Many paraeducators are hired in Utah’s approximately 1,400 schools to assist Utah’s 36,600 teachers in instructing and supporting Utah’s 674,600 students. Though many are hired, too few are trained to effectively engage in the complex work of supporting the academic and social-emotional learning required of all students, including those with disabilities (SWD).

School-age students will attempt to escape or avoid learning tasks for which they are poorly or inadequately prepared to engage. Like students, paraprofessionals can be at high risk of leaving employment if they are poorly or inadequately trained or not trained at all.

The risk of leaving employment is reduced by effectively preparing paraeducators for the roles and responsibilities assigned to them. Students can cause behavioral disruption in learning environments. These disruptions may produce property damage or worse — physical harm — to other students, paraeducators or teachers. Paraeducators are often required to supply behavioral support with little training and, far more frequently, no training at all.

In recent years, paraeducators have filed lawsuits against their employing school districts for assigning them to students who have dangerous behaviors with no training or inadequate training, resulting in work-related injury. Some injury cases have aired on Utah primetime television, and unfortunately, in all observed cases, it was evident the school or district did not have an appropriate training program in place for their paraeducators.

The need for behavioral training for paraeducators is significant. Such training is needed to increase school safety, reduce property damage, improve learning and provide students with disabilities with increased access and effective engagement in less restrictive learning environments.

In response to these needs, Utah State University’s Center for the School of the Future developed the Paraeducator Behavior Modules (PBM), which were authored by behavior analysts, and a learning scientist assisted to ensure the modules resulted in paraeducators learning the associated content effectively and efficiently. PBM modules were designed to support paraeducators working with students presenting moderate to significant behavior challenges.

The three PBM modules are Canvas-based and result in paraeducators achieving 15 learning objectives relevant to the application of behavioral principles and strategies in school settings under the direction of their supervising teachers. Paraeducators receive a completion certificate detailing their performance across all objectives, which is presented to their supervising teachers or administrators to verify training and knowledge acquisition.

The modules prepare paraeducators to better understand and respond to student behavior. Several case studies thread through the training. The Ronnie case is particularly prominent. Paraeducators apply acquired knowledge to the learning difficulties produced by Ronnie’s behavior. For example, paraeducators first identify and define Ronnie’s challenging behavior. Using their freshly developed definitions, they collect data about Ronnie’s behavior, which is helpful in learning what may be triggering and sustaining his behavior. Paraeducators then hypothesize or make an educated guess about the purposes of Ronnie’s behavior (Does Ronnie’s behavior produce something desirable [e.g., get a break from learning tasks] or help him avoid or escape from something undesirable [e.g., writing]?).Paraeducators then develop a fictitious behavior intervention plan for Ronnie (in actual practice, paraeducators develop these plans with their supervising teachers). Further training offers direction on implementing the plan, measuring its impact on student behavior and making data-based decisions to improve the plan’s impact. Participating paraeducators exit the training far more capable of addressing significant behavior challenges, which reduces their risk of leaving employment and increases the safety in their jobs. Whatever the origin of your training, what is most important is recognizing and addressing the need for behavior-related training when paraeducators are assigned to support students with challenging behavior.

Contact Dr. David Forbush at david.forbush@usu.edu to discuss the implementation of paraeducator training in your school.