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OSEP Discretionary Grant Description

Para-Educators in Pinal County (PEP-C)

CFDA Number:	84.325E
Program Name:	Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities
Competition Name:	Preparation of Personnel in Minority Institutions
Project Number:	H325E000023
Project Director:	Schiller, Marjorie
Organization:	Central Arizona College 8470 North Overfield Road, Coolidge, Arizona 852280000 520-876-1935
Beginning Date:	2000-07-01
Ending Date:	2004-06-30

Abstract

Purpose: The ParaEducators of Pinal County (PEP-C) Project was developed to offer a possible solution to the problem of Arizona's increasing number of exceptional students, especially in Native American and Hispanic populations, and the declining number of certified special educators and paraeducators. In a collaborative effort, local school districts (public and private), HeadStart, Central Arizona College, parent advocacy groups, and a variety of service organization representatives have banded together in support of the development of a paraeducator-to-teacher career ladder. The PEP-C Project will provide financial, academic, emotional, and technological support to encourage a cadre of currently employed special education paraeducators to become better qualified in the provision of services to exceptional children of Pinal County.

Method: This project addresses the need for a short-term as well as a long-term solution, via the following objectives: 1) recruit, train, and retain a cadre of currently employed paraeducators through one of two 16-credit hour certificate-training programs to provide immediate support in the Pinal County classrooms; 2) place currently employed special education paraeducators on a career ladder that provides a seamless interface from the paraeducator position they presently occupy to a certified service provider in the classroom; 3) recruit and retain a new cadre of service providers to replace the existing groups as they move through the program and up the career ladder. Two certificate programs will be offered; Certificate A geared toward working specifically with high-incidence disabilities and Certificate B geared toward working with low-incidence disabilities. These training modules are based on several paraeducator-to-teacher training programs such as the Connecticut Department of Education TOP Program, Washington State Core Competencies model, Vermont Paraeducator Training Core, and AZ-TAS, a paraeducator training module developed by the Arizona State Department of Education's Exceptional Student Services. These programs incorporate several key elements of adult higher education including offering credit for life experience, enhanced mentorship, advisement, cohort grouping, flexible scheduling, financial incentives, field-based learning, summer and weekend courses, and other support services.

Children to benefit from this project:

Age:	Elementary/Middle, Secondary
Disability:	Not Specified
Severity of Disability:	Not Specified
Ethnicity:	American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut; Hispanic
Geographic location:	Not specified

Personnel Preparation Program Information:

Academic Degree to be Received:	Certificate
Program Focus:	Teachers
Trainee Ethnicity:	Not specified