Paraprofessional roles and responsibilities
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A special education paraprofessional supports students under the direction of a teacher or provider. Paras carry out instruction the teacher planned, give the supports and accommodations in the IEP, collect data on goals, and help with behavior plans and personal care. They do not plan instruction, write IEP goals, make placement decisions or share student information outside the team.
Paraprofessionals, also called paras, aides, instructional assistants or paraeducators, deliver much of the minute-to-minute support some students with IEPs receive. Federal rules allow paras to assist in providing special education and related services when they are appropriately trained and supervised under state law, regulation or written policy.[1]
That one sentence sets the shape of the job. A para assists, under supervision, after training. The teacher or provider plans, directs and evaluates. States and districts write the details, including any qualification requirements, into their own rules and job descriptions.
What paras do, do with direction, and never do
The table sorts common tasks into three columns. The source column says where each line comes from: a federal rule, or common district practice. Your own job description governs.
| Task | Para role | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Run a lesson or practice activity the teacher planned | Do | 34 CFR 300.156: paras assist in providing services[1] |
| Give accommodations listed in the IEP, such as reading tests aloud | Do | 34 CFR 300.323: each implementer is told their part of the IEP[2] |
| Collect data on IEP goals using the teacher's data sheet | Do | Common district practice; teacher designs the sheet |
| Follow the behavior intervention plan as written | Do | Common district practice; the plan names who does what |
| Help with personal care, feeding or mobility, as trained | Do | District job description and health plan |
| Adapt materials (enlarge, highlight, shorten) when the teacher says how | Do with direction | Teacher plans the modification |
| Change prompting level during a task | Do with direction | Follow the prompt plan the teacher set |
| Talk with parents about the day | Do with direction | District policy; usually through the teacher |
| Supervise a small group while the teacher works with others | Do with direction | Teacher stays responsible for instruction |
| Plan instruction or choose the curriculum | Never | Teacher or provider role |
| Write or change IEP goals, services or accommodations | Never | The IEP team decides[3] |
| Decide whether a student met a goal | Never | Teacher reviews the data and reports progress |
| Diagnose, assess or give standardized tests | Never | Qualified evaluators only |
| Share student information with anyone outside the team | Never | Confidentiality rules[4] |
The paraprofessional glossary entry gives a short definition of the role.
Where paras work
A para's day depends on the setting:
- General education classroom. Supports one or more students during class lessons, gives accommodations, and prompts work habits such as starting a task.
- Resource room. Runs small-group practice the teacher planned, such as sight word drill or math facts.
- Self-contained class. Supports instruction, routines, communication and personal care across the day.
- Community or job site. Supports life skills or work training, under a plan the teacher wrote.
- One-to-one assignment. Supports a single student, ideally with a plan to fade support over time.
In each setting the core is the same: follow the plan, give the support, record what happened.
Data collection is part of the job
Most paras collect data every day. The teacher picks the measure and the data sheet; the para records each response honestly and the same way every time. The data sheets paras use most are:
- The opportunity and trial data sheet, for goals scored correct or incorrect on each try.
- The task analysis data sheet, for multi-step routines like hand washing.
- The interval recording data sheet, for behavior measured across a class period.
- The frequency data sheet, for counting how often a behavior happens.
The full routine, with a worked example and common mistakes, is in how paras collect accurate IEP data.
A first-week training plan
Federal rules expect paras to be trained.[1] This plan is one way a teacher or case manager can cover the basics in the first week, about 20 to 30 minutes a day. Each day has a short script the trainer can say.
| Day | Focus | What the para practices |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | The role and confidentiality | Reads the job description; lists who they may talk to about students |
| Tuesday | The students' IEP at a glance | Reads each student's one-page summary of goals and accommodations |
| Wednesday | Prompting | Practices the prompt hierarchy with the trainer |
| Thursday | Data collection | Scores 10 practice trials alongside the trainer and compares |
| Friday | Behavior plan and check-in | Walks through the behavior plan steps; reviews the week |
Monday script: "Your job is to carry out the plan I write and tell me what you see. You do not need to decide what to teach. Anything about a student stays with the team. If a parent or another staff member asks about a student, send them to me."
Tuesday script: "Here is a one-page summary for each student. It lists their goals, the accommodations you will give, and the data you will take. You will not see the full IEP every day, but you can ask me for it any time."
Wednesday script: "We start with the least help that works and add help only if needed. Wait 5 seconds before you prompt. Record the prompt level you used, because that is part of the data."
Thursday script: "Let's both score the same 10 trials. If we agree on at least 9, you're ready to take this data alone. If not, we'll look at the ones we scored differently."
Friday script: "This is the behavior plan. When the behavior starts, you do these 3 things, in this order. Afterward, write down what happened before and after. Now, what questions do you have from this week?"
How the teacher and para work together
A short daily check-in, even 5 minutes, prevents most problems. The teacher shares the plan for the day; the para shares what happened yesterday. A weekly 15-minute meeting reviews data together. Feedback should be specific: "You waited the full 5 seconds before prompting in reading today, and he answered on his own 3 times."
If a para is placed in a general education classroom, the general education teacher should also know what the para is there to do. That avoids the para becoming a class helper while the student's IEP supports go undelivered.
Where the para role connects to the IEP
For the services page where para support is written, see IEP services and minutes. The case manager's handbook explains who coordinates paras' schedules. State rules on para qualifications, training hours and duties differ, so check your state and district policies.
These guides go deeper on each part of the role:
- Daily work: the para schedule template, the para communication log and the behavior data sheet for paras.
- Prompting and independence: the prompt hierarchy for paras and fading para support.
- Training and feedback: how to train paras, feedback for paras and para confidentiality.
- The IEP itself: what paras should know about the IEP and sharing IEP data with paras.
Frequently asked questions
Can a paraprofessional teach a lesson?
A para can deliver a lesson or practice activity that the teacher planned, under the teacher's direction. The para does not plan instruction or decide what to teach next. The teacher stays responsible for the student's instruction.
Can a para talk to parents about a student?
It depends on district policy. Many districts route parent communication through the teacher or case manager. A para may share a friendly note about the day when the teacher agrees, but not data, concerns or IEP decisions.
Do paraprofessionals attend IEP meetings?
They are not required members of the IEP team. The parent or school can invite a para who knows the student well, and the team may ask for the para's observations before the meeting.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Paraprofessional in the IEP glossary
- Prompt hierarchy in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity trial data sheet
- Task analysis data sheet
- Interval recording data sheet
- Frequency data sheet
Related guides
- How paras collect accurate IEP data
- IEP services and minutes: how to write the services page
- The IEP case manager's handbook: responsibilities, calendar and tools
- Paraprofessional vs teacher roles: who decides and who carries it out
- Special education paraprofessional job description template
- Special education sub plans: template and completed example
- Co-planning between special education and general education: a weekly routine
- Behavior data sheet for paraprofessionals: template and example
- Behavior support strategies for paraprofessionals
- Co-teaching agreement template with a completed example
- Co-teaching and IEP goals in the general education classroom
- Collaboration between special and general education teachers: consultation steps and documentation
- Fading paraprofessional support to build independence
- Feedback for paraprofessionals: how to give it so it changes practice
- How to train paraprofessionals: explain, model, practice, check
- IEP team collaboration: a meeting cadence for providers
- Para daily communication log template
- Paraprofessional confidentiality: what you can and cannot share
- Paraprofessional observation form: a printable checklist
- Paraprofessional reading intervention: running the lesson the teacher planned
- Paraprofessional schedule template with a completed example
- Prompt hierarchy for paraprofessionals: how to prompt in the moment
- Sharing IEP data collection with paraprofessionals
- What paraprofessionals should know about a student's IEP
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.156: Personnel qualifications, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.323: When IEPs must be in effect, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- FERPA, Protecting Student Privacy, U.S. Department of Education
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.