Special Report on ESEA
For Paras, ESEA Raises the Bar

Ever had to prove that you were qualified to do a job after you'd been doing it successfully for years?

That's the situation facing many of NEA's paraeducator members who must comply with beefed-up requirements enacted as part of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The new rules for qualifications have many paras wondering where they stand.

"There's a considerable amount of concern among paraeducators, mainly having to do with how the law affects their job situation and the effort and expense it will take to fulfill the requirements," says Donovan King, an organizational specialist in NEA's Department of ESP Quality. "I have heard from many of our members who say: 'I've been a paraeducator for 20 years. The teachers, the parents, and the students know that I'm good at what I do. And now the federal government is telling me I'm not qualified?'"

In a nutshell, here's how the new ESEA provisions impact paras.

• The requirements apply only to "paraprofessionals" performing instructional support duties such as tutoring, assisting with instruction in a classroom or computer lab, providing assistance in a library or media center, translating, or conducting parental involvement activities. The requirements apply to those working in Title I-funded programs. (According to the U.S. Department of Education, this includes all paras employed in schools receiving schoolwide Title I funding, or those whose positions are funded by Title I in schools receiving targeted aid.) The federal requirements do not apply to non-Title I paras, paras who work solely as translators, paras doing only parental involvement activities, or those who do not perform instructional support duties.
• The new provisions for Title I paras mandate that newly hired paraeducators must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and meet one of the following:
  • Have an associate's degree;
  • Have two years of college; or
  • Pass a state or local assessment that demonstrates knowledge of reading, writing, and math and the ability to assist with instruction.

Affected paraeducators hired on or before January 8, 2002, must meet these requirements by January 8, 2006.

About one-third of NEA's paraeducator members already have an associate's degree, thereby ensuring that they comply with the new requirements. Many others may have completed two years of college. NEA affiliates and locals are undertaking a variety of measures to help paras who do not yet meet the new provisions. Examples include securing funding for programs to assist paraeducators in meeting the requirements and conducting workshops to prepare members for tests or portfolio- building. (For more, see "No Para Left Behind," March 2003 NEA Today, pages 30-31.)

This Special Report on ESEA contains an easy-to-follow flow chart (next page) to help paras determine how the ESEA's provisions on qualifications may affect them. For additional details, check out the sources at the right and consult your local NEA representatives regarding local and state requirements for paras.

NEA Action

• As part of NEA's strategy for improving the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Association is fighting for increased funding to recruit, train, and retain Title I paraeducators to meet ESEA's new requirements. For updates, check out www.nea.org/lac.
• Locals and state affiliates are working closely with state education officials and representatives of higher education to offer paraeducators college coursework and training for assessments.

What You Can Do

• Make sure to document your credentials. For example, keep copies of your transcripts or certificates of attendance at professional development workshops.
• Work with your local Association representatives to find out what assessments your state or district plans to use as one route to meeting ESEA's new qualifications requirement. You can help by lobbying for funding for increased training to help paras meet the new provisions.

For More Info

• Check out the ESP area of NEA's website for quick clicks on what the new ESEA means for paras. Go to www.nea.org/esphome/issues/eseapara.html.
• For the latest on the new ESEA and the regulations for implementing it, visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/asst.html. Links are changed frequently, so the best method for finding the most recent information is to click on the sections marked "NCLB Legislation," "NCLB Regulations," and "NCLB Policy Guidance" and search for links relating to Title I paraprofessionals.

This section of NEA Today was compiled by John O'Neil and Kristen Loschert