Support Staff Qualifications
Requirements for Paraprofessionals (Assistants in the classroom)
According to the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), all instructional paraprofessionals must complete at least one of the following three requirements:
- At least two years of study (60 semester hours) at an accredited institution of higher education; or
- An associate's degree (or higher); or
- An approved state or local academic assessment that measures the paraprofessional's knowledge of and ability to assist in instruction of the following subjects at the appropriate level:
- To meet this assessment requirement, paraprofessionals may choose one of the following state-approved tests:
- Reading, Writing and Mathematics, or
- Reading readiness, Writing Readiness, and Mathematics Readiness.
- ParaPro Assessment (ETS.org). The minimum passing score on this test is 456.
- ACT.org - WorkKeys (ACT.org). The following four areas are required: reading, writing, mathematics, and an inventory survey.
The minimum passing score on the required assessments are as follows:- Applied Mathematics - 4
- Reading for Information - 4
- Writing or Business Writing - 3