This is a study of Yellow Brick Road a paraprofessional volunteer training and group counseling program. The study was designed to help determine whether or not the program was meeting its own goals which are stated as: 1) to offer clients an experience which not only helps them to effect change in their lives, but to maintain those changes through healthy time-restructuring within a supportive environment; 2) to demonstrate that volunteers who are undergoing intensive training can provide quality counseling and other services; 3) to create a community environment supportive of healthy change. Toward evaluating these broadly stated goals, this study will specifically look at these factors: 1) client satisfaction, 2) internal program consistency, 3) activity group validity, that is, whether or not activity groups contribute to the change process.

The principal investigator (PI) for this study surveyed 207 American School Counselor Association (ASCA) members on their attitudes toward utilizing trained counseling paraprofessionals in school counseling. The PI also examined the relationship between participants’ attitudes and their subjective reports of the counselor-student ratios in their schools, the amount of work time they spent providing direct counseling services to students, and the extent to which their districts experienced a school counselor shortage. The participants’ mean reported counselor-student ratio (1:464.63) significantly exceeded ASCA recommendations of 1:250. Elementary counselors reported the highest counselor-student ratios while high school counselors reported the lowest. Furthermore the PI found a significant linear trend for counselor-student ratios to decrease as school level increased. The participants’ reported mean percentage of time involved in direct counseling services (61.48%) fell significantly below the ASCA recommended 70%. Elementary counselors reported the highest amount of time involved in direct counseling services while high school counselors reported the lowest. The PI also found a significant linear trend for percentages of time involved in direct services to decrease as school level increased. Over one-fourth of the participants indicated school counselor shortages existed in their districts. A majority of participants supported utilizing counseling paraprofessionals in their schools. The PI found a significant negative correlation between support for counseling paraprofessionals and percentage of time involved in direct services. Participants reporting the lowest percentage of time providing direct services to students thus expressed the strongest endorsement for utilizing counseling paraprofessionals. Participants most strongly endorsed assigning clerical duties to counseling paraprofessionals. They likewise endorsed assigning some indirect helping duties to counseling paraprofessionals. However, participants strongly opposed assigning direct counseling duties to counseling paraprofessionals. Based on the results of the study the PI developed recommendations for school counselors, school administrators, state education agencies, and institutions of higher learning regarding the training, education, and job duties of counseling paraprofessionals.

The number of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases has surged in the U.S. educational system since the mid-2000s. At the same, paraprofessionals who work with these students are not being given adequate training, especially in how to implement applied behavior analytic services. To address paraprofessional's inadequate training, new behavioral treatments have surfaced, including Video Self-Modeling (VSM). VSM is an effective intervention tool derived heavily from Bandura's social learning theory. VSM uses edited video clips in which paraprofessionals view him or herself correctly performing target skills. This study used a single-subject, modified multiple baseline design to evaluate whether VSM could improve the accuracy of procedural integrity when implementing DTI. A sample of 5 novice paraprofessionals was used; all participants worked directly with ASD students with 6 months to 2 years experience, supported an ASD student in an inclusive setting for at least 75% of the school day, and had no previous training in DTI. Three of the 5 participants exhibited immediate and significant gains in DTI implementation, and those gains were maintained during follow-up. One participant demonstrated moderate gain during the follow-up. To determine effective significance, visual analysis, combined with level of performance, non-overlapping data points, and effect sizes were used. VSM treatment was rated as an acceptable treatment according to the social validity scale and the Intervention Rating Profile (IRP-15). This study contributes to positive social change by offering a viable treatment approach that can be used to train paraprofessionals who instruct students with ASD.

No description available.

Background: The effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visitations on improving the circumstances of disadvantaged families is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visiting programs on developmental and health outcomes of young children from disadvantaged families. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (e.g., CINAHL PLUS, Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE) from1990 through May 2012 was supplemented by reference lists to search for relevant studies. Through the use of reliable tools, studies were assessed in duplicate. English language studies of paraprofessional home-visiting programs assessing specific outcomes for children (0-6 years) from disadvantaged families were eligible for inclusion in the review. Data extraction included the characteristics of the participants, intervention, outcomes and quality of the studies. <p>Results: Studies that scored 13 or greater out of a total of 15 on the validity tool (n = 21) are the focus of this review. All studies are randomized controlled trials and most were conducted in the United States. Significant improvements to the development and health of young children as a result of a home-visiting program are noted for particular groups. These include: (a) prevention of child abuse in some cases, particularly when the intervention is initiated prenatally; (b) developmental benefits in relation to cognition and problem behaviours, and less consistently with language skills; and (c) reduced incidence of low birth weights and health problems in older children, and increased incidence of appropriate weight gain in early childhood. However, overall home-visiting programs are limited in improving the lives of socially high-risk children who live in disadvantaged families.</p> <p>Conclusions: Home visitation by paraprofessionals is an intervention that holds promise for socially high-risk families with young children. Initiating the intervention prenatally and increasing the number of visits improves development and health outcomes for particular groups of children. Future studies should consider what dose of the intervention is most beneficial and address retention issues.</p> / http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/17

The effect of a structured group approach on anxiety, using paraprofessionals, was investigated. The variables of setting (junior high school and youth rehabilitation center) and time (pre-post1 -posttest2) were also manipulated. Besides anxiety, four other variables were measured. Self-concept and anxiety were measured using the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale; peer rejection and peer acceptance were measured using the Peer Perception Questionnaire; teacher rating of student classroom behavior was measured using the Student Behavior: Teacher Rating Form. Sixteen subjects who had been screened with the pretest were randomly assigned to either treatment or control conditions at each institution (two junior highs and two youth rehabilitation centers). Four group leaders used lesson plans for eight sessions over three weeks for treatment and also taught a matched control class on anxiety using lesson plans. Both treatment and control groups were told they would participate in a special class on anxiety. At the end of the treatment period and again after a one-month interval, the measures were readministered. The data were analyzed by means of an analysis of variance for each of the five measures. The results indicate that self-concept, anxiety and teacher rating were affected by the main effect of treatment as well as setting and time. The treatment groups achieved the greatest degree of change during the treatment period (pre-posttest1). However, only the junior high school treatment groups continued to improve over time while the youth rehabilitation center treatment groups regressed. The control groups improved to a lesser extent during the treatment period but also regressed over time. Peer acceptance increased while peer rejection decreased over time regardless of treatment or setting. Implications of the results and limitations of the present study are related to recommendations.

Using the states' paraprofessional requirements, this study explored the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) on the paraprofessionals' ability to assist in instruction as seen through the perceptions of paraprofessional and teacher teams. The literature review discloses data regarding the implementation of NCLB paraprofessional requirements into the accountability plans of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Tables synthesize the assessments used by states to meet NCLB paraprofessional requirements. The Council for Exceptional Children performance-based standards for paraeducators provides the framework for the development of two survey instruments, which measured the perceptions of paraprofessionals and cooperating teachers on the training, knowledge, and skills utilized during instruction. Two survey instruments were developed to gain insight into the perceptions of paraprofessional and supervising teacher teams. The perceptions of the teams were compared to those among the paraprofessionals themselves. There were significant statistical differences between both the teams and the paraprofessionals with two or more years of higher education or those with a high school diploma or equivalency. The differences between the paraprofessionals and the teachers suggested that supervising teachers perceived both groups of paraprofessionals were lacking in training, knowledge, and skills. Paraprofessionals with higher education perceived a similar lack in their own abilities. However, paraprofessionals with high school diplomas perceived their ability as greater than that perceived by the teachers.

This purpose of this thesis was to create a valid, reliable, fair test bank for the textbook Paraprofessionals in the Classroom (Ashbaker & Morgan, 2006). This textbook was written specifically for the education of paraprofessionals. Further education beyond high school is one of the options recommended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to assist paraprofessionals in becoming highly qualified to work with children with special needs. Extensive research was conducted by the researcher on what constituted a good test bank. Excerpts were selected from seven chapters of the textbook. Questions and a rating scale for each question were written for each excerpt. The mentors selected paraprofessionals from various fields of special education to answer and rate the questions. Each paraprofessional read the excerpts and questions from three different chapters and then rated each question for difficulty level. The answers and question ratings were analyzed, the questions revised as necessary, and the test bank was completed.

In this dissertation I explore the collaborative practices of three participants: two paraprofessionals and one music teacher. Using social capital as the theoretical framework, I analyzed the ways in which the participants networked with others to gain resources for expressive action. In order to more fully understand the social structures that exist in their elementary school environment, I examined participants’ perceptions of the issues that influenced their ability to access resources embedded in their social networks. Additionally, I examined if and how the paraprofessionals and music teacher used their gained resources in servicing students with Individualized Education Plans in inclusive music settings. Data for this qualitative case study were gathered remotely over a period of one semester during the COVID-19 pandemic. I conducted three semi-structured interviews with each participant as well as had several informal conversations to gain insights about their experiences related to collaboration. Data collection also included analyzing school documents to triangulate the findings. As I reviewed the data, I looked at their levels of relational trust with others, organizational and personal characteristics, structural and choice constraints, and perceptions of fit and belonging. In addition, the role of the COVID-19 pandemic was considered. To facilitate organization of data analysis and to help organize the data into categories, I coded the data and created a master code list. From these codes themes were developed that included: (a) network structures, (b) technology, and (c) norms and expectations. The findings suggest that the paraprofessionals in this study faced many challenges in gaining resources, such as high power differentials between them and their teaching colleagues, withdrawal from social engagement at a broader level, limited opportunities for collaborative planning, and low input in instructional delivery. These challenges meant that they provided inconsistent to no support in the inclusive music classroom. The music teacher in this study also lacked proper administrative support in order to promote consistent collaboration with the paraprofessionals and to facilitate inclusive practices that meet the needs of all learners. Implications from this research point to the importance of understanding power structures in the workplace, developing policies geared towards bridging the social distance between employees, as well as designing staff schedules that allow for collaboration and co-teaching. Recommendations are also made for future research.

The purposes of this study were to (a) describe parents' perceptions of what paraprofessionals are doing for and with their child in inclusive situations and (b) to compare the perceptions of parents to what is actually happening in the classroom. Ten parent and child pairs agreed to participate in this study. The parent and child pairs were chosen on the basis of their child's special education eligibility. The parents were interviewed using a structured interview guide. Children were observed in their general education classroom three times with each observation lasting one hour. A total of thirty observations were conducted. Each parent interview was analyzed for themes individually. Those themes were then compared between interviews in a cross-case analysis. Collective themes were developed from the cross-case analysis. Those themes were then compared to the classroom observations. The classroom observations were analyzed in connection to themes that had emerged from the cross-case analysis. It is imperative to note that the results of this study indicate that the use of paraprofessionals may actually hinder the goals of inclusion. The observed results matching parent perceptions to classroom observations are actually counter to what parents believe to be happening and, importantly, do not meet the guidelines for least restrictive environment (LRE) mandates. The results of this study will assist administrators in providing education to students with moderate to severe disabilities within the general education classroom and within the LRE mandates. Utilizing individual paraprofessionals to support one child in a general education classroom is an expensive intervention. Given the potential for enormous financial burdens upon school districts as well as questions regarding efficacious management and use of paraprofessionals as proposed by this study, administrators must use caution in assigning individual paraprofessionals to support. It is recommended that school administrators work with general and special education teachers and parents to define and refine the role of the paraprofessional, thus meeting LRE requirements and promoting fiscally responsible use of interventions.