Essential Components for Maximizing Paraprofessionals in the Special Education Field

The capstone project researched how paraprofessionals are being trained and monitored within one elementary school. The research was conducted through a survey sent to 20 paraprofessionals within an elementary level school, grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. There were 10 survey questions that focused on paraprofessionals training methods, paraprofessionals ability to implement interventions, paraprofessionals ability to support a variety of student needs, and how special education teachers can improve their ability to work with paraprofessionals in order to maximize students with disabilities outcomes. The survey results suggested focus areas as improvements in training methods, collaboration among the paraprofessional and special education teacher, and improvements in communication skills between the two educators