Training Paraprofessionals to Support Students with Disabilities: A Literature Review

The purpose of this literature review is to describe intervention research studies in which paraprofessionals received training applicable to student with disabilities. Thirty studies were systematically reviewed to identify (a) characteristics of study participants and settings, (b) characteristics of paraprofessional training and paraprofessional-implemented intervention evaluated within these studies, (c) quality of the studies, and (d) implications for practice and areas for future research. Overall, paraprofessional training and subsequent intervention with students yielded positive outcomes. Training sessions typically were delivered by workshops, lectures, or classes and classroom-based training. However, numerous studies failed to demonstrate characteristics of study quality.     

Competency Counselor Training for Paraprofessionals

The increasing use of paraprofessionals in the counseling profession acknowledges the many contributions such individuals provide in direct client service and in assistance to professional counselors. To educate competent paraprofessional counselors, however, their training programs must be adapted to their particular needs and circumstances. This article describes a current program that was designed specifically to prepare paraprofessional counselors.     

A rationale for differentiated staffing

The improvement of staff utilization practices through the technique of differentiated staffing is the subject of this paper. The authors bring together the various definitions of the term differentiated staffing and propose a more inclusive definition. Drawing from the literature in organizational change, the authors document in a logical and systematic manner the parameters of differentiated staffing and the problems that are likely to be associated with its introduction. The major part of the paper analyzes the potential of differentiated staffing for improving many deficiencies that are apparent in present methods of utilizing professional personnel in the public schools and in the decision-making procedures of those organizations. The authours urge controlled and systematic pilot projects be undertaken before largescale or even system-wide adoption.

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Résumé Le sujet de cette étude porte sur l'amélioration des méthodes d'utilisation du personnel au moyen de la technique de la différenciation du personnel. Les auteurs regroupent les diverses définitions de l'expression différenciation du personnel et proposent une définition plus globale. En s'inspirant des documents relatifs aux changements structuraux en matière d'organisation, les auteurs appuient sur des documents, d'une manière logique et systématique, leur idée des paramètres de la différenciation du personnel et des problèmes qui vraisemblablement accompagneront sa mise en application. Cette étude est consacrée principalement à l'analyse des possibilités qu'offre la différenciation du personnel en vue d'améliorer les nombreuses lacunes que l'on constate à l'égard des méthodes actuelles d'utilisation du personnel qualifié dans les écoles publiques et au niveau des méthodes de prise de décision des ces organismes. Les auteurs préconisent le recours à des projets pilotes méthodiques et bien dirigés avant que cette nouvelle technique soit adoptée sur une vaste échelle ou même à celle du système.

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The authors wish to express their appreciation to the following for their helpful criticisms of an earlier draft of this paper: Dr. John Brubacher, Dept. of Educational Administration, University of Connecticut, Storrs; Dr. Walter J. Hartrick, Centre for the Study of Education Administration, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Dr. James L. Olivero, The Southwestern Cooperative Educational Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Dr. Philip J. Runkel, Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration, University of Oregon, Eugene.     

Paraprofessionals in early childhood classrooms: an examination of duties and expectations

Millions of dollars are expended, in the USA and elsewhere, to provide paraprofessionals or ‘teaching assistants’ for regular early childhood classrooms. However, little consistent information exists related to best practice in the use of paraprofessionals in these early childhood settings. This article describes a study employing the use of 159 teacher and 161 paraprofessional surveys and classroom observations in 23 randomly selected kindergarten and four-year-old classrooms. Paraprofessionals delivered large amounts of group instruction and frequently managed student behavior. Furthermore, it was found that a lack of understanding of specific duties and expectations related to the roles of paraprofessionals was characteristic of both teachers and the paraprofessionals themselves.     

Paraprofessionals use of group school-based instrumental mentoring: Examining process and preliminary outcomes

Many schools use paraprofessionals to implement and monitor interventions. Though paraprofessionals are cost-effective, many questions remain about the training and skills they need to implement a wide array of school-based interventions. In this study, we compare paraprofessionals' (i.e., undergraduates) implementation of the Group-Academic Mentoring Program for Education Development (Group-AMPED) to school psychology graduate students' implementation of Group-AMPED. Ten paraprofessionals and five school psychology graduate students provided approximately eight sessions of Group-AMPED to 35 sixth-grade students. Results indicated no significant differences between middle school students' engagement when groups were led by either school psychology graduate students or paraprofessionals. Similarly, self-reports of fidelity and supervisor postsession implementation confidence indicated no difference between paraprofessionals and graduate students' implementation of Group-AMPED. Follow-up measures indicated that mentors and proteges perceived Group-AMPED as feasible, acceptable, and understandable. Most importantly, middle school students participating in Group-AMPED had significantly higher second-semester grades in comparison to a small control group.     

A head in virtual reality: Development of a dynamic head and neck model

Advances in computer and interface technologies have made it possible to create three‐dimensional (3D) computerized models of anatomical structures for visualization, manipulation, and interaction in a virtual 3D environment. In the past few decades, a multitude of digital models have been developed to facilitate complex spatial learning of the human body. However, there is limited empirical evidence to guide the development and integration of effective computer models for teaching and learning. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a dynamic head and neck model with flexible displays (2D, 3D, and stereoscopic 3D) and interactive control features that can be later used to design and test the efficacy of computer models as a means of improving student learning. The model was created using computer tomography scans of a human cadaver. Anatomical structures captured on the scans were segmented into discreet areas, and then reconstructed in three‐dimensions using specialized software. The final model consists of 70 distinct anatomical structures that can be displayed in 2D, 3D, or stereoscopic 3D. In 3D mode, a mouse can be used to actively and continuously interact with the model by manipulating viewer orientation, altering surface transparency, superimposing 2D scans with 3D reconstructions, removing or adding structures sequentially, and customizing animated scenes to show complex anatomical pathways or relationships. Anat Sci Educ 2: 294–301, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

A dynamic decision model for portfolio investment and assets management

This paper addresses a dynamic portfolio investment problem. It discusses how we can dynamically choose candidate assets, achieve the possible maximum revenue and reduce the risk to the minimum level. The paper generalizes Markowitz's portfolio selection theory and Sharpe's rule for investment decision. An analytical solution is presented to show how an institutional or individual investor can combine Markowitz's portfolio selection theory, generalized Sharpe's rule and Value-at-Risk(VaR) to find candidate assets and optimal level of position sizes for investment (dis-investment). The result shows that the generalized Markowitz's portfolio selection theory and generalized Sharpe's rule improve decision making for investment.     

A dynamic decision model for portfolio investment and assets management

This paper addresses a dynamic portfolio investment problem. It discusses how we can dynamically choose candidate assets, achieve the possible maximum revenue and reduce the risk to the minimum level. The paper generalizes Markowitz＇s portfolio selection theory and Sharpe＇s rule for investment decision. An analytical solution is presented to show how an institutional or individual investor can combine Markowitz＇s portfolio selection theory, generalized Sharpe＇s rule and Value-at-Risk （VaR） to find candidate assets and optimal level of position sizes for investment （dis-investment）. The result shows that the generalized Markowitz＇s portfolio selection theory and generalized Sharpe＇s rule improve decision making for investment.     

Dual-scale multimedia dynamic synchronization model

Multimedia synchronization is the key technology in application of distributed multimedia.Solution of synchronization conflicts insides and among streams as well as that of user interaction,synchronization granularity refinement and synchronization precision improvement remain great challenges although great efforts have been invested by the academic circle.The construction method of a dual-scale dynamic synchronous model of multimedia presented in this article realizes multimedia synchronization on two sca...     

A model for estimating student unit cost and staffing requirements for university academic programmes with reference to Kenyan public universities

A model for the estimation of student unit costs and the staffing requirements for university academic programmes is presented. The development of the model starts off with the specification of a staff distribution matrix, which sets out the proportions of the various staff levels in a given staff category that are needed to service at a particular degree level. The categories of staff considered are teaching (academic), senior administrative, technical, clerical, and semi-skilled. Within a given category of staff are considered various staff levels, e.g. Professor, Senior Lecturer and Lecturer in the case of the teaching staff category. The academic programmes are considered to be taken at the Bachelor's, Master's and the Doctorate degree levels. Ratios between numbers of staff in a given level within a category, as well as ratios of staff within the category needed to service at the various degree levels are specified a priori. Academic (teaching) student-staff ratios for the various programmes are also set out a priori. Student-staff ratios for the other categories of staff are then computationally derived from the academic student-staff ratios. For each staff category a staff distribution matrix is then worked out. With the staff distribution matrix thus specified, the student unit cost and staffing requirement for a given academic programme are computed through various manipulations on the matrix. As a test example, the model is used to estimate student unit cost and staffing requirements for the six public universities in Kenya.     

A dynamic model of memory for research on human information processing

This article outlines a broad theoretical framework for understanding the human information processing system as a whole. It represents one attempt to integrate the relatively static models of memory structures with the more dynamic conceptions underlying research on control and processing mechanisms. The framework embodies the synthesis of a number of conceptual orientations, including contemporary emphases on working memory, item-specific and relational information, metacognition and schema abstraction. This synthesis rests on the basic assumption that the nature of knowledge structures in human long-term memory depends on the type of information processing whereby these cognitive structures were generated.     

Scholarships versus training for happiness gained from an education in creativity: A dynamic analytical model

This paper presents a mathematical model of the dynamic interrelationships between education, creativity and happiness based on both theoretical insights and evidence from recent empirical neurological studies. In this context, the results are conditional on an individual’s learning effort and risk‐aversion. Specifically, I focus on two main determinants of creativity (divergent and convergent thinking) and compare two main educational policies (scholarships versus unstructured training) with regard to their impacts on the happiness gained from creativity in the general and healthy population. A test is provided by matching the model’s predictions with the results of recent neuroscience research. Numerical simulations suggested that improving convergent thinking is more important than improving divergent thinking for creativity to generate happiness throughout an individual’s life, provided that both divergent and convergent thinking have been achieved to a sufficiently large degree, and that unstructured training (i.e., extra‐curricular activities) in divergent thinking (e.g., in accounting schools) is necessary to reach wealthier students who have more difficulty learning. In contrast, scholarships or unstructured training in convergent thinking (e.g., in art schools) are necessary to reach students who learn easily but who are less wealthy.     

Credentialing Early Childhood Paraprofessionals in the United States: The Child Development Associate and other frameworks

The United States has two national credentials for paraprofessionals (persons who do not hold a bachelors degree, and are therefore not eligible for state certification). The first of these is the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, currently overseen by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, DC[1] [1] The figures contained within this article are reprinted with the permission of the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, Washington, DC, USA. View all notes. The Council is affiliated with NAEYC. This credential has undergone a number of changes, which were the subject of a recent book by Bouverat and Galen. The second credential is called Certified Childcare Professional (CCP). It is awarded by the National Child Care Association, a professional trade association of licensed private child care centers, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Primary attention will be given to the CDA National Credentialing Program by the author, who is a CDA Representative (an assessor and validating agent in the program).