Mueller, P. H. (1997). A study of the roles, training needs, and support needs of Vermont's paraeducators. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Vermont.
THE FOLLOWING ABSTRACT IS POSTED WITH THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
The overarching purposes of this study were to investigate the paraeducator component of Vermont's special education service delivery model and to provide information to State Departments of Education, institutions of higher education, and local education agencies to assist in the development of appropriate training and support for paraeducators and their supervisors. Specific goals of this study were to : 1) collect demographic data regarding Vermont's paraeducator workforce, 2) determine and describe specific roles and duties performed by paraeducators, 3) describe the training and support paraeducators received to perform their roles, and 4) discuss the implications of the research in relation to paraeducator training and support needs. These goals were accomplished through: 1) a review of literature on paraeducator roles and their training and support needs, 2) the development, distribution and analysis of a statewide survey of Vermont's paraeducators' roles and their training and support needs, 3) an analysis of paraeducator time/task activity logs completed by a sample of the survey respondents, and 4) a discussion of the implications for training and support of paraeducators and directions for further research.
Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the results of the 100-item survey. Data were collected from 758 respondents and analyzed around seven topic areas:
1)demographics, 2) duties and responsibilities, 3) training and professional development, 4) job descriptions, 5) supervision, 6) evaluation, and 7) indices of support and respect as a member of the educational community.
In general, results were consistent with theories presented in the literature. The Vermont paraeducator workforce consisted primarily of women who have returned to the workforce. Most received little or no training to perform their roles and primarily consisted of the delivery of direct instruction to students eligible for special education. In addition, they received little orientation to their positions or students; lacked quality supervision and feedback about their performance; and were poorly evaluated. Respondents generally reported they felt respected and supported for their contributions to their educational communities, however many respondents reported they lacked having such indices of support as: adequate break time for personal needs, staff relationships characterized by mutual respect, procedures for insuring that their duties were carried out in their absence, and differential pay based upon training and experience. Many indicated they did not plan on remaining in their current positions due to the poor salary, lack of opportunity for advancement and "burnout." These data generated implications for the paraeducator component of Vermont's special education service delivery system and areas for future research.
Last modified February 14 2008 11:23 AM
