Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Making a Difference: Educational Practices That Work!
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania’s Paraprofessional Pennsylvania’s Paraprofessional Training InitiativeTraining Initiative
From Pilots to Statewide Scale-Up and Implementation
OSEP Project Directors’ National Conference Arlington, VA
March 6-7, 2012
Shatarupa Podder: Pennsylvania Department of EducationJanet Sloand: Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
PremisePremiseIDEIA 300.156(b) requires that all paraprofessionals are appropriately trained and supervised, in accordance with State law.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s intention was to assure that paraprofessionals providing assistance to students with disabilities in Pennsylvania’s classrooms are appropriately trained and competent.
Stages of Community Stages of Community ReadinessReadiness
Community Readiness Model: Edwards, Jumper-Thurman, Plested, Oetting & Swanson (2000)
= SIG I= SIG II
= SPDG/SIG III
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
No Awareness/DenialNo Awareness/Denial• No orientation to school procedures when
hired• May not know who their direct supervisor is,
or even have one• Paid minimum wage or low hourly wages• May not have benefits• Minimal or no training provided• Present only when students are there– no time to collaborate with adults
• May be placed one-on-one with the most difficult students
• May not know who or how to ask for help
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Vague AwarenessVague Awareness• Stakeholder group (October 2001) – Reviewed current training efforts, training
needs and competencies– Helped develop the competency checklist,
vetted by SEAP and adopted as Pennsylvania’s voluntary Pennsylvania measure of paraprofessional competencies
• Training of paraprofessionals not a priority for school districts; no plans or funds available
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Vague Awareness Vague Awareness continued
• PaTTAN work group charged with developing trainings to enhance skills of paraprofessionals– Developed after-school videoconferences
disseminated to all intermediate units and any interested school districts
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Pre-Planning: Review DataPre-Planning: Review DataApproximate number of paraprofessionals employed by LEAs
2001-2002 2009-2010
Special Education Teachers 18,14722,248 (+23%)
Paraprofessionals 11,47221,440 (+87%)
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Pre-PlanningPre-Planning• Funded trainings through the federal State
Personnel Development Grant (SPDG)– After School Videoconferences– Summer two-day regional conference– Weekend Seminar – all expenses paid!
• Developed online courses aligned to paraprofessional competencies
• NCLB, IDEA 2004: followed by Chapter 14– 3 paths to become qualified
• Increased awareness and HR involvement
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Fall 2001: SIG I - Preparation, Fall 2001: SIG I - Preparation, Initiation Initiation • Recognition of Problem
– Paraprofessionals are an integral part of IEP teams
– Receive little or no professional development to perform their duties
– Changing role from clerical and routine to instructional assignments
– Increasing number of paraprofessionals employed by LEAs
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SIG I: Preparation, InitiationSIG I: Preparation, InitiationPA Focus Group PA Focus Group Raise awareness and develop concrete ideas for improvement: BSE, PaTTAN, community colleges, teachers, paraprofessionals, IU and SD administrators
Goals •Identify current training efforts for paraprofessionals•Identify training needs of paraprofessionals•Identify competencies for paraprofessionals•Develop a system of recognition for paraprofessionals demonstrating acquired competencies in the area of special education and related services
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SIG II: ImplementationSIG II: ImplementationWork in process with high enthusiasm
• Created intensive workgroup to develop trainings on topics identified by Focus Group
• Developed after-school video conferences and weekend seminars for paraprofessionals
• State recommended professional development series leading to volunteer credential
• Offered after school, video streamed and available online for LEAs and paraprofessionals at http://pattan.framewelder.com
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Feedback from SIG II activitiesFeedback from SIG II activities• Increasing ground swell of awareness and
need for highly-skilled paraprofessionals to support the changing instructional requirements of students with disabilities– Enthusiasm extremely high from paraprofessionals– Increasing awareness of need and importance of
highly skilled paraprofessionals, by paraprofessionals and administration
• Training focused on hot topics as identified, in addition to systematic alignment to the knowledge and skills in the Credential
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SPDG/SIG III: StabilizationSPDG/SIG III: Stabilization• Partner with community colleges to align
courses with state requirements – pre-service strand
• Partner with LEAs in understanding the competencies and offering the online courses to paraprofessionals – in-service strand
• Provide resources and technical assistance to LEAs and IUs to develop administrative tools for supporting paraprofessionals
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SPDG/SIG III: StabilizationSPDG/SIG III: StabilizationGOAL - All paraprofessionals meet requirements and have access to meaningful professional development
•Training plan now focused on systemic alignment to knowledge and skills in the Credential
– Specific training modules developed to build knowledge and skills needed to become qualified
– Offered after school, video streamed and available online for LEAs and paraprofessionals at http://pattan.framewelder.com
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SPDG/SIG III: StabilizationSPDG/SIG III: Stabilization• Webinars, video conferences and
presentations targeted to supervisors and administrators on how to use the credential and competencies
• Promulgated FAQs and Penn Links to assist in implementation
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Stabilization: RecognitionStabilization: RecognitionPennsylvania invited to host the 29th National Conference of the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals (NRCP) -
Keyed In, Logged On, Charged Up! Paraprofessionals Connecting with
21st Century LearnersMay 12 - 14, 2011
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
SIG I, II and SPDG – Increase in SIG I, II and SPDG – Increase in legislative requirementslegislative requirements• NCLB 2002 required Title I
paraprofessionals to be qualified• IDEA 2004 and implementing regulations of
2006 required special education paraprofessionals to meet state requirements
• Pennsylvania State Board of Education included standards for special education paraprofessionals in state regulations, 2008
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Regulations – StateRegulations – StateChapter § 14.105. Paraprofessionals. (2008)Instructional paraprofessionals shall meet one of the following qualifications effective July 1, 2010:
•Have completed at least 2 years of postsecondary study•Possess an associate degree or higher•Meet a rigorous standard of quality as demonstrated through a State or local assessment
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Regulations – State Regulations – State continued
Instructional paraprofessionals, each school year, shall provide evidence of 20 hours of staff development activities related to their assignment
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Chapter 14 Paraprofessional Chapter 14 Paraprofessional RequirementsRequirements• Defined paraprofessionals– Instructional and Personal Care Assistants
• Requirements– Instructional: Qualifications and 20 hours of
professional development, annually • Have completed at least 2 years of
postsecondary study• Possess an associate degree or higher• Meet a rigorous standard of quality as
demonstrated through a State or local assessment
– PCAs: 20 hours of professional development, annually
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
PA Credential of CompetencyPA Credential of CompetencyCouncil for Exceptional Children (CEC) • Promulgated performance-based standards for
special education paraeducators in 2000• List of basic Knowledge and Skills needed to
work successfully in educational environmentsBureau of Special Education • Endorsed use of these CEC standards for the
initial preparation and practice of special education paraeducators
• Checklist format adapted from Twin Falls School District #411, Idaho, Paraeducator Portfolio Plan & Competency Checklist, 2002
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
PA Credential of Competency PA Credential of Competency continued
CEC will shortly release updated and expanded standards.
# 5: Learning Environments and Social Interactions# 6: Language# 7: Instructional Planning# 8: Assessment# 9: Professional and Ethical Practice# 10: Collaboration
Standards:# 1: Foundations of
Special Education# 2: Development
and Characteristics of Learners
# 3: Individual Learning Differences
# 4: Instructional Strategies
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
84
475
896749
726
1128
4923
2867
11/03-6/04 7/04-6/05 7/05-6/06 7/06-6/07 7/07-6/08 7/08-6/09 7/09-6/10 7/10-6/11
Total Credentials Issued: 11,848Total Credentials Issued: 11,848
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
PaTTAN TrainingPaTTAN TrainingParaprofessionals must work with their supervisors to ensure that courses are acceptable •Online courses for 10 Competency Standards – Certificate of Attendance•Video Conferences – Downlinked to all IUs and any interested school districts•Webinars – Use any computer with internet connection•Downloadable power points and training notes from PaTTAN website for numerous topic areas
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
PaTTAN Training PaTTAN Training continued
• DVDs available from PaTTAN KoP to school districts
Many IUs have developed their own courses for professional development
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Scale up and StabilizationScale up and Stabilization• Stakeholder meeting in November 2010
– Impact of initiative in LEAs– Professional development opportunities to in-
service special education paraprofessionals– Building a pool of qualified special education
paraprofessionals: pre-service
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Scale up and Stabilization Scale up and Stabilization continued
• SPDG mini-grants to 5 Community Colleges to revise/create curriculum aligned to the competencies required for “qualified” paraprofessionals– New RFP out for additional community
colleges to participate in second round of mini-grants
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Data System ResponsibilitiesData System ResponsibilitiesPDE • Maintains data on
credentials issued• Reports number of
qualified paraprofessionals employed
• Monitors LEAs compliance with professional development requirement
LEAs• Maintain and report data
on qualified paraprofessionals employed
• Responsible for providing access to relevant professional development
• Maintain data on compliance with professional development requirement
Conceptual Framework of Conceptual Framework of ImplementationImplementation
Fixsen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005
Source
Communication Link
DestinationINFLUENCE
Feedback
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Framework for Implementation of Framework for Implementation of Paraprofessional CredentialParaprofessional Credential• Source: Targeted training aligned with
the Pennsylvania competencies - knowledge and skills as outlined in credential
• Destination: LEAs, administrators and paraprofessionals
• Communication Link: accessible online modules and information results in fidelity of content
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Framework for Implementation of Framework for Implementation of Paraprofessional Credential Paraprofessional Credential continued
• Feedback: Supervisors are skilled at assessing paraprofessionals on competencies
• Influence: Students have access to qualified paraprofessionals for instruction
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Stakeholder Buy-inStakeholder Buy-in• PDE uses the Special Education Advisory
Panel (SEAP) as the entity to provide input and feedback on paraprofessional training issues
• SEAP and Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) initially vetted and supported the Credential of Competency
• PDE annually updates SEAP, PSEA, Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units and LEA administrations
Pennsylvania’s State Personnel Development Grant
Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education Tom Corbett, Governor Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary of Education www.education.state.pa.uswww.education.state.pa.us
Contact InformationContact Information
Shatarupa Podder333 Market Street, 7th Flr
Harrisburg, PA 17126Phone: (717) 772-2646
Fax: (717) [email protected]
Dr. Janet Sloand200 Anderson Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406Phone: (610) 265-7321
(800) 441-3215Fax: (610) [email protected]
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Tom Corbett, Governor
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Ronald J. Tomalis, Secretary
Carolyn C. Dumaresq, Ed.D., Deputy Secretary
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
John J. Tommasini, DirectorBureau of Special Education
Patricia Hozella, Assistant Director
Bureau of Special Education