Featuring Faculty of St. Elizabeth Catholic School KC, MO Working with a Paraprofessional in an Inclusive Catholic School: A Panel discussion Featuring Faculty of St. Elizabeth Catholic School KC, MO

Introductions... Jen Moreland, Special Education Coordinator and Teacher Anne Randolph, Junior HIgh Science Teacher Karyn Layton, Junior High Math Teacher Teresa Medina, Paraprofessional and Camp Shamrock Director

St. Elizabeth’s Inclusive Education Model : Our Resource Room was started in 2000 by Jen Moreland and Peggy VanDyke in hopes of providing students the support they needed to gain success in school. From its humble beginnings, the Resource Room grew into a Resource Center that includes a Reading Room, a Sensory Room and a main Resource Room for specialized instruction and meetings. The staff has gone from 1 to 5, to include a Special Educator, a Reading Specialist and 3 full time paraprofessionals. The Resource Center provides support for all teachers academically, behaviorally and organizationally as well as providing direct support for more than 65 students. The Resource Center also provides the whole school with Second Step classes. These lessons teach our students how to best learn, focus, manage emotions and solve problems. It also teaches junior high students about bullying and drug prevention. St. Elizabeth’s Inclusive Education Model

paraprofessionals who are invested in your program *Hiring qualified personnel *Providing proper orientation and ongoing professional development *Inclusion in meetings, planning, schedule development, and student plans *Inclusion in PLC’s and staff meetings *Inclusion on committees and other stakeholder commitments *Clear Expectations and feedback

Working with a para to modify work, testing and as a support in the classroom: provides flexibility in modifying activities (students working with Teresa on creating a video, for example, while other students engage in other activities like balancing chemical equations) PARA Knows students emotional needs as a result of one on one time PARA Knows student strengths and weaknesses PARA IS Able to help all students in the class, not just those to whom they are assigned PARA Assists in modifying assessments

What Life Is Like without a paraprofessional….

Benefits of Working with a Paraprofessional Below level students remain in class Allows for Inclusion in activities Assists in differentiation Decreases Pull outs Allows for best practices Benefits of Working with a Paraprofessional

Teresa’s Journey Brett and Madeline (and…) Small Group Instruction addressing individual needs Preparing students to be without you

What would you like to know? Questions Answers

http://education.ky.gov/federal/prog s/tia/documents/kpa%20study%20g uide%20revised%202nd%20edition .pdf RESOURCES