Benchmarks for Assessing the Technological Literacy of a Highly Qualified Paraprofessional

Under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) all instructional paraprofessionals working in a program supported under Title I, Part A, are required to meet the federal definition of being highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. In meeting the NCLB requirements, the capacity to support teaching and learning activities in the content areas must be demonstrated. As school districts incorporate increasing amounts of technology into their classroom curricula, the role of the paraprofessional must keep pace with new pedagogical methods for using technology to support student learning. Through the development of technological literacy, the paraprofessional can create an authentic educational experience that enhances learning for every student. This model framework suggests benchmarks for establishing performance standards in the area of computer technology for paraprofessionals. Core competencies for supporting educational content areas and maintaining home-school relations are also included