On-Line Paraeducator Refresher Tests

Many school districts are using the ParaPro Assessment test developed by ETS to determine whether paraprofessionals who have not completed two years of college meet the requirement to be "highly qualified" under the "No Child Left Behind" act. Paraprofessionals working in Title I schools must meet the requirements.

NEA has created three short, interactive on-line refresher tests in math, reading and writing, based on the kinds of questions asked by the ETS test. Go to the refresher tests.

The federal law originally set a deadline of Jan. 8, 2006 for paraprofessionals to meet the "highly qualified" requirements, but in a major lobbying victory, NEA helped persuade the U.S. Department of Education to extend the deadline to the end of the 2005-06 school year -- the same as for teachers.

The extension, long sought by NEA, was made public on June 16 in a letter to Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) from U.S. Education Deputy Secretary Raymond Simon.