Exploring Paraprofessional Requirements across the 50 States and DC

Paraprofessionals, also known as paraeducators, teacher assistants, instructional aides, and education aides, play a key role in supporting student learning. They are the fastest growing portion of the educator workforce, with their ranks more than doubling in size between 1993-2019.[1] And by 2021, there were 1.2 million paraprofessionals supporting the education of children in our nation’s schools.[2]

Paraprofessionals provide one-on-one tutoring, lead small groups, offer translation services, assist with classroom management, engage in family engagement activities, and more—all under the supervision of a classroom teacher. They are often some of the lowest paid staff[3] working in school buildings, an issue brought to light by the recent strike[4] in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and are more racially and ethnically diverse than the teacher workforce.[5]

According to the National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, & Interveners, the modern day push for paraprofessionals began in the 1950s as localities faced shortages of licensed teachers and limited community based services for children with disabilities.[6] Most of the work they performed was clerical, but their roles continued to evolve through the passage of seminal education bills, particularly in the area of special education.[7] Overtime paraprofessionals began to directly support the work of teachers and, in turn, student learning. Even though paraprofessionals have historically worked in Title I schools and targeted assistance programs, their roles and qualifications were not codified until the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001.[8] These requirements were maintained when the law was reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Currently, federal law requires that paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma or equivalent and meet one of the following qualifications:

• Completed at least 2 years of study at an institution of higher education;
• Obtained an associate’s (or higher) degree; or
• Met a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate, through a formal State or local academic assessment:
  1. knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics; or
  2. knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.

Federal law plays an important role in setting requirements, but states also set requirements that influence the recruitment, development and career advancement of the paraprofessional workforce.

To learn more about state requirements for paraprofessionals, we conducted a scan of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. The information has been organized into a database that details general requirements, education requirements, assessments, standards, and initial certification and renewal requirements, where applicable. The database is designed to be a resource for understanding the variations in state requirements and related trends across states. This brief will present key findings and implications for understanding the requirements that shape paraprofessionals’ roles in classrooms across the nation.

Federal Influence of State Requirements

As the database reveals, state requirements for paraprofessionals are heavily influenced by federal law. A majority of states (42) and District of Columbia utilize federal Title I requirements when assessing the baseline qualifications of some paraprofessionals. Indeed, a 2021 working paper by Biraj Bisht, Zachary LeClair, Susanna Loeb, and Min Sun examining the growth, diversity, and career trajectories of paraprofessionals revealed that patterns of hiring among districts likely “reflect the influence of federal legislation and school funding on paraeducator workforce growth.”[9]

Of these states, only Indiana offers additional options to meet qualification requirements under Title I, due to a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education that allows them to offer greater flexibility. For example, paraprofessionals in the state have the option to utilize their previous experience (1 year or 1,000 hours) working with children or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, among other options.

A total of three states, Louisiana, New Mexico and West Virginia, specify the courses (tied to semester hours) that paraprofessionals must take to meet hiring requirements. A few states also specify paraprofessional requirements for those working outside of Title I or in non-instructional roles. These roles usually require only a high school diploma, but in California, these individuals must also pass a locally approved assessment of knowledge and skills in assisting instruction.

The eight states that do not use Title I as the basis for their requirements are those that either do not have any statewide requirements at all (Colorado, Florida and Wyoming),[10] have more flexible requirements (North Caroline and Tennessee), or have set up a unique system of paraprofessional certification (Maine, New York and West Virginia). Maine, for example, has three levels of certification: Education Technician I, II and III. Certification for all three of these positions is valid for five years and may be renewed for five years, provided that the individual completes three semester hours “approved study.” Education Technician I requires a high school diploma or GED and certification is valid for 5 years. To move up to an Education II certification, 60 credits of “approved study” in a related field is required, this may include college courses, workshops or training that provide Continuing Education Units (also a common requirement for teacher licensure renewal), or in-service activities.[11] Education Technician III requires three years of postsecondary education or 90 credit hours. New York has four levels of Teacher Assistant certification that build on each other and require progressively higher levels of education and work experience.

Paraprofessional Certification and Standards

A total of 17 states offer some form of certification, permit or licensure. These requirements vary by state, with three states (Iowa, Minnesota, and New Hampshire) offering voluntary or optional certification and two states (Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) only requiring certification for paraprofessionals working in special education settings. States such as Georgia, Illinois and West Virginia offer one standard certification for paraprofessionals, while others like Delaware, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas offer tiered levels of certification. While it appears that in some states, the responsibilities associated with different tiers may vary, the current analysis did not delve deeply into that issue. At the same time, it is unclear whether the pay of paraprofessionals differs depending on certification level.

There was not a direct alignment between offering certification and having a documented set of standards and competencies for paraprofessionals. In the 10 states where this type of information was found, five (AK, ID, MT, RI, and UT) do not offer paraprofessional certification. The Rhode Island Department of Education has standards for all teachers assistants but also offers guidelines for those working with specific groups of students, such as English learners (ELs) or children with speech/language impairments, for example. Washington state pairs their certification options with specified standards of practice and also offers course outlines for the subject-matter certificates in English Language Learner (ELL) or special education. Notably, it is the only state with a Paraeducator Standards Board that sets requirements and policies for the certification, professional learning, and career advancement of paraprofessionals.[12]

Requirements and Training to Support Special Student Populations

By offering guidelines and certifications specific to supporting special populations of students, these states are providing paraprofessionals with the opportunity to strengthen their skills and grow their knowledge. In their study of the paraprofessional workforce, Bisht and colleagues also found that districts with high proportions of students with disabilities, English learners or children from low income backgrounds tend to hire more paraprofessionals. However, as the database shows, few states offer or require specialized training to paraprofessionals who work with these student populations.

Research documents the role that paraprofessionals play in assisting English learner students by offering bilingual supports and cultural connections,[13] providing supplemental literacy instruction,[14] and facilitating communication with linguistically diverse families.[15] These roles can be supported with funds from Title III, which is the only federal funding stream devoted exclusively to English learner and immigrant students. Yet, only two states, California and Kansas, provided information specific to Title III paraprofessionals and even that information only serves to clarify that those who act primarily as translators or family engagement specialists do not have to meet the requirements specified by Title I. Washington and Iowa are the only states that offer optional certification specific to working with ELs. While Rhode Island, Utah and Wisconsin include competencies/considerations for supporting multilingual learners in their standards for paraprofessionals.

Paraprofessionals also support the education of children with disabilities, often providing one-to-one instruction and behavioral support. A 2015 article published in the Journal of Special Education highlighted research showing that there are 400,000 paraprofessionals working in special education and that some schools employ more paraprofessionals than certified special education teachers.[16] However, training and professional learning for special education paraprofessionals is quite limited.[17] Only a handful of states (Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington) offer and/or require training related to working with children who receive special education services. Minnesota statute requires paraprofessionals to receive initial and ongoing training focused on roles and responsibilities, understanding disabilities, developing knowledge and skills specific to the disabilities of the students they work with, and more. West Virginia stipulates that applicants for the permanent paraprofessional certificate complete at least three semester hours of college credit in special education. And just four states (Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin) offer a paraprofessional credential or certification in the area of special education.

Finally, this project found a few examples of requirements for paraprofessionals who work in state pre-K programs. Interestingly, these requirements all mandate coursework or credentials directly related to working with young children. For example, Nebraska requires paraprofessionals to have 12 undergraduate or graduate credit hours in child development or early childhood education, or equivalent experience. Mississippi also specifies that individuals have either an associate degree in early childhood education or a combination of credit hours or training in early childhood, along with other requirements. In Maryland, pre-K paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma; however, starting in the 2025-26 school year they will be required to have either a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or an associate degree.[18]

Given the outsize role of federal law in setting paraprofessional requirements, the biggest implications lie with what, if any, changes should be made to existing provisions.

While federal policymakers have moved away from specifying the traits of “highly-qualified” teachers and paraprofessionals, a future reauthorization of ESSA could include updated requirements for job-related training. For example, the law could mandate that states offer specialized training for paraprofessionals upon hiring, as a few states already do. Another consideration would be whether to allow for competency-based demonstration of knowledge and skills, rather than relying simply on college credit hours or a standardized examination. Finally, there is a need for updated data on the distribution of the paraprofessional workforce and district-level hiring requirements. Specifically, how many districts actually require paraprofessionals to have either an associate degree, two years of college or are gaining entry into the profession by passing an assessment such as the ParaPro. This level of data is important to understand due to the fact that most school districts have autonomy to set additional requirements for paraprofessionals beyond what is mandated or suggested by the state. A 2007 Issue Brief from the Institute of Education Sciences appears to be the most recent synthesis of these data at the national level.[19]

The lack of attention to the training and certification of paraprofessionals who work in special education may be due in part, to ambiguities within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). According to the law, states are responsible for developing qualification requirements to ensure that personnel are “appropriately and adequately trained.”[20] IDEA outlines teacher qualifications, including having a bachelor’s degree and certification, but lacks similar specificity for paraprofessional qualifications—a notable gap given their role in providing special education services. Rather than leave so much discretion up to states, there could be more guidance and recommendations offered around the skills and competencies that paraprofessional training programs should focus on.

State requirements for paraprofessionals also have implications for their career advancement and related pathways towards earning teacher certification. Bisht and colleagues also found that about 75 percent of paraprofessionals do not have a bachelor’s degree, which points to a need for career ladder programs that support them in attaining both a degree and teacher licensure. Many states have invested in scholarship programs and Grow Your Own (GYO) programs to remove barriers and increase access into higher education for paraprofessionals. Our own research[21] finds that there are paraprofessional focused GYO programs in nearly 40 states plus Washington, D.C., and the push for Registered Apprenticeship programs for K-12 teachers is likely to pull even more paraprofessionals onto the path towards becoming a teacher.[22] More research is needed to understand the design, implementation, and outcomes of these initiatives on paraprofessional’s career trajectories, pedagogical practices, and impact on student learning.[23]

School systems across the country are still dealing with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and paraprofessionals are likely playing a key role in supporting students’ academic recovery. Just as there have been reports of teacher shortages, some districts are also struggling to fill paraprofessional positions with low pay being cited as a primary reason for these staffing gaps.[24] Both federal and state policymakers are proposing legislation to boost the salaries of teachers, but few are considering the need to increase paraprofessionals’ pay.[25] Paraprofessionals have a positive impact on student learning[26] and deserve a livable and fair wage. While the requirements to work as a paraprofessional offer flexibility, they also offer a limited understanding of how those qualifications help inform their work and their relationship to professional learning opportunities. Clearly, there is room for additional research on paraprofessionals’ skill development and growth and the policies that can strengthen this essential part of the educator workforce.

I am grateful to my New America colleagues Elena Silva and Melissa Tooley for their feedback on the database and related analysis. Thank you to Sabrina Detlef, Fabio Murgia and Jodi Narde for their editing, planning and layout support. The work of the PreK-12 team would not be possible without the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Siegel Family Endowment, and Walton Family Foundation. The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of these foundations. Any errors or omissions are the sole responsibility of the author.

[1] Biraj Bisht, Zachary LeClair, Susanna Loeb, and Min Sun, “Paraeducators: Growth, Diversity and a Dearth of Professional Supports,” EdWorkingPaper: 21-490 (November 2021), https://doi.org/10.26300/nk1z-c164.

[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (website), Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Teacher Assistants,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/teacher-assistants.htm.

[3] Madeline Will, “Paraprofessionals: As the ‘Backbones’ of the Classroom, They Get Low Pay, Little Support,” Education Week, June 15, 2022, https://www.edweek.org/leadership/paraprofessionals-as-the-backbones-of-the-classroom-they-get-low-pay-little-support/2022/06.

[4] Andrew J. Campa, Brennon Dixson, Howard Blume, and Grace Toohey, “Mayor Bass Mediating Ongoing LAUSD Strike; Schools to Remain Closed Thursday,” Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-22/lausd-strike-unites-workers-demanding-raises-closes-schools.

[5] Bisht, LeClair, Loeb, and Sun, “Paraeducators.”

[6] Anna Lou Pickett, Marilyn Likins, and Teri Wallace, The Employment & Preparation of Paraeducators: The State of the Art, 2003 (New York: National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals, Center for Advanced Study in Education Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, 2003), https://nrcpara.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/state-of-the-art.pdf.

[7] Anna Lou Pickett, “Paraeducators: The Evolution in Their Roles, Responsibilities, Training, and Supervision,” Impact 15, no. 2 (Fall 2002), https://publications.ici.umn.edu/impact/15-2/paraeducators-the-evolution-in-their-roles-responsibilities-training-and-supervision.

[8] Andrea Boyle and Katelyn Lee, Title I at 50: A Retrospective (Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research, 2015), 15, https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Title-I-at-50-rev.pdf.

[9] Bisht, LeClair, Loeb, and Sun, “Paraeducators,” 25.

[10] Colorado recommends that school districts set requirements that are equivalent or similar to what is specified in Title I, but officially, does not have any statewide requirements for paraprofessionals written into law. And while Florida does not have statewide requirements for paraprofessional qualifications, state statute specifies that "each school district may adopt a program for the career development of education paraprofessionals.” Participation is voluntary and there are five career development levels that have varying requirements for education, skills, and job performance. For more see the legislature’s website, under "1012.38—Education paraprofessional career development."

[11] For more on continuing education requirements, see Melissa Tooley and Taylor White, Rethinking Relicensure: Promoting Professional Learning Through Teacher Licensure Renewal Policies (Washington, DC: New America, 2018), 13, https://s3.amazonaws.com/newamericadotorg/documents/Rethinking_Relicensure_v10.pdf.

[12] Amaya Garcia and Alexandra Manuel, “Washington State Launches First of Its Kind Paraeducator Board,” EdCentral (blog), New America, April 3, 2018, https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/washington-state-launches-first-its-kind-paraeducator-board/.

[13] Kerri J. Wenger, Tawnya Lubbes, Martha Lazo, Isabel Azcarraga, Suzan Sharp, and Gisela Ernst-Slavit, “Hidden Teachers, Invisible Students: Lessons Learned from Exemplary Bilingual Paraprofessionals in Secondary Schools,” Teacher Education Quarterly 31 no. 2 (Spring 2004): 89–111, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ795248.pdf.

[14] Melina Aurora and George Farkas, “Paraprofessional Instructional Assistants Raise the Reading Performance of Latina/o First Graders in a Low-Income District,” Remedial and Special Education (November 2022): 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325221134919.

[15] Ritu V. Chopra, Elena Sandoval-Lucero, Lorenso Aragon, Christina Bernal, Helen Berg de Balderas, and Diane Carroll, “The Paraprofessional Role of Connector,” Remedial and Special Education 25, no. 4, (July/August 2004): 219–231, https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325040250040501.

[16] Matthew E. Brock and Erik W. Carter, “Effects of a Professional Development Package to Prepare Special Education Paraprofessionals to Implement Evidence Based Practice,” Journal of Special Education 49, no. 1 (2015): 39–51, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466913501882.

[17] William Breton, “Special Education Paraprofessionals: Perceptions of Preservice Preparation, Supervision and Ongoing Developmental Training,” International Journal of Special Education 25, no. 1 (2010): 34–45, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ890564.

[18] For more information, see Maryland State Education Association, “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: Early Childhood Education, Licensure for Paraeducators,” https://marylandeducators.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Blueprint_ParaPreKLicensure_7.14.22.pdf.

[19] Institute of Education Sciences, Description and Employment Criteria of Instructional Paraprofessionals, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, June 2007), https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007008.pdf.

[20] Sec. 300.156 Personnel Qualifications, Individuals with Disabilities Act, https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/b/300.156.

[21] Amaya Garcia, A 50-State Scan of Grow Your Own Teacher Policies and Programs (Washington, DC: New America, 2020), https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/grow-your-own-teachers/.

[22] Taylor White and Amaya Garcia, “Teacher Apprenticeship: What Is It and Why Now?” EdCentral (blog), New America, February 8, 2022, https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/teacher-apprenticeship-what-is-it-and-why-now/.

[23] Conra D. Gist, Amaya Garcia, and Yukari Takimoto Amos, “An Essential but Overlooked Workforce: Elevating the Need to Investigate the Career Development of Paraeducators,” Journal of Career Development 49, no. 5 (2022): 1039–1047, https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453211010968.

[24] Alexis Padilla, “Special Education Facing Paraprofessional Shortages; How are Districts Fixing This?” KSN.Com, August 25, 2022, https://www.ksn.com/news/local/special-education-facing-paraprofessional-shortages-how-are-districts-fixing-this; and Colin Hogan, “School Paraprofessionals Say Staff Shortage is Leading to Illegal Conditions for Special Needs Students,” The New Bedford Light, October 19, 2022, https://newbedfordlight.org/school-paraprofessionals-say-staff-shortage-is-leading-to-illegal-conditions-for-special-needs-students/.

[25] Julia Silverman, “Special Education Teachers, Aides Would Get a 20% Pay Bump Under Proposed Bill,” The Oregonian, March 7, 2023, https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2023/03/special-education-teachers-aides-would-get-a-20-pay-bump-under-proposed-bill.html#:~:text=All%20special%20education%20teachers%20and,being%20considered%20by%20the%20Legislature.

[26] Helen F. Ladd, Steven W. Hemelt, and Calen R. Clifton, “Teacher Assistants are Needed—Now More Than Ever,” Brown Center Chalkboard (blog), Brookings, August 24, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/08/24/teacher-assistants-are-needed-now-more-than-ever/.