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