Special Report
School & District Management Explainer

Who Are Paraprofessionals and What Do They Do?

Getting to know one of the most important roles in the classroom
By Vanessa Solis — June 15, 2022 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Having a paraprofessional often makes an enormous difference in the efficiency and quality of classroom instruction. Ideally, paraprofessionals are teachers’ partners in identifying and providing the instructional, linguistic, or behavioral supports students need to thrive.

What Does a Paraprofessional Do?
3 Qualifications for paraprofessionals.
Paraprofessionals have a wide range of responsibilities and skills. Some certifications include dual-language instruction and special Education.
Logistical support: Paras assist teachers 
take attendance
grade assignments
administer tests
follow students' progress during the school year
create reports to help parents understand the curriculum
supervise students in class, between classes, during recess, lunch, and on field trips
Paraprofessionals: 
Act as an nurturing influence for students during lessons
provide one-on-one assistance to students
encourage students with social difficulties or disabilities to speak up in class when they have the correct answer 
reinforce lesson plans to small groups
Language: Bilingual paraprofessionals can act as translators in the classroom, Paraprofessionals may be asked to interpret for parents during open houses or assist with parent-teacher phone conversations
Behavior: Paraprofessionals can serve as a guide to students on proper classroom behavior.
They enforce school rules, monitor the classroom, minimize distractions and disruptions
Behavior: For students with a behavior intervention plan (BIP)* paraprofessionals can provide coping strategies, encourage positive behavior, redirect off-task behavior, minimize distractions and disruptions, track and log behavior frequency
Paraprofessionals work an average of 35 hours a week.
44% of paraprofessionals say they receive too little professional development for their jobs
13% of paraprofessionals said they received no PD in the past year
Paraprofessionals can make an enormous difference in classroom efficiency and IEP* implementation. They can be a vital part of a student's educational team.

SOURCES: Education Week reporting; EdWeek Research Center; Verywell family; National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, & Interveners

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Pave the Path to Excellence in Math
Empower your students' math journey with Sue O'Connell, author of “Math in Practice” and “Navigating Numeracy.”
Content provided by hand2mind
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Combatting Teacher Shortages: Strategies for Classroom Balance and Learning Success
Learn from leaders in education as they share insights and strategies to support teachers and students.
Content provided by DreamBox Learning
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Reading Instruction and AI: New Strategies for the Big Education Challenges of Our Time
Join the conversation as experts in the field explore these instructional pain points and offer game-changing guidance for K-12 leaders and educators.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Q&A Behind a New Effort to Recruit and Support Progressive School Board Candidates
By targeting school board races, this political group hopes to recruit candidates who can counter conservative messages.
6 min read
Voters fill out their ballots in booths on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Petersen Residence Hall on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.
Voters fill out their ballots in booths on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Petersen Residence Hall on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via AP
School & District Management What's Stopping Later School Start Times That Support Teen Sleep? Bus Schedules, for One
See practical strategies for districts looking to move start times to accommodate teen sleep schedules.
5 min read
Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection as she crosses students going to Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection near Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
School & District Management Opinion 'I Used to Think School Systems Were Broken': Educators Reflect
Changing your mind or evolving your thinking is not easy. Hear how these education leaders did just that.
1 min read
Used to Think
Hear how these Harvard education graduate students evolved their thinking around both their practice and work as systems leaders.
School & District Management Opinion I Teach Educators How to Change Their Minds. Here’s How
Four important lessons for how educators—school and district leaders, especially—can create opportunities for growth.
Jennifer Perry Cheatham, Erica Lim & Carmen Williams
5 min read
Video stills
The students from the Leaders of Learning class taught by Jennifer Perry Cheatham at the Harvard Graduate School of Education last year.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week