1 Title I Hiring Requirements for Paraeducators and Parental Notification of Teacher and Paraeducator Qualifications Regional Technical Assistance Sessions May 2009

2 Findings The DE DOE has not ensured that its LEAs complied with the hiring requirements for instructional paraprofessionals working in Title I schools. notified parents of their right to request information regarding the qualifications of their childs teachers and paraeducators.

3 DE DOE Monitoring Response DOE will provide technical assistance and guidance to districts and charter schools monitor the permits and assignments of instructional paraeducators monitor the parent notifications required of district/charter schools

4 What are the hiring requirements? Instructional paraeducators hired after the enactment of NCLB (January 8, 2002) and working in a program supported with Title I funds must have either: Completed at least two years of study at a college/university OR Obtained an associates degree or higher OR Passed an assessment of knowledge of and ability to assist in the instruction of reading, writing, and mathematics. (ParaPro is the test that DE has adopted.)

5 What are the hiring requirements? Instructional paraeducators hired before the enactment of NCLB (January 8, 2002) and working in a program supported with Title I funds must satisfy the statutory requirements no later than four years after the date of enactment These paraeducators had until the last day of the school year to satisfy the requirement.

6 What are the Statutory Citations? For instructional paraeducators hired after the enactment date of NCLB: Section 1119 (c)(1) For instructional paraeducators hired before the date of enactment: Section 1119(d)

7 Which schools must comply with the requirement? All Title I schoolwide schools must now employ only those instructional paraeducators who meet the NCLB requirement. All targeted assistance Title I schools must now employ only those instructional paraeducators who meet the NCLB requirement if they are working in a program supported with Title I funds.

8 What if a school is not in compliance? The US ED was clear and direct when it found instructional paraeducators who had not meet the NCLB hiring requirements: The DE DOE must … submit to ED documentation of the steps that [the district] has taken to immediately remove the two paraprofessionals not meeting Title I hiring requirements from schools receiving Title I funds.

9 What if a school is not in compliance? The district/charter school must immediately remove any instructional paraeducators who do not meet Title I hiring requirements from schools receiving Title I funds. The district/charter school may not keep instructional paraeducators in their current position while they are working on meeting the Title I hiring requirements.

10 What if a school is not in compliance? Districts/charters can move instructional paraeducators not meeting Title I hiring requirements to schools that do not receive Title I funds OR Reassign the instructional paraeducators to a service paraeducator role OR Release the paraeducator from district/charter school employment. During the reassignment, provide support to the paraeducator to meet the NCLB hiring requirements.

11 DOE Response DOE has contacted districts/charters about instructional paraeducators who do not meet the Title I hiring requirements. DOE will continue to query DEEDS to identify additional instructional paraeducators who do not meet the TitleI hiring requirements and will contact district/charter school HR and Title I directors/coordinators/staff when needed.

12 District/Charter School Action District/charter school HR staff can query DEEDS and contact schools to find the paraeducators not meeting the Title I hiring requirements. District/charter school HR staff and Title I directors/coordinators can work together to assure compliance with the Title I hiring requirements. Districts/charter schools must hire only those instructional paraeducators who meet the Title I hiring requirements at the time of hire if employment will be in a Title I school.

13 Parent Notification Districts/charter schools must notify parents of their right to request information about the qualifications of their childs teachers in a timely manner. Also, the notification must state that parents have the right to know if their child is receiving services from paraeducators and if so, their qualifications.

14 Parent Notification: Citation Section 1111(h)(6)(A) requires that an LEA at the beginning of each school year notify parents of children attending Title I schools that they may request, and the LEA will provide in a timely manner, information regarding the professional qualifications of the students classroom teachers:

15 Parent Notification: Citation Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction; Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which the State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived;

16 Parent Notification: Citation The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree; and Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.

17 Parent Notification: Citation The notice and information provided to parents … shall be in an understandable and uniform format, and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand.

18 Parent Notification The DE DOE sent information, including templates/sample letters, to district/charter school HR and Title I staff and information about the parent notification requirements. District/charter school HR staff and Title I directors/coordinators working together will help to ensure communication and compliance in meeting the parent notification requirement.

19 Monitoring The DE DOE will monitor compliance with the Title I hiring requirements on an on-going basis as well as during the Fall monitoring. The DE DOE will monitor parental notification via the on-line monitoring tool and the Fall monitoring visits.

20 Contact Information For questions, information, and assistance, please contact Patricia Bigelow