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the federal government requires What you should know about new requirements for paraprofessionals who help children learn The federal "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001 set new requirements for anyone who provides instructional support services in programs or schools that receive federal Title I funds. (If you perform the duties of a teacher aide, you must have a high school diploma; other federal requirements do not apply to you.) The federal rules say you must be qualified. The feds leave it up to each state to define what "qualified" means. High school diploma required For starters, the federal government now requires anyone providing instructional support services in Title I schools, regardless of job duties or hiring date, to possess a high school diploma or its equivalent. Requiring a high school diploma coincides with the entry-level state requirements for teaching assistants, but the federal rules go one step further: you are also required to have a high school diploma even if you work primarily as a translator or in parent involvement activities in a Title I school. Other federal requirements apply In addition to a high school diploma, additional federal requirements apply to those who perform the duties of teaching assistants - but there is good news for those with on-the-job experience. In months of negotiations with the State Education Department, New York State United Teachers leaders pressed the point that experienced teaching assistants should receive credit for expertise gained on the job. State officials eventually agreed that teaching assistants who are state-certified and who have tenure would automatically meet the new federal requirements for Title I programs. This affects 30,000 people statewide who otherwise would been required either to complete two years of college, have an associate's degree or pass a written state or local assessment to keep their jobs. In New York City, instructional paraprofessionals will be qualified to meet the federal standards through individual evaluations. The United Federation of Teachers is negotiating specifics of the evaluations, which will credit paras for on-the-job experience. No additional tests or courses will be required. Just as in state certification, when it comes to meeting the new federal requirements, it shouldn't matter what job title your employer gives you. Titles vary across the state. What counts is the kind of work you do. If you work under the supervision of a teacher to provide instruction to students, you are working as a teaching assistant. If you do this work in a school that receives federal Title I funding, you must meet the federal requirements for anyone performing the duties of a teaching assistant. Unfortunately, many districts mistakenly believe that the title - not your job duties - determines whether you must be state-certified. That is not the case. Since it is the district that assigns your duties and must file your certification application, you should always consult a representative of your local union if you feel you are not classified correctly. To recap: In New York state, teaching assistants who are state-certified and have achieved tenure have met the federal requirements. If you were hired on or before Jan. 8, 2002, you still have until Feb. 1, 2004 to seek certifcation under the old rules. For this to happen, your district would have to file by Feb. 1, 2004 for your temporary teaching assistant certificate, and you would have until Jan. 8, 2006 to finish the requirements and become tenured to meet the federal standard. Newer hires have different requirements New teaching assistants (those hired after Jan. 8, 2002) who work in Title I schools can meet the federal requirements in one of three ways. You are considered "qualified" if you have done at least one of the following:
In New York state, this federal requirement can be met by passing a new state test: the Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills. In other words, if you pass the New York state certification test for teaching assistants, you meet the federal requirements as well. Apples and oranges So there you have it: those are state and federal requirements for people who help with instruction. And that's just an overview; as you can imagine, there are tons of specifics that apply in different circumstances. Yes, it's a lot like comparing apples and oranges. But your union stands ready to help you make sense of it all. If you have questions about your own situation, don't hesitate to contact your local union representatives for help. In the meantime, on the pages that follow are some frequently asked questions about the new federal requirements. |
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