Current through February 27, 2024
(a) A paraprofessional will demonstrate the
ability to
(1) practice ethical and
professional standards of conduct and continued professional
improvement;
(2) understand how
students learn and develop and understand how to assist in providing
opportunities that support students' intellectual, social and personal
development;
(3) understand the
content areas and apply the elements of effective instruction to support
teaching and learning activities;
(4) motivate and assist students to build
self-esteem, develop interpersonal skills, and strengthen abilities in order to
become more successful;
(5)
understand the distinction between the roles and responsibilities of
professionals, paraprofessionals, and support personnel in the areas of
assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation;
(6) adhere to communication protocols with
colleagues, community members, and parents including following instructions,
sharing information, and using interpersonal skills to become an effective
member of the instructional team;
(7) understand and implement district and
state guidelines for protecting the safety, health and wellbeing of students
and staff, including the school district's crisis response plan; and
(8) utilize technology to assist and enhance
teaching and learning.
(b) Each district shall ensure that a
paraprofessional employed by the district in a public school in any grade
pre-kindergarten through grade 12 has
(1)
earned a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and
(2) met the standards set out in (a) of this
section through an annual evaluation an annual evaluation must consist of
observations and interviews by district personnel qualified to evaluate
paraprofessionals.
(c)
Except as provided in (d) of this section, and in addition to the requirements
of (b) of this section, each district shall ensure that a paraprofessional has
met at least one of the following requirements:
(1) completed at least two years, or 48
semester hours or equivalent, of study at a regionally or nationally accredited
institution of higher education;
(2) obtained an associate's or higher degree
at a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher education;
or
(3) achieved
(A) a score of at least 459 on the ParaPro
Assessment, published by the Educational Testing Service;
(B) the following minimum scores on the
Higher Education Learning Profile, published by Educational Resources
Incorporated:
(i) essential math, 54
percent;
(ii) reading
comprehension, 41 percent; and
(iii) written expression, 55
percent;
(C) the
following minimum scores on the Paraeducator Online Training and Assessments by
Master Teacher, Inc.:
(i) Assessment 1
Reading, Writing, and Math: Instructional Support, 65 percent; and
(ii) Assessment 2 Reading, Writing, and Math,
70 percent;
(D) the
following minimum levels on the Workkeys by ACT, Inc.:
(i) Workplace Documents, level 4;
(ii) Applied Math, level 4; and
(iii) Graphic Literacy, level 3;
or
(E) qualifying
competency examination scores under 4 AAC 12.310.
(d) A paraprofessional is not
required to meet the requirements of (c) of this section if the
paraprofessional
(1) acts as a translator to
enhance the participation of English learners or students with
disabilities,
(2) has instructional
Support duties that consist solely of conducting parental involvement
activities; or
(3) has only
non-instructional duties, including providing technical support for computers,
providing personal care duties, or performing clerical duties.
Information about the ParaPro Assessment, published by
Educational Testing Service, may be obtained at
https://www.cts.org/parapro;
about Paraeducator Online Training and Assessments by Master Teacher, Inc., at
https://www.mastertcachcr.com/paracducator-online-training;
about WorkKeys by ACT, Inc.,
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/workkevs-for-job-seekers/assessmcnts.html;
by writing to the Department of Education and Early Development, 801 W. 10th
Street, Suite 200, P.O. Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska
99811-0500.
Authority:AS 14.07.060
AS
14.50.080
