Section 4 AAC 04.220 - Paraprofessional standards(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.Eff. 6/10/2004, Register 170; am 5/18/2006, Register 178; am 2/28/2010, Register 193; am 10/20/2018,Register 228, January 2019; am 10/26/2022, Register 244, January 2023Information 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