CREC: The COMPASS: Helping Paraeducators Navigate the Profession | Hartford, Connecticut
Helping Paraeducators Navigate the Profession
Across the country, special education teachers are concerned that their students may regress from the pressures of the pandemic This year especially, schools understand that paraeducators are critical to providing a supportive educational environment for students. However, it can be difficult to ensure that paraeducators have the necessary training and access to evidence-based practices in order to support the learning environment and the students they are supporting.
“The COMPASS,” our nationally recognized, comprehensive, job-embedded professional development curriculum for paraeducators, has been updated to provide district paraeducators with asynchronous learning opportunities. The COMPASS modules are aligned with the national paraeducator standards and can be customized to your district’s needs.
$50/yr per paraeducator
Presentation of the modules can be asynchronous, synchronous or a combination to meet the needs of your district paraeduators
Full access to all modules for a year
Membership in an online learning community of paraeducators
Support is available to districts and participants
Half-day blended learning facilitator training available for an additional fee
Understand the roles and responsibilities of the paraeducator/associate instructor, teacher, and administrator as partners. Learn strategies to work effectively as a member of an instructional team.
Explore what it means to effectively collaborate and communicate with adults and students, including how to build relationships and solve problems.
Learn strategies to proactively manage and support students in a variety of learning situations. Emphasis is on building proactive environmental and instructional supports.
Examine current information on special education laws and school-based practices. Review Individualized Education Plan (IEP) components and procedures.
Learn research-based planning and instructional strategies to help students achieve. The focus is on helping the paraeducator/associate instructor become an effective, contributing member of the instructional team.
Improve student independence by learning how to assess a student’s abilities, analyze tasks, and fade instruction to promote student independence
The Paraeducators Role in the IEP/PPT Process
Knowledge will be gained on Meeting standards of professional and ethical conduct by practicing and maintaining appropriate confidentiality through the IEP/PPT process
Knowledge and Skills for Teachers Supporting the Work of Paraeducators
Teams of teachers and paraeducators benefit from this module to gain an understanding of how to manage the paraeducator's time and effectiveness in supporting the learning environment