How to train paraprofessionals: explain, model, practice, check

Most para training fails for one reason: it is a talk, not practice. A para who sits through a 45-minute presentation on prompting still prompts too fast on Monday. Skills change when the para does the routine with a student while someone who knows it watches and gives feedback.

Federal rules allow paras to assist with special education only when they are appropriately trained and supervised under state rules.^[1] The IEP can also list supports for school personnel, which is where para training on a specific plan can be written.^[2] The method below works for any routine: a prompting plan, a data sheet, a behavior plan step or a reading drill.

For the basics every new para needs in week one (the role, confidentiality, data and the behavior plan), use the first-week plan in paraprofessional roles and responsibilities. This page is about training each student-specific skill after that.

What you need before you start

• The student's goal and the plan the para will carry out.
• A one-page step card for that plan (written in Step 2).
• A fidelity checklist: the same steps, each with a yes or no box.
• The data sheet the para will use. For most trial-based goals, that is the opportunity and trial data sheet.
• 15 minutes on 3 to 5 days in the first week, with the student present.

Step-by-step training method

Step 1: Pick one skill

Train one routine per session. "Prompting" is too big. "Running Jayden's help-card routine during math" is the right size. A para who learns one plan well can learn the next one faster, because the parts repeat.

Step 2: Write the step card

List 4 to 7 observable steps in the order they happen. Use verbs the para can do and you can see. "Wait 5 seconds" is a step. "Be patient" is not. Keep the card under 100 words so it fits on an index card the para can carry.

Step 3: Explain the why in two sentences

Tell the para what the goal is and why each step matters. "We wait 5 seconds so he has a chance to start on his own. If we prompt right away, he learns to wait for us." Paras follow steps better when they know which ones protect independence.

Step 4: Model it with the student

Run the routine yourself for 5 to 10 minutes while the para watches with the step card. Point to the card as you do each step, quietly, so the para sees what each step looks like in real time.

Step 5: Watch the para practice and give feedback

Swap roles. The para runs the routine; you watch and hold the fidelity checklist. Give one piece of praise and one correction, quickly, during natural pauses. "You waited the full 5 seconds that time. Next time, point to the card before you say anything." The feedback for paraprofessionals guide covers how to phrase it.

Step 6: Score fidelity

After the session, count the steps the para did as written. Report it as steps correct out of total steps. Move on when the para gets every step on 2 sessions in a row. Fidelity is about the adult, not the student.

Step 7: Check data agreement

Both of you score the same 10 trials on separate sheets. Count the trials where your marks match and divide by 10. Agreement of 9 out of 10 or better means the para can take the data alone. The interobserver agreement guide shows the math for other data types.

Step 8: Fade your coaching

Watch daily in week 1, twice in week 2, then once every 2 weeks. Keep the checklist and use it each time. If fidelity drops, go back to modeling for one session.

Worked example: Jayden's help-card routine

Jayden is a fictional grade 2 student. His IEP goal says that when he is stuck during independent math, he will hand an adult a help card instead of putting his head down, in 8 of 10 opportunities. His baseline is 2 of 10. The para is new.

The teacher writes this step card:

1. Stand at least 6 feet away once Jayden starts work.
2. When he stops working for 10 seconds, walk over and wait 5 seconds.
3. If he does not hand over the card, point to it on his desk.
4. If he still does not, tap the card and say "Card."
5. When he hands it over, say "Thanks for asking," then help with one problem.
6. Step back and mark the trial on the opportunity sheet with the prompt code.

On day 1, the teacher models for 10 minutes. On day 2, the para runs the routine. The checklist shows 3 of 6 steps: the para stood too close and helped before Jayden used the card. The teacher praises the clear "Card" prompt and asks for 6 feet of distance next time.

On day 3 the para scores 5 of 6 steps. Day 4 and day 5 both reach 6 of 6, so training on this routine ends. On day 5, teacher and para score the same 10 trials; they match on 9, which is 90% agreement. The para now takes this data alone.

Jayden's data move too. Across the week he goes from 2 of 10 independent card uses to 5 of 10. The rest are marked with the gesture or verbal codes, which tells the teacher which prompt to fade next. The coding comes from the prompt hierarchy used on the sheet. For more on teaching prompting itself, see prompt hierarchy for paraprofessionals.

Common mistakes

• Weak: A 1-hour after-school presentation on behavior. Better: A 15-minute session in the room, on one student's plan, with practice and feedback.
• Weak: "Let me know if you have questions." Better: A scheduled check with a fidelity checklist, because most paras will not ask.
• Weak: Training ends when the para says they understand. Better: Training ends when the checklist shows every step on 2 sessions in a row.
• Weak: The step card says "use positive behavior strategies." Better: "Praise the first problem he finishes within 10 seconds, with the words 'You started on your own.'"
• Weak: Teacher and para never score the same session. Better: One agreement check in week 1 and one each grading period.

Templates and tools

The para observation checklist gives a general observation form for check-ins after training. For behavior routines, pair this method with behavior strategies for paraprofessionals. Collaborating with the other professionals who serve a student is the first practice (HLP 1) in the core practice set published for special education teachers, and coaching paras is part of that work.^[3]

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Opportunity trial data sheet
• Paraprofessional in the IEP glossary
• Prompt hierarchy in the IEP glossary
• Requesting help goals

Related guides

• Paraprofessional roles and responsibilities
• Feedback for paraprofessionals: how to give it so it changes practice
• Prompt hierarchy for paraprofessionals: how to prompt in the moment
• Behavior support strategies for paraprofessionals
• Paraprofessional observation form: a printable checklist

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.156: Personnel qualifications, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
2. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
3. High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children and CEEDAR Center

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.