This document provides an agenda and overview for a specialized student services professional development conference. The conference will focus on specializing and strengthening skills to support student needs, and will include sessions on strategies for working with parents and paraprofessionals. The parent session will discuss approaches, attitudes, atmosphere, and actions to build shared responsibility for student progress between parents and teachers. The paraprofessional session will cover defining appropriate paraprofessional roles, introducing them to the classroom, delegating tasks, and strategies for collaboration challenges.

1. Specialized Student Services Professional
Development Conference
March 4, 2016
Bartlett High Schools
Dr. Leatrice Satterwhite, Director of Specialized Student Services
Joyce Gronewold, Assistant Director of Specialized Student Services - Operations
Denise Matthews, Assistant Director of Specialized Student Services -
Compliance
Valerie Brosius, Assistant Director of Specialized Student Services – Curriculum &
Instruction
Specializing and Strengthening Skills
to Support Student’s Needs

2. "Coming together is a beginning,
keeping together is progress, and working
together is success."
- Henry Ford-
Sarah Harty
Mary Hogan
Strategies for Working
with Others: Parents and
Paraeducators

3. Agenda:
Strategies for working with Parents
Strategies for working with Paras
Collaboration A process of joining together to
work on tasks in a cooperative, respectful, and
purposeful manner.

4. The purpose of this presentation is to..
Sustaining positive relationships with adults
and paraprofessionals can be challenging.
This session will provide collaborative
approaches to developing and sustaining
positive working relationships.
You will leave with practical tools that you
can implement today!
Purpose

5. ● What does Collaboration TRULY mean?
● What is collaboration – what is not
collaboration?
● What are the principles of effective
collaboration?
● How do we DO collaboration –
is it a matter of will or skill?
Essential Questions
Opening Table Activity

6. What is Collaboration?
● Is a process for setting collective priorities, and
incorporating different perspectives.
● This is reflected in the way people commit to working
together to meet their shared goals.
● Allows for the blending of perspectives, expertise,
resources and shared
accountability and responsibility.

7. What Collaborative Practices is
NOT
● An initiative, pilot or prescribed program
● A mandated service delivery model
● High fidelity wrap-around services (for
individuals with severe behavior challenges)
● An “add-on” to what you are already
doing

8. Group Activity
● Individual activity
● Look through pictures
● Select one that you feel represents you in your role
regarding collaboration
● Share your view with the rest of the group

9. Less Intense More Intense
Compete Co-exist Communicate Cooperate Coordinate Collaborate Integration
Competition for
students, resources,
partners, public
attention.
No systematic
connection between
school authorities or
the Ministry.
Inter-district and
Ministry information
sharing about
collaboration tools.
As needed, often
informal, interaction,
on discrete activities.
Organizations
systematically adjust
and align work with
each other for greater
outcomes; no joint
planning.
Longer term
interaction based on
shared mission,
goals; shared
decision-makers and
resources.
Fully integrated
programs, planning,
funding.
Continuum of Collaboration

10. Parent and Teacher Collaboration
How do families help you do your job
better?
Be more successful in reaching your
goals?
How do you think of the roles parents
and teachers’ play relative to students’
becoming readers?

11. ● Student benefits: grades, test scores, attitudes toward
schoolwork, behavior, academic perseverance,
homework completion, attendance
● What parents do to support learning predicts scholastic
ability better than who families are.
● Creating consistent messages about learning across
home and school helps increase the probability students
will perform their best.
A Host of Research Findings…...

12. A preventive, solution-
oriented focus – create
conditions that
encourage and support
student’s reading and
engagement
Parents and Teachers as “Partners”
Quality of the
relationship – how
parent and teacher work
together in meaningful
ways
A student-focused
philosophy – collaborate
for the learning
progress of the student
A belief in shared
responsibility – both in-
and out-of-school time
impacts achievement

13. ● Approach: The framework for interaction with parents
● Attitudes: The values and perceptions held about
parent-teacher relationships
● Atmosphere: The climate for parent-teacher
interactions
● Actions: Strategies for building shared responsibility for
students’ reading progress and success

14. Approach, attitudes, and atmosphere are the
“backdrop” for the actions to be taken to develop
shared responsibility for children’s progress.
Approach – Parents are essential
Attitudes – Equality, parity, and perspective taking
(golden rule counts!)
Atmosphere – How can we work together to address a concern
or shared goal?

15. ●Think of students in your class last year – those
who were readers and those who struggled.
●On a scale of 1-10, how important, in your
experience, is family engagement with learning to
students’ reading success?
Approach
Parents are essential

16. Attitudes
Equality, parity, and perspective taking
(golden rule counts!)

17. ● Listen to one another’s perspective.
● View differences as strengths.
● Focus on mutual interests.
● Respect the skills and knowledge of each other by asking for
opinions and ideas.
● Plan together and make decisions that address the needs of
parents, teachers, and students.
● Refrain from finding fault – no problematic individuals; rather a
problematic situation that requires our attention.
● Celebrate “our” successes.
Golden Rules of Parent/Teacher
Collaboration

18. ● All families have strengths, and their assets, not deficits, are emphasized.
● Parents can learn ways to help their children if they are provided with the
opportunity and necessary support.
● Parents have important information and perspectives about their children that
are needed by teachers.
● Schools and families influence each other.
● A no-fault, problem solving model is necessary – blame is not attributed to the
family or school because there is not a single cause for any presenting concerns.
New Beliefs and Principles about Families Help
Foster Relationships

19. You have a post it note in front of you. Write one thing that helps
parents feel welcome at school. If I collected the cards and sorted
them into one of six categories:
● Communication
● Trust
● Quality of relationship with teacher
● Problem solving orientation
● Physical appearance
● Other
Where does your idea best fall?
Atmosphere
How can we work together to address a concern
or shared goal?

20. ● Experience when talking with their child’s teacher
● The relationship between their child and his/her teacher
● Meetings with school personnel to address concerns
● Overall “feeling” in their child’s class
● Overall “feeling” in their child’s school
● Relationship between families and teachers at the school
● Parent-teacher conferences
● Cleanliness of the school
● Initial contact when families first enter the school
● How differences of opinion or conflict are handled
Top Ten Responses on Parent Input
of Schools

21. Expressing concerns must invite parental input
“I am concerned about how little work Tess is doing” vs. “I’m not at all pleased with
Tess’s progress.”
Communication must:
● Help parents view their children as learners,
● Enhance parental beliefs that they can be helpful and make a difference, and
● Enhance parents’ comfort level at schools and with educational issues.
Power of
Solution-oriented Language

22. Initial Phone Call about a Concern

23. ● Be proactive! Reach out and make a friendly,
positive introductory contact before any specific
reading or student concern arises.
● “Before School Starts” Greeting
● Goal Setting and Positive School Message
Action Steps

24. Create a plan for home support for reading. Offer
parents the opportunity to react to and modify the
plan to fit their situation.
● Give your reading effort/program a name.
● Design simple, routine activities.
● Goal is to involve all parents in some way.

25. Allow parents to make modifications and/or select
from several options for the home support for
reading program.
● Majority use standard program
● Modify for unique situations
● Value is persistence - always deliver a non-blaming
message that out-of-school reading time influences
children’s reading progress
Key: Expect participation but do not mandate how

26. Maintain relationships with parents through two-
way communication. Provide information and
obtain their feedback
● Provide progress reports on a regular basis (4-6 week
assessments)
● “Please let me hear your ideas. It is with your help that
I can make this classroom the best learning
environment for Dewan.”

27. Turn to an elbow partner:
What do you think parents’ biggest
complaint is?

28. Don’t take it personally!
Turn to your elbow partner:
What does that mean?

29. "I’ve learned that people
will forget what you said,
people will forget what you
did, but people will never
forget how you made them
feel.” Maya Angelou

30. Some links!
http://www.behavioralinstitute.org/uploads/Respecting_Parents_at_the_IEP_Conference.pdf
http://www.behavioralinstitute.org/uploads/Tested_Tips_for_IEP_Meetings.pdf
http://www.behavioralinstitute.org/uploads/10_Tips_for_Schools_on_Avoiding_Confrontation_w
ith_Parents_P_Howey.pdf

31. Teacher and Paraprofessional
Collaboration and Supervision

32. What is the role of
paraprofessionals?

33. ● Turn to your elbow
partner and discuss the
role that
paraprofessionals play
in your classroom...
What is the role of
paraprofessionals?

34. ● Assist teacher to maintain records, folders, and filing
● Manage classroom books, supplies, and equipment
● Assist in large group instruction
● Prepare duplicate materials
● Report attendance
● Help pupils understand teacher directions
Some Appropriate Roles
[adapted from F. Johnson (2003)]

35. ● Record materials for children with disabilities
● Contribute ideas when staff is planning instructional
program
● Re-teach with special practice after initial instruction
by teacher
Some Appropriate Roles
[adapted from F. Johnson (2003)]

36. ● Assign final grades
● Make retention or promotion decisions
● Initiate formal contact with parents concerning child's
overall progress
● Administer, score and interpret assessments that require
subjective judgment
●Assume full responsibility for a class for
indefinite amount of time
Some Inappropriate Roles
[adapted from F. Johnson (2003)]

37. ●Make major decisions as to the subject matter to be
taught
●Has primary responsibility for writing IEPs
●Sub for a teacher, unless they are an official
substitute in superintendent's office
●Plan individual daily lesson plans for the
classroom
Some Inappropriate Roles
[adapted from F. Johnson (2003)]

39. 1.Allow the paraprofessional to spend at least one day
observing you and other teachers and students
2.Provide an initial orientation to your classroom,
including:
● Daily routines
● Daily and weekly schedules
● Instructional procedures
● Classroom rules
● Lesson plan format
● Procedures for handling student assignments
Introducing Paraprofessionals to your Classroom
(Gerlach, 2003)

40. 4.Explain your class policies regarding: (continued)
● Incomplete work, late or missing work, and make-up work
● Parent and family communication
5.Discuss the plans of the students with whom the
paraprofessional works
6.Provide a place for the paraprofessional to put his or her things
try to get email access)
Introducing Paraprofessionals to your Classroom
(Gerlach, 2003)

41. ● Did I explain what task needs to be done and why, how and
where it will be done?
● Did I explain how the paraprofessional will be observed and
supervised?
● Did I discuss how feedback should be provided to me?
● Do I speak in team language, such as “It would be good for
both of us if we…”
● Did I ask for a specific action or did I phrase
my request in ambiguous terms?
Ask Yourself these Questions…..
(Gerlach, 2003)

42. ● Did I provide a written plan?
● Did I set a mutually agreed-upon deadline when I
delegated a task?
● Did I confirm important content in writing?
● Did I ask if the paraprofessional had any questions?
Ask Yourself these Questions…..
(Gerlach, 2003)

43. ● Establish goals and detailed plans around which activities of
paraprofessionals are coordinated.
● Organize and manage schedules that allow for cooperation,
planning and information sharing.
Planning and Scheduling

44. ● Consider the strengths, interests and needs of
paraprofessionals when managing schedules.
● Manage smooth transitions brought on by changes to the
daily schedules of paraprofessionals.
● Organize and provide materials and resources that are
necessary to carry out the objectives of each
paraprofessional’s activity.
Planning and Scheduling

45. Managing the Work of Paraprofessionals
Competencies:
■ Clearly describes, to each paraprofessional, their roles and
responsibilities.
■ Maintains regular positive and supportive interaction with
paraprofessionals.
■ Contributes to the evaluation of paraprofessional performance with
the intent of assisting paraprofessional skill improvement.
■ Maintains professionalism through respect, confidentiality, and
honoring boundaries.
■ Provides beginning and substitute paraprofessionals with an
orientation that results in sufficient understanding of the setting,
staff, students, and staff roles and responsibilities.

46. Summary of Student Schedule
Student Name___________________Grade______________________Date____________________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00-8:30
8:30-9:00
9:00-9:30
9:30-10:00
10:30-11:00
11:00-11:30
11:30-12:00
12:00-12:30
12:30-1:00
1:00-1:30
1:30-2:00
2:00-2:30
2:30-3:00
Please fill in class/subject for each half-hour block using the key
(see next slide)

47. Summary of Student Schedule
Student Name___________________Grade______________________Date____________________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00-8:30
8:30-9:00
9:00-9:30
Please fill in class/subject for each half-hour block using the key
(see next slide)
KEY -
Blue - student is in independent class activity, no para in room
Green - Student is in independent class activity, para is in room
Black - Student is in independent class but para checks at ___ minute intervals
Purple - Student is receiving one-to-one direct instruction within general education
classroom
Red - Student is pulled out to receive instruction in a special education environment
** Indicates problem areas/have questions and concerns

48. 1. Analyze the task
■ How urgent and important
is the task?
■ Could someone else do it?
■ What are the component
parts of the larger task?

49. 2. Decide what to delegate
■ What are the student
needs? Program needs?
■ What are the
paraprofessional’s
interests and skills?
■ What training or coaching
would be needed for the
paraprofessional to

50. 3. Create the plan
■ Identify the components
of the task, limits of
authority, & performance
standards.
■ Determine how to direct
and monitor the
paraprofessional and
when/how to provide
needed training.

51. Challenges and Strategies to Collaborate
with Paraprofessionals

52. Lack of planning time between teachers and paraprofessionals (Wallace,
Stahl, & Johnson, 2003).
Many paraprofessionals work in multiple classrooms each day (Wallace,
Stahl, & Johnson, 2003).
More than 80% of the paraprofessionals reported spending half or more
of their day on instructional tasks and yet only about 40% reported
having received training in reading, writing, or math instruction (Wallace,
Stahl, & Johnson, 2003).
Half of the paraprofessionals reported that their job descriptions
accurately reflected their duties (Wallace, Stahl, & Johnson, 2003).

53. What Systems Can Teachers Use to Communicate with a
Paraprofessional?
● Establish a firm 15-minute meeting time for each day. Set aside a longer (45-
minute to 60-minute) meeting time for each week.
● Determine a monthly meeting to discuss progress of individual students.
● Meet when students do not need supports (such as during lunch, recess, or
special-areas classes).
● Establish a communication notebook to be used by the teacher and
paraprofessional.
● Other ideas? Turn to your elbow partner and share out ways you
communicate with your paraprofessionals...

54. Discussion &
Questions

55. Resources - 1
■ National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals (NRCP): http://nrcpara.org
■ No Child Left Behind: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/
■ Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) Fact Sheets:
http://www.spense.org/Results.html
■ Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium: http://ici2.umn.edu/para
■ Paraprofessionals In the Education Workforce, National Education
Association (NEA) http://www.nea.org/esp/resource/parawork.htm
■ Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE)
http://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/ --look for paraprofessional issue brief

56. Resources - 2
■ Paraeducator Support of Students with Disabilities in General Education
Classrooms, University of Vermont http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/parasupport/
■ Roles of Educational Paraprofessionals in Effective Schools, U.S.
Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Paraprofessionals/
■ National Clearinghouse for Careers in Special Education, CEC
http://www.special-ed-careers.org/research_library/paraeducators.html
■ Standards for a Profession, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
http://www.aft.org/psrp/standards/
■ Schools and Staffing Survey, National Center for Educational Statistics
(NCES) http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/

57. Resources - 3
■ Paraeducator-to-Teacher Programs, National Teacher Recruitment
Clearinghouse
http://www.recruitingteachers.org/become/paraprograms.html
■ IDEA Practices Home Page – http://www.ideapractices.org/
■ National Clearinghouse for Paraeducators Resources, Center for
Multilingual, Multicultural Research
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/Clearinghouse.html
■ National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities
http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/parasupport/
■ Paraeducator Resources Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory http://nwrac.org/links/paraed.html

58. Resources - 4
■ State Level Initiatives Related to Training and Supervision of Paraeducators, Project
FORUM National Association of State Directors of Special Education 1800 Diagonal
Road, Suite 320 Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703.519.3800, ext. 333 FAX: 703.519.3808
Please contact Joy Markowitz at joy@nasdse.org or by calling 703-519-3800 (ext. 335).
■ Copies of the IDEA Partnerships PARAPROFESSIONAL INITIATIVE: Report to the U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) may be
obtained from: Council for Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-5704,Voice: 1-877-232-4332 (toll free),TTY 866-915-5000,FAX 703-
264-1637, E-mail: ideapractices@ideapractices.org
■ IMPACT: Feature Issue on Paraeducators Supporting Students with Disabilities and At
Risk. Published by the Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD) and the Research
and Training Center on Community Living, College of Education and Human
Development, University of Minnesota • Volume 15 • Number 2 • Fall 2002 -
http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/152/default.html
■ Wallace, T., Shin, J., Bartholomay, T., &Stahl, B. (2001). Knowledge and skills for teachers

59. Resources - 4
■ www.nea.org/books Let’s Team Up by Kent Gerlach - This unique checklist is written to help
paraeducators, teachers, and principals understand their roles and responsibilities as they relate to
each other. It's filled with helpful tips for teachers on working effectively with paraeducators,
practical suggestions for paraeducators on clarifying their jobs and their relationships with students
and school staff, and great advice for principals on the administrative supervision of paraeducators.
When every member of the school team is successful, the entire school wins.
■ www.proedinc.com Pickett, A.L., & Gerlach, G. Paraeducators in Education Settings: A
Team Approach. Austin, TX: Pro-ed This is the first and most comprehensive text on
supervising paraprofessionals in educational settings.
■ http://www.lrp.com/ - The Teacher’s Guide to Supporting and Supervising
Paraprofessionals in the Classroom — Video and Guidebook by Teri Wallace
This hands-on training video spells out key roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals, and teachers
working with paraprofessionals - along with successful management strategies - to help educators build
effective teaching teams and improve overall classroom instruction. This hands-on training video spells out
key roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals, and teachers working with paraprofessionals - along with
successful management strategies - to help educators build effective teaching teams and improve overall
classroom instruction - 1-800-341-7874.

60. https://goo.gl/K600yX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzvrDkzKyl8