population is 55 percent white, 35 percent African American, 10 percent "other"	Two programs, funded through Title I, pair teachers and paraprofessionals to promote language development in four- and five-year-olds
Title I Instruction	Denver, Colorado	Two-thirds of the district's students are minority-- primarily African-American and Hispanic	Two of the main programs funded through Title I include supplemental math and intensive tutoring in reading; paraprofessionals assist in computer-aided instruction and hands-on activities
Migrant Head Start Program	El Mirage, Arizona	Students' parents who are migrant workers	Funded through Title I Migrant and Head Start programs, the Dysart School district offers migrant parents training to become peer mentors, kindergarten paraprofessionals, and parent trainers
Early Elementary Education Program	Frederick County, Maryland	"At-risk" four-year-olds, who are often identified through older siblings enrolled in Title I or federal lunch programs	Using state and Title I funds, this district-sponsored program encourages paraprofessionals and teachers to work and plan together, using a developmentally appropriate curriculum
Developing a Partnership	Los Angeles County, California	Not applicable	A professional development model, this program requires teams of paraprofessionals and cooperating teachers to participate in training that helps clarify relationships and distribute instructional duties appropriately
Parent Technicians	Norfolk, Virginia	Parents of at-risk students	The district hires and trains "parent technicians" to serve as community liaisons, who plan workshops, organize projects, visit homes, arrange conferences with teachers, and in several schools run Parent Centers
Program Name	Location	Population Served	Program Focus
Title I Kindergarten parent Involvement Program	Spokane, Washington	Kindergarten students and their parents; overall student population is about 11 percent minority, and almost half receive free or reduced-price lunches	Paraprofessionals observe students in the classroom, meet with teachers to discuss students' needs, and visit students' homes to show parents the importance of reading to their children and playing educational games
School Employee Effectiveness Training	Washington State	Not applicable	The Washington Education Association offers this training program, which focuses on improving communication and problem-solving skills of paraprofessionals and other support staff, through contracts with schools and districts
Title I Parent Involvement Workers	Wichita, Kansas	Parents of students; overall student composition is 61 percent white, 22 percent African American, 10 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian, and 2 percent American Indian; almost half of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches	More than one-third of the district's elementary schools employ paraprofessionals as parent involvement workers, who operate parent resource centers at the school and reach out to draw parents into partnerships with teachers
Site-Based Management	Wyoming, Michigan	The district student population is 14 percent minority, and one-quarter of students receive free or reduced-price lunches	The district has adopted both districtwide and individual school site-based decisionmaking and ensured that paraprofessionals and other support personnel are included on the councils; all council members receive ongoing training covering such topics as overall school operations, basic management concepts, federal education policies, and cultural diversity

Program Name	Location	Population Served	Program Focus
PARAPROFESSIONAL-TO-TEACHER CAREER LADDER PROGRAMS
Career Development Program	Albuquerque, New Mexico	Not applicable	The school district offers $5,000 scholarships to five educational assistants each semester to take University of New Mexico courses leading to teacher certification
Career Ladder Program	Cleveland, Ohio	Not applicable	This district-sponsored program has three components; job targets, tuition reimbursement, and training, which leads to a bachelor's degree and teacher certification
Teaching Opportunities for Paraprofessionals	Connecticut Department of Education	Not applicable	This state program aims to increase the pool of certified minority teachers in Connecticut's urban districts through a tuition grant program that sends paraprofessionals to school full time while they continue to receive their district-paid salaries
Bilingual Pupil Services Program	New York, New York	Not applicable	In this program, college students intern as paraprofessionals in bilingual classrooms while they earn their teaching certification and college degrees

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[Overview of Sites Profiled in This Idea Book]

[Early Childhood Education Programs]