NCAE.org - Teacher Assistant Issues

NCAE - North Carolina Association of Educators

700 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
1.800.662.7924
Copyright © 1997-2006
North Carolina Association
of Educators.
All rights reserved.

Advocate for members and students, enhance the education profession, and advance public education

HOME > Teaching and Learning > NCLB/ESEA > Teacher Assistant Issues

Teacher Assistant Issues

NCAE's Best Advice if You Are Taking a Test Instead of Going Back to School

NCAE Up-date on ESEA Regarding Paraprofessionals in Title I Schools

NEA obtained a letter that the Department of Education sent to Chief State School Officers concerning ESEA rules for paras. Essentially it provides "current thinking" on paras and states. Here are the key points:

In school wide Title I programs, all paras with instructional duties are covered by the new NCLB standards, regardless of whether the individual para's salary is paid by Title I.

However, the new para standards do not apply to paras in non-instructional capacities, including translation, parental involvement activities, food service, cafeteria/playground supervision, personal care services, and non-instructional computer assistance.

ALL paras in a Title I supported program must have a HS diploma (previous ESEA did not require paras who work as translators to have a HS diploma). This requirement affects all paras regardless of duties and regardless of hiring date.

Title I and Title II funds may be used to help paras meet the new requirements

The following information comes from the NC DPI - ESEA No Child Left Behind Reauthorization Plan sent to Washington, DC June 12, 2002. This plan is still a work in progress.

For paraprofessionals hired after January 8, 2002 one of the following must be selected:

Paraprofessionals will need to earn a satisfactory score on the North Carolina Community College System placement test(s). Paraprofessionals may select either the COMPASS tests or the ASSET test(s) developed by ACT or the Accuplacer test(s) developed by the College Boards. Test(s) must include mathematics assessment to the pre-algebra level, writing and reading. Upon successful completion of the assessments, the paraprofessional will be required to complete at least 48 hours (the equivalent of a three hour community college course) of targeted staff development in his or her first two years of employment.

Paraprofessionals may successfully complete the ACT developed Work Keys Occupational Profile Assessments for Teacher Aides . Assessments in Reading for Information, Writing and Applied Mathematics are to be completed for the Level II Teacher Aide Occupational Profile. Upon successful completion of the assessments, the paraprofessional will be required to complete at least 48 hours (the equivalent of a three hour community college course) of targeted staff development in his or her first two years of employment.

For paraprofessionals hired prior to January 8, 2002, several assessment options are available. The paraprofessional and local administrator should review the options available and select the assessment that best meets their career intentions. Those that are considering a career pathway that may lead to an associate’s degree or matriculation to a university teacher preparation program are strongly encouraged to select the COMPASS, ASSET or Accuplanner assessment options.

For Paraprofessionals employed prior to January 8, 2002, one of the following must be selected:

Completion of the COMPASS, ASSET, Accuplanner or ACT-Work Key assessments. If scores are not sufficient to meet the minimum requirements, the paraprofessional will be provided prescriptive staff development opportunities through local school systems or courses at the community college/university level to address deficiencies. Upon completion of the staff development opportunities, the paraprofessionals shall retake the assessment exam(s) until a successful score is earned. NOTE: NCAE will offer preparation for the ACT-Work Key Assessment via Key Train assessment preparation. The ACT-Work Key Assessment is relevant to a Teacher Assistants job in the classroom, which is why NCAE believes it a better assessment for TAs to take.

Successful completion of the North Carolina Department of Labor Teacher Assistant Certification Program that includes formalized training through related instructional opportunities, on-the-job training and competency evaluations. Formalized training includes a minimum of 100 contact hours in curriculum techniques, 100 contact hours in classroom management techniques, 50 contact hours in technology training and 70 hours in elective workshop training on matters of interest. In addition each paraprofessional shall earn at least a “Competent Rating” in areas related to documentation, instruction, discipline, and health. The building level principal or supervisor shall complete competency evaluations for paraprofessionals.

Successful completion of the North Carolina Association of Teacher Assistants’ Professional Development Program for Instructional Associate Certification-Level I. Formalized training includes a minimum of 18 college semester credits (or its equivalent in continuing education units). Training must include community college courses in English, mathematics or math for elementary students, public speaking, and reading and writing methods or introduction to education. Additional course credit or continuing education units are to be earned in areas related to job duties. In addition each paraprofessional shall earn at least a “Competent Rating” in areas related to documentation, instruction, discipline and health. The building level principal or supervisor shall complete competency evaluations for paraprofessionals. NOTE: If NCAE members pursue this route to meet the new federal requirements, members will be afforded an opportunity to take workshops for credit through the NCAE.

Overview of An Assessment for ESP under the new Federal ESEA - No Child Left Behind - ACT-WorkKeys

NCAE has researched the assessment instruments the NC DPI included in the Federal ESEA Reauthorization Act - No Child Left Behind. In our research we believe that an ESP member who decides to take a test instead of going back to school, the KeyTrain© assessment preparation for ACT-WorkKeys is the test they should take. The assessment will cover Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Writing.

Reading for Information

Common workplace documents, letters, manuals, reports and memos used daily in the workplace

Details, applying instructions, understanding cause and effect

Technical terms and business jargon, acronyms

Sequence of events and words with multiple meanings

Applied Mathematics

Reasoning and problem solving in the workplace

Basic math skills using money, time and measurement

Everyday life with fractions, decimals and percentages

Writing

Understanding information through audio as well as reading

Assesses ability to compose grammatically correct messages

Spelling and punctuation

Sentence structure - verbs, nouns, objects, etc

Vocabulary and technical writing exercises

To download a FREE demo of KeyTrain© for WorkKeys visit www.keytrain.com. For ordering information contact Thinking Media at 423-842-6205

NCAE will offer workshops to assist members who decide to take the ACT-WorkKeys assessment. NCAE members will not be charged a fee for the Saturday drive-in sessions for preparation of this assessment. Non-NCAE members will be charged a $300.00 fee for a training session. For more information on when and where a training session might be held contact your Local NCAE UniServ Director or check out the NCAE web page

TAs hired prior to 2002 have until 2006 to complete our states requirement.

NCAE Up-date on the ESEA NCLB Act Requiring Adequate Yearly Progress of all students

ESEA requires states to establish baselines or starting points they will use to measure their progress over the next 12 years in meeting a key ESEA requirement: That all students are performing at a “proficient” level or above on state reading and math assessments by 2013-14.

In addition, states must determine how they will define “proficient” student performance in reading and math; decide on indicators of student performance they will include in their definitions of AYP; and set interim AYP targets that establish minimal levels of increased student performance from 2002-03 through 2013-14.

North Carolina has had an assessment program based on growth and performance since 1997. The new federal mandate for assessment is a fixed target all students must reach by 2014.

State ABCs Program	NCLB - ESEA Federal Legislation Act 2002
Growth is measured by changes in average scale scores	Performance of students disaggregated by ethnicity/race and other characteristics. School as a group Asian Black White Hispanic Am. Indian Multiracial Free and Reduced Lunch LEP/ESL Students With Disabilities
Compensatory Model - a weakness in one subject area or grade level can be offset by stronger performance in other subject areas or grade levels.	Conjunctive Model - all or nothing. All groups must meet standard.
Follows same students over time EOG & EOC test	Except for the “safe harbor” provision, the NCLB requires monitoring performance of groups against a standard with no regard of previous performance.
Uses dropout rate.	Adds graduation rate to High School Model
No Science assessment in grades 3 - 8.	Adds Science to two grade levels: by 2007 Once in grades 3 -5. NC is using 5th grade Once in grades 6 - 9. NC is using 8th grade
End of Course Tests in 10 subjects.	End of Course Tests *will not meet standards* for determining Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
No High School Reading or Mathematics Test.	Requires a Reading and Mathematics assessment in one grade level in the span of grades 10 - 12.
Performance Composite includes Reading, Mathematics, Writing (grades 4 - 7), and Computer Skills (grade 8) for grades 3 - 8.	Performance includes Reading and Mathematics in grades 3 - 8 with Science being added in one of the grade level ranges, 3 - 5 and 6 - 9, and disaggregated by subgroups.
Performance Composite for a High School includes the 10 EOC tests plus other indicators.	High Schools will include Graduation rate, Reading and Mathematics given in a grade level in the span of grades 10 - 12, and Science given in a grade level in the span of grades 10 - 12.

AYP Data for North Carolina - The Center Piece of the ESEA Legislation

Baseline year for AYP is 2001-2002
AYP applies to all schools, not just Title I schools.
Title I schools will receive federal funds if they go into the School Improvement Stage
To establish a baseline the state must use the school with the lowest performing group or the school in the 20th percentile - and select the higher of the two. NC is using the school in the 20th percentile
Estimated initial bar for NC - Grades 3-8
- Reading = 69.37%
- Math = 76.43%

The benchmark year was 2001-2002 and in two years the benchmark will move every three years in equal increments.
AYP benchmark goal is to get ALL students to level III proficiency by 2014 - some students will have to increase scores by 30.63% in reading and 23.57 in Math by 2014.
There are nine sub groups - as noted in the comparison chart - it is estimated that 80% of the schools in NC will meet the criteria of 30 students per sub group.
Schools must meet the state performance goal - all sub groups must improve!
What happens if a school has 7 sub groups and only 6 sub groups meet the goal within the year? Do sanctions kick in? Not necessarily! There is a component in the AYP known as AYPC - Adequate Yearly Progress Consideration.

As long as 10% of the students in a sub group make progress and there is improvement in at least one other academic indicator for the sub group the school will have met the benchmark.

After 2 years if a school fails to meet the AYP - Sanctions do kick in.
What happens when a school enters the Federal School Improvement Stage?

Corrective Action
Public School Choice - students can decide to attend another school within the district
Restricting school decision making power
Restructuring the school governance
Supplemental services for parents, such as tutoring - which is selected from an approved list and the funds go to the service provider not the parents.

The NEW distribution plan for incentive awards for the ABCs and the AYP goals would begin at the end of the 2002-2003 school year. This new incentive award includes a closing the Gap component. The incentive awards request will go to the General Assembly for budget consideration and to the APA hearing process before becoming a reality. Certified staff in the schools would make

Expected Growth - $600.00
High Growth - $600.00
AYP - all subgroups - $600.00
With a maximum of $1,800
Teacher Assistants would make $200.00 for each component the school meets for a maximum of $600.00.

Concerns:

What about the students that are already at level III and/or IV? Will schools still focus energy on them or just the students who are not proficient?
How will high schools be measured? Does our state need the Comprehensive Test and the Sr. Exit Exam?
Will the new ESEA AYP take away the focus of the growth model of the state ABCs?

As more details are available - NCAE will provide up-dates. As of June 7, 2002 the Federal Government in Washington, DC had not approved the state plan.