Wisconsin Recommended Assessment Guidelines for Local School

Wisconsin Recommended

Assessment Guidelines for

Local School District Use for

Title I Paraprofessionals

August 2003

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent

P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841

125 South Webster Street, Madison, WI 53702

Jack Kean, Assistant Superintendent

Division for Academic Excellence

Sue Grady, Director

Content and Learning Team

Abdallah Bendada, Consultant

Content and Learning Team

For further information about this document contact Abdallah Bendada at

Phone (608) 267-9270

Fax (608) 266-1965

Email: [email protected]

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race,

religion, age, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation,

or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability.

iii

Table of Contents

Page

ESEA Paraprofessional Advisory Committee ...................................................................... 1

ESEA Paraprofessional Assessment Development Team .................................................... 1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2

Requirements for Paraprofessionals …………………………………………………….…. 2

Definition of Paraprofessionals ……………………………………………………………. 3

Duties of Paraprofessionals ………………………………………………………………… 3

Assessment of Paraprofessionals ......................................................................................... 5

Local Assessment Portability ............................................................................................... 6

Assessment Options ............................................................................................................. 7

Sample Testing Items ........................................................................................................... 8

Sample Items in Reading ..................................................................................................... 8

Sample Items in Mathematics .............................................................................................. 10

Sample Items in Writing ...................................................................................................... 13

Writing Scoring Guide ......................................................................................................... 14

Sample Interview Option ..................................................................................................... 15

Sample Performance Option ................................................................................................ 16

Appendix .............................................................................................................................. 20

ESEA Paraprofessional Advisory Committee

Katie Stout, WEAC

Deb Berndt, WEAC

Carolyn Stanford-Taylor, DPI

Jennifer Kammerud, DPI

Barbara Schuler, WTCS

Paul Nelson, WAICU

Pam Rewey, WASB

Francie Tompkins, UW System

Barbara Van Haren, WCASS

Sandra Wilant, Milwaukee

Lenore Creuziger, Racine

ESEA Paraprofessional Assessment Development Team

Russ Allen, Research and Professional Development Consultant, WEAC

Tom Beatty, Executive Director, AWSA

Abdallah Bendada, Consultant, DPI

Julie Hagen, Program Specialist, DPI

Fran McNett, Education Support Professionals Coordinator, WEAC

Mike McNett, Director of Collective Bargaining, WEAC

Myrna Toney, Coordinator, DPI

Suzan Van Beaver, Consultant, DPI

Seree Weroha, Consultant, DPI

Introduction

The Elementary and Secondary Schools Act (ESEA) of 2001 requires that all paraprofessionals

working in Title I schools must be highly qualified.

The reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known

as the No Child Left Behind Act, requires each local education agency receiving assistance to

ensure that all paraprofessionals hired after the date of enactment of the ESEA (January 8, 2002)

and working in a program supported with funds under this part shall have —

(A) completed at least 2 years of study at an accredited institution of higher education

that is equivalent to at least 48 semester hours; or

(B) obtained an associate's (or higher) degree; or

local academic assessment

(i) knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and

mathematics; or

(ii) knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading readiness,

writing readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.

All paraprofessionals hired on or before January 8, 2002, must satisfy the

requirements by January 8, 2006.

To address the long term needs of school districts and paraprofessionals, the Department of

Public Instruction developed Wisconsin Recommended Assessment Guidelines for Local

School District Use for Paraprofessionals. The intent of this document is to serve as a guideline

to assist the local school district to meet the ESEA requirements related to the third option –

meeting a rigorous standard. Determining the qualifications of paraprofessionals are local district

responsibilities.

The guidelines in this document provide flexibility to respond to varied educational

needs and situations in meeting the ESEA requirements for paraprofessionals. This

document was developed by numerous educators, administrators, paraprofessionals,

and content specialists. Thus, reflecting the multiple approaches used in Wisconsin

schools.

Wisconsin Recommended Assessment Guidelines for Local School Districts Use for Title I

Paraprofessionals consists of three parts:

1. ESEA Requirements

2. Recommended Assessment Guidelines

3. Sample Items

Local districts/schools can use the different parts to develop their local assessment system for

paraprofessionals. Local districts/schools may continue using any existing systems that were

developed locally or purchased providing that they meet the ESEA requirements.

To Whom Do the ESEA Requirements for Paraprofessionals Apply?

The ESEA legislation applies according to the table below:

JOB DUTIES DOES ESEA APPLY?

Schoolwide Title I Program, all paraprofessionals YES

Title I Targeted Assistance Program, only paraprofessionals funded

by Title I

YES

English/ESL translator NO

Schoolwide Title I, parent involvement activities NO

Paraprofessionals who are in neither a school-wide nor a targeted

Title 1 program

Paraprofessionals who conduct parent involvement activities NO

Paraprofessionals who act as a translator

Verification of Compliance Under the ESEA Requirements for Paraprofessionals

The principal of each school operating a Title I Schoolwide or Title I Targeted Assistance

program has the responsibility to attest annually in writing as to whether such school is in

compliance with the requirements of ESEA regarding paraprofessionals. Copies of attestations

shall be maintained at each school operating a Title I program and at the main office of the local

educational agency. This information should be made available to any member of the general

public upon request. An attestation form template is available in Appendix A.

Definition of Paraprofessionals Under the ESEA

Under ESEA, a paraprofessional is an individual with instructional support duties working under

the supervision of a highly qualified teacher. Individuals who work solely in non-education roles,

such as food service, cafeteria or playground supervision, clerical, personal care services, and

non-regular education computer assistance are not considered to be paraprofessionals for Title I

and IDEA purposes.

Duties of Paraprofessionals under the ESEA

A paraprofessional covered under ESEA may perform the following duties: (1) one-on-one

tutoring for eligible students, if the tutoring is scheduled at a time when a student would not

otherwise receive instruction from a teacher; (2) assisting in classroom management;

(3) assisting in computer instruction; (4) conducting parent involvement activities; (5) providing

instructional support in a library or media center; (6) acting as a translator; and (7) providing

instructional services to students. If paraprofessionals only translate and/or provide parent

involvement activities, they are not required to meet the provision of ESEA. A paraprofessional

may not provide any instructional support service to a student unless the paraprofessional is

working under the direct supervision of a highly qualified teacher which means the following:

1. The teacher plans the instructional activities that the paraprofessional carries out;

2. The teacher evaluates the achievement of the students with whom the

paraprofessional is working; and

3. The paraprofessional works in close proximity to the teacher, communicating on

an on-going basis.

Assessment of Paraprofessionals Working Under the

ESEA Title I-funded Positions

ESEA does not require a paper-and-pencil test for assessing paraprofessional quality. However,

there must be evidence that the assessment of paraprofessionals is valid and reliable. The

assessment results must be documented; i.e., a record exists of the assessment and the

individual’s performance on that assessment. The local educational agency determines the

content and conduct of the assessment of paraprofessional quality.

The recommended assessment system consists of three options. A paraprofessional will be

regarded highly qualified if he/she takes and passes any two of the three options listed below (see

Figure 1).

These options are:

1. Test in reading, writing, and mathematics

2. Interview

3. Performance (demonstrated through observation or documentation)

The reliability and validity of the assessment options can be addressed by being thorough,

appropriate, fair, consistently applied, and defensible. Records of assessment should be kept

throughout the duration of the NCLB. DPI recommends the involvement of reading, mathe-

Interview &

Performance

& Test

Interview

& Test

Highly Qualified

Figure 1: The Paraprofessional Assessment System

matics, and language arts/English teachers, administrators, and parents in the assessment

development.

Local Assessment Portability

School districts are encouraged to develop policies related to portability of assessment results

within the district. Districts may provide assessment documentations to other school districts if

requested to do so by the paraprofessional. Because local school districts have the authority to

determine the assessment measure and standard for paraprofessionals, a school district is not

obligated to accept the assessment results from another district as verification of an individual

being a highly qualified paraprofessional.

It is recommended that upon successful completion of the assessment, every paraprofessional

should be given written documentation of successful completion of the ESEA requirements (see

sample in Appendix B).

Recommendations for Assessment Options and Sample Assessment Materials

The remainder of this document focuses on recommendations for:

1. Test items in reading, writing, and mathematics

2. Interview

3. Performance (demonstrated through observation or documentation)

Recommendations for Testing Option

The ESEA guidelines indicate that the content of the assessment for paraprofessionals should

reflect both the state academic standards and the skills expected for the child at a given school

level (elementary, middle, high school). It is required that paraprofessionals demonstrate

reading, writing, and mathematics skills to be adequate to work with students to whom are

assigned.

The test should include reading, mathematics, and writing. Districts/schools can develop a local

test using appropriate items. Tests not designed for basic skills should be approached with

caution. In addition, many testing companies do not recommend their testing instruments for

determining employment. Districts/schools can select test items from their curriculum and/or

textbooks. Furthermore, districts/schools are encouraged to determine a reasonable level of

performance. Reading, writing, and mathematics items do not have to stand alone in the test;

they can be combined into an integrated approach to assess two or three components using

inclusive items. For example, test items 1, 2, 3, 4 of the reading section (see pages 11 and 12)

may be used for both reading and writing.

A collection of test items is available on the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES)

website http://nces.ed.gov/

. DPI has permission from NCES to utilize the test items, which are

used to assess students as part of National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). When

selecting items from this collection, make certain that the items are appropriate to the level of

assistance to be provided by the paraprofessional and include an acknowledgement of NCES

every time NAEP items are used. Many test items from the discontinued Wisconsin Pupil

Assessment Program are available for use by districts/schools upon request from DPI.

The committee recommended that the test should have 15-25 items. An ideal test might consist

of ten mathematics items, ten reading items, and one writing prompt. The test should be

approximately 30 to 45 minutes in length.

All items should be appropriate to the school level of the students being assisted. The

following enumeration indicates what might be appropriate to measure the reading, writing, and

mathematics skills:

• the reading test should measure reading comprehension;

• the writing test should measure basic grammar, sentence structure, and ability to

organize ideas; and

• the mathematics test should measure understanding of basic computation, basic

geometry, basic algebra, use of fractions, rounding and estimating numbers, reading

graphs, and solving simple word problems.

Sample Testing Items

Some sample items have been composed by DPI using the collection of test items developed

by NCES and some items from the discontinued Wisconsin Pupil Assessment Program.

The sample items are for reviewing purposes only, and should not be used as part of the

paraprofessional assessment.

Reading Passages

Story 1

Running back Terry Manders and tailback Leroy Heller each scored touchdowns as North High’s power-

ful football team defeated South High School, 27-0, at City Stadium Thursday evening.

It was a game of mistakes for both teams. Some were to be expected, but others left the coaches of each

team extremely disappointed. South had six passes intercepted, and suffered several minor injuries,

including a leg injury to halfback and punter John Melcore.

North muffled several scoring opportunities, fumbled four times, and had two passes inter-

cepted. “We won, but I’m not satisfied,” said coach Bill Wrens of North. “I expect our

players to do better next week.”

All in all, it was a good game for North, but in order to beat the strong Wildcats of Jackson

High next Friday, they will have to cut down on mistakes.

Story 2

Mistakes, injuries, some lucky breaks for North high School, and some questionable calls by officials

spelled defeat for South High’s Rebels in Thursday’s league opener at City Stadium.

South High quarterback Bill Nevers suffered a minor hand injury in the first quarter of the game and

never returned. North took advantage of the situation by intercepting six passes thrown by backup

quarterback, sophomore Andy Sutherland.

Dave Thompson, coach of the South Rebels, expressed anger at the lopsided score. “We lost, but deserved

a lot better. It’s a shame these kids had so many bad breaks because of poor officiating.”

Next week South faces Morgantown at old City Field. The kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.

The Reading items were adapted from Wisconsin Pupil Assessment Program, 1985

Refer to the Reading Passages to answer the following questions:

1. Which of the following would be the best headline for Story 1?

a. North High Beats South

b. North High Coach satisfied

c. North High fumbles away victory

d. Halfback injures leg

2. Story 2 was most likely written by a newspaper reporter from

a. North High

b. Jackson High

c. Morgantown High

d. South High

3. In Story 1, what caused Bill Wrens to be dissatisfied?

a. North made too many mistakes

b. South made too many mistakes

c. North won by only 27 points

d. South had eight passes intercepted

4. Why was Coach Thompson of South angry?

a. His team lost to North High

b. He thought the officiating was poor

c. South intercepted three passes

d. His quarterback injured his hand

Sample Items: Mathematics

1. Which of the following numbers, when rounded to the nearest thousand, becomes

27,000?

a. 26,099

b. 26,490

c. 27,381

d. 27,550

e. 27,640

2. A bag contains two red candies and one yellow candy. Kim takes out one, and then

Jeff takes out one candy. For each sentence below, fill in the circle to indicate

whether it is possible or not possible.

Possible Not Possible

{ { Kim’s candy is red and Jeff’s candy is red.

{ { Kim’s candy is red and Jeff’s candy is yellow.

{ { Kim’s candy is yellow and Jeff’s candy is red.

{ { Kim’s candy is yellow and Jeff’s candy is yellow.

The following steps are used to read the electric meter shown above.

1. On each dial, the pointer moves in the direction of the arrow for that dial.

2. On each dial, the number that the pointer has just passed is that dial’s reading.

3. To obtain the meter reading, the dials are read from left to right.

What is the reading on the meter?

a. 2,975 kwh

b. 3,086 kwh

c. 5,792 kwh

d. 5,803 kwh

e. 6,803 kwh

4. Radio station KMAT in Math City is 200 miles from radio station KGEO in

Geometry City. Highway 7, a straight road, connects the two cities. KMAT

broadcasts can be received up to 150 miles in all directions from the station and

KGEO broadcasts can be received up to 125 miles in all directions. Radio waves

travel from each radio station through the air, as represented below.

In the space below, draw a diagram that shows the following.

• Highway 7

• The location of the two radio stations

• The part of Highway 7 where both radio stations can be received

Be sure to label the distances along the highway and the length in miles of the part of the

highway where both stations can be received.

5. Chris wishes to carpet the rectangular room shown below. To the nearest square

yard, how many square yards of carpet will be used in carpeting the floor of the

room if the closet floor will not be carpeted? (1 square yard = 9 square feet).

a. 8

b. 13

c. 15

d. 19

e. 22

Sample Item: Writing

Your school board is studying ways to reduce vandalism (destruction of property) at your school.

You have been appointed as a student advisor to write a one-page letter to the school board about

the problem of vandalism and how to solve it.

To help you get started, your school board has given you the chart which provides information

about the extent of vandalism in your school. The school board wants you to discuss ways to

prevent some of the different types of vandalism, which include writing graffiti, destroying

furniture, breaking windows, and damaging trees, athletic fields, and fences. In your letter,

describe the extent of vandalism in your school and discuss what you think are the main reasons

for vandalism.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Writing Scoring Guide

Districts that have a set of criteria for scoring writing performance are encouraged to use

their criteria to evaluate the writing performance of paraprofessionals. Districts may also

consider using the NAEP scoring guide for writing which can be found at this website

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/writing/.

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP), 1994-1998 Reading, 1996 Mathematics, and 1998 Writing.

Sample for Interview Option

A second option for the paraprofessional assessment can take the form of a formal interview.

This will help the evaluator and the paraprofessional to come to an understanding of strengths

and weaknesses. The interview can be in person, over the phone, or through any other distance

technology forms such as video-conferencing.

The interview may include questions such as:

1. Describe your background in working with children.

2. Of the child-related experiences listed on your application, which did you enjoy the most?

Why?

3. What do you feel is your major strength in working with children?

4. Are there any aspects in your working with children that you feel need some

improvement? How would you like to focus in improving them?

5. How would you communicate about children’s progress or behavior to others?

6. What qualities will you bring to this job that will help work effectively with others?

7. Do you have any experience with working with children with special needs?

8. Do you have experience or training in assisting with instruction in the following?

 Reading

 Writing

 Mathematics

The interviewer may consider the following:

Does the interviewee display an ability to communicate and listen appropriately, and express

thoughts effectively?

Sample for Performance Option

The performance assessment option can be measured through a variety of means, including:

1. direct observation of the paraprofessional’s work in assisting students;

2. a review of portfolio or documents that show evidence of the paraprofessional’s

demonstrated ability, or

3. an assessment of the paraprofessional’s ability to correct typical errors in

student work at the appropriate grade level.

These approaches may be implemented through:

1. Classroom observation, on the job evaluation in assisting students in

reading, writing, and mathematics

Performance in any of these approaches could be evaluated through the following

criteria:

• Good use of language • Stays on task

• Getting along with others • Task completion

• Concern for children’s well-being • Follows teacher plans

• Ability to handle stress • Organizational skills

• Ability to demonstrate flexibility • Self-confidence

• Communication skills, including listening

and oral communication

• Rapport with students

A sample observation checklist for educational activities that can be used to rate

the experience and the preparation of paraprofessionals is included (see Appendix

C).

2. Portfolio

• Letters of recommendation

• Documentation showing ability to assist students in reading, writing, and/or

mathematics

• Documentation of relevant training

• Previous evaluations

• Resume

• Other relevant materials

3. Demonstration of ability to make relevant corrective comments

on a student’s work sample in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Paraprofessional responses can be given orally or in writing. A Sample

Performance Instrument follows.

The ability to assess paraprofessionals using performance based items can be done by

allowing paraprofessionals to make corrective comments on student work samples in

reading, writing, and mathematics.

Following are samples of a student’s work in writing and mathematics. Your task is to find and

make all necessary corrections and explain why.

Sample 1: Writing

The student was given the following assignment. The assignment and student’s answer

follows.

A public television network is seeking ideas for a new series of shows that would be educational

for teenagers. The series will include ten one-hour episodes and will be shown once a week.

Some of the titles under consideration are:

"Great Cities of the World"

"Women in History"

"Nature Walks"

"American Legends"

Choose one of these titles. Write a letter to the network president describing your ideas for a new

educational series. In your letter, describe what one episode might be like. Use specific examples

of what information you would include in the episode so the network president will be able to

imagine what the series would be like.

Sample 2: Mathematics

The student was given this exercise.

In order to conserve energy one can put weather strips around the window to prevent heat loss.

How much weather stripping must you purchase to go around a 70 inch by 90 inch window?

The student’s answer is 6300 inches. The teacher said this is wrong.

How would you explain to the student the procedure to reach the correct answer?

Appendix A

Paraprofessional Compliance

School Report

Year 2____ – 2________

Paraprofessionals hired after the date of enactment, January 8, 2002, of the Elementary and Secondary Education

Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) must have a high school diploma or GED and:

• At least two years of higher education, or

• Obtained an Associate’s (or higher) degree, or

• Met a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate, through a formal assessment: knowledge of,

and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing and mathematics.

Existing paraprofessionals must meet these requirements within four years (2005-06). Section 1119 (i) states that

the principal of each school operating a program under Section 1114 (SWP) or Section 1115 (TAS) attest annually

in writing as to whether such school is in compliance with the requirements of this section, Qualifications for

Paraprofessionals.

Name of District:

Number of District:

Name of School:

Name of Principal:

]Please Check one

1. ___ All paraprofessionals are highly qualified.

2. ___ Not all paraprofessionals are highly qualified.

Provide the following information regarding programs supported by Title I funds

1. ___ Total number of paraprofessional(s), excluding exemptions.*

2. ___ The number of paraprofessional(s) who are highly qualified.

Exemptions:

1. ___ Number of paraprofessional supported by Title I funds whose duties consist solely of conducting parent

involvement activities or translating for ESL/ELL*.

2. ___ Number of other non-instructional aide(s) supported by Title I funds.

_____________________________________________ ___________________

Signature of Principal Date

Name

Duty*

Method of

Qualification**

Not Highly

Qualified

Plan to become

Highly Qualified**

*Duties of Paraprofessionals:

1. Instructional services under direct supervision of a teacher.

2. One-on-one tutoring during a time when students would not

otherwise be receiving instruction from teacher.

3. Classroom management assistance

4. Assistance with instructional materials organization

5. Assistance in computer labs

6. Support in library or media center

7. Parent involvement activities – exempted from qualifications

8. Serves as a translator – exempted from qualifications

**Qualifications of Paraprofessionals:

1. High School/GED and Formal Local Assessment

2. High School/GED and 2 years of Higher Education

3. High School/GED and Associate’s Degree

Appendix B

Paraprofessional Certificate for ESEA Requirements

Granted To

Name

This verifies the paraprofessional named above satisfies the

requirements for paraprofessionals under ESEA through one of

the following:

 2-years of higher education at _________________________

 Associates degree or higher from_______________________

 Formal/Local assessment through___________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________

(Principal) (Date)

_________________________________________________ _______________________

(District) (School)

Appendix C

Sample Observation Checklist: Educational Activities

Name___________________________________

Observer________________________________

Date____________________________________

Rating Guide

Does The Paraprofessional:

Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

1. Give good/clear directions

2. State clearly what the student is expected to do

3. Follow the lesson plans developed by the teacher

4. Support instruction sequentially

5. Stay on task

6. Use appropriate prompts to stimulate responses

7. Provide reinforcement in a timely and consistent manner

and use praise effectively

8. Maintain control of the instructional support situation

9. Prepare instructional materials as directed by the teacher

prior to starting the lesson

10. Use a varied instructional activities suggested by the

teacher

11. Maintain accurate records

Comments:

Based on materials developed by the NRC for Paraprofessionals.