Paraprofessionals

It is the policy of the Oologah-Talala Board of Education that paraprofessionals are support employees entitled to due process prior to nonrenewal or termination of employment. Applicants must possess the required level of requisite skills as prescribed in the appropriate State Department of Education regulation except that a paraprofessional or a volunteer will be used for each class of kindergarten through second grade which has more than 20 students and in which twenty percent ofthe students are eligible to participate in the National Child Nutrition Act.

Teacher assistants are paraprofessionals within the school district. All paraprofessionals must have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent. Individuals hired to be paraprofessionals must meet requirements established by state and federal laws to be authorize to serve as paraprofessionals in Title I schools and in special education settings. Individuals seeking a paraprofessional credential from the State Department of Education shall submit an application and all required supporting documentation to the State Department of Education Office of Certification.

1. Tier 1. In order to qualify for a Tier 1 Oklahoma paraprofessional credential which is required for general education paraprofessionals in Title 1 schools and available to general education paraprofessionals in other settings, an applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
   1. Has a high school diploma or a General Educational Educational Development (GED) Diploma or other certificate of high school equivalency recognized by the State of Oklahoma.
   2. Has on file with the State Board of Education a current Oklahoma criminal history record from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
   3. Meets at least one of the following criteria:
      1. Has completed at least two (2) years of study at an institution of higher education, defined as completion of at least forty-eight (48) credit hours of college coursework; or
      2. Has obtained an associate's degree or higher; or
      3. Has either passed the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET), obtained a National Career Readiness Certificate through successful completion of the ACT WorkKeys assessment, or passed the ParaPro Assessment offered through the Educational Testing Service.
2. Tier 2. In order to qualify for a Tier 2 Oklahoma paraprofessional credential issued by the State Department of Education, which is valid for special education paraprofessionals, an applicant shall meet the criteria for a Tier 1 paraprofessional credential and all of the following qualifications:
   1. Has completed the Oklahoma Special Education Paraprofessional Training available at Career Technology centers, equivalent training provided by the State Department of Education through an inperson or online program, or other state-approved training provided by a school district.
   2. Has completed training in cardiovascular pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid.
   3. Has completed training in Universal Precautions/Bloodborne Pathogens.

In the event the district requires a special education paraprofessional in order to provide necessary services to one or more students with disabilities, but is unable to secure the services of an individual who holds a Tier 2 paraprofessional credential at the time the services must be delivered, the district may employ an individual on a provisional basis if the district determines the individual is able to provide the appropriate paraprofessional services. An individual who is employed as a paraprofessional to provide special education services on a provisional basis must meet the criteria for a Tier 1 credential, and obtain all training required to qualify for a Tier 2 credential within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days of providing special education paraprofessional services in order to continue to provide special education paraprofessional services, provided a criminal history record check is obtained within sixty (60) calendar days of initial employment. If it is necessary for a school district to provisionally employ a paraprofessional to provide special education services, the district shall report the provisional placement ofthe paraprofessional and the paraprofessional's starting date of employment to the State Department of Education Office of Special Education.

The superintendent and/or staff development committee shall develop an appropriate in-service training program for paraprofessionals.

Paraprofessionals are employed so that the professional teachers may direct their energies to the students' education. The basic objectives for the use of paraprofessionals:

1. To make it possible for teachers to use more variety in structuring classroom activities which will result in more meaningful education for students.
2. To enable the teacher to do more creative teaching, and to use a greater variety of instructional media.
3. To enable the teacher to develop effective programs focusing upon the individual needs of each student.
4. To provide increased time for individualizing instruction, evaluating learning situations, student counseling and guidance for other instructional activities that will improve educational opportunities for students.
5. To relieve teachers of the numerous semi- and non-professional tasks which have become cumulative and which have come to consume a disproportionate amount of the teacher's time and energies.

The principal and supervising teacher are jointly responsible for making final decisions related to the duties and responsibilities to be assigned to a paraprofessional. Paraprofessionals are not to discipline children. Classroom discipline shall be left to the certified teacher or building principal.

Paraprofessionals will only be used to perform, or assist a classroom teacher to perform, the following duties:

• Hallroom duty
• Bus duty
• Playground duty
• Lunchroom duty
• Extracurricular activities involving school functions
• Other noninstructional duties as the superintendent may prescribe

The duties of paraprofessionals may be further restricted or regulated by program requirements of the funding plan under which they are employed:

1. Title I funds provide paraprofessionals for the Remedial Reading Program.
2. Title VI funds provide paraprofessionals for Indian students.
3. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) funds provide paraprofessionals for mainstreamed students with certain specific handicaps that require frequent or constant attention.

Legal Citations

The qualifications and procedures outlined in this policy are based upon the following Oklahoma Statutes (O.S.):

• 70 O.S. §6-127, §18-113.1, et seq.
• P. L. 107-110, ESSA