How can I become a paraprofessional?

One of the purposes of the NRCP is to disseminate information to paraprofessionals (current and future), district and state administrators, local and national organizations regarding the roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals and their supervisors, effective hiring and training practices, standards and policy development. Here are some things you can do:

Become informed. If you spend time reviewing many of the documents and links provided on our website you will become more informed regarding the role of the paraprofessional and the variety of positions that are typically available within a school district. You can also learn about the roles and responsibilities of the paraprofessional and their supervising teacher, training options and support.
Many positions such as a Title 1 assistant, have specific hiring requirements, e.g.., an associate degree, 2 years of training at a college or university or passing an approved exam. Study guides are available for the exams that most state are using as qualifying tools (e.g., PARApro, Work Keys). Depending on your state, there may also be community college training programs designed specifically for paraprofessionals. If you are interested in specific skill training plus want to earn college credits you may want to check them out.
Specific state or district information for potential job listings is not available on our website. You will need to make those contacts directly. A list of districts and their contact information can be obtained from your state office of education’s website. If you don’t know what that is or don’t have access to the Internet just call a local school and ask for the web address or telephone number. Jobs are typically posted on-line or at the district office. Check with the Human Resource Director in the district of interest for specific job listings and their requirements. You may consider posting a question to our regional message board to help identify resources.
There are also training programs and books available that can soon be ordered through our website. A paraeducator self study program is available at http://para.unl.edu. It is free and will also give you some great basic information needed by paraprofessionals in the field. These are just some of a number of training sites that would prove helpful if you are just starting out in the field. If you need additional information or have other questions please contact us directly by calling (435) 797-7272.