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Paraprofessional Toolkit

Training Unique to the Role of a Paraprofessional

The goal of our Paraprofessional Toolkit is to empower paraprofessionals and equip them with the skills and resources necessary to succeed daily.  These training modules are unique in that all the content is specific to the role of a paraprofessional, clearly delineating what the role of a paraprofessional entails in relation to that of certified educators.  These modules encapsulate every aspect of a day in the life of a para - from general roles & responsibilities to classroom and behavior management, from supporting academic instruction and understanding accommodations & modifications to improving communication and collaboration - we’ve got it all covered in clear, easy-to-digest and discuss modules.

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Empowering Paras. Strengthening Classrooms.

  • 62.5%

    Reported Improved Understanding

    Of participants who attended in-person Para Toolkit training, 62.5% gained a better understanding of the content presented.
  • 72.9%

    Reported Improved Role Knowledge

    Of participants who attended in-person Para Toolkit training, 72.9% gained a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities as paraprofessionals.

Sources: Para Toolkit in-person training evaluations and statewide survey of 804 South Dakota paraprofessionals.

Our Approach

The Para Toolkit provides practical, role-specific professional development designed to help paraprofessionals build confidence, strengthen their skills, and better understand their responsibilities. Through interactive activities, collaborative discussions, and real-world strategies, participants gain knowledge they can apply in their everyday work with students and teachers.

Training is flexible to fit your district’s needs. Choose from 20 modules, each lasting approximately 1–2 hours, and customize your experience with in-person, live virtual, or self-paced online options. Modules can be completed in any order, whether over three full days, throughout the school year, or during early-release periods. Districts can also combine formats to create a training experience that works best for their teams.

What We Offer

1

Intro to SPED
Provides a brief overview of how students qualify for special education, how to support them, and the important acronyms to know.

2

Roles & Responsibilities
Provides an overview of the different roles & responsibilities a paraprofessional has, while also referring to district policies and procedures where needed.

3

Collaborating with Teachers
Covers common barriers to successful collaboration and how to overcome them, as well as an analysis that serves as a conversation starter for how to improve the specific teacher-para relationship in work.

4

Accommodations & Modifications
Clarifies the difference between accommodations & modifications, and examples of each and how to use them.

5

Empowering Students to be Independent
Covers strategies for empowering students to be independent and preventing learned helplessness from developing.

6

Academic Instruction

Discusses a variety of instructional strategies and how they work with different types of learners.

7

Monitoring & Managing Behaviors

Covers why behaviors occur and how to help intervene and teach replacement behaviors.

8

Data Collection & Modifications

Covers various types of data collection and the importance of utilizing both direct and indirect types of data to get the “whole student” picture.

 

9

Effective Communication

Participants discover their communication style and how to improve their communication with other styles, encouraging clear and concise communication.

10

De-escalation

Covers how to recognize escalation and strategies for de-escalation, as well as prevention.

11

Student Engagement

Discusses the ways to foster student engagement and support the classroom teacher(s) in keeping students engaged.

12

Social & Emotional Learning

Covers the role social & emotional learning plays in school and strategies to support students.

 

13

Student Management

Covers classroom management strategies and how to support teachers with managing the classroom.

14

Understanding the ABCs of Behavior

In-depth discussion of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences in the school setting.

15

Sensory Processing Disorders

Covers the different sensory processing disorders, what they look like in the school setting, and strategies for supporting students.

16

Executive Functioning

Discusses what executive functioning is and how to support students in building their executive functioning skills.

 

17

Functional Skills

Covers the different types of functional skills and how to support students in building their functional skills.

 

 

18

Supporting Math Instruction

Discusses why math instruction is important and how to effectively support math instruction in the classroom.

19

Supporting Literacy Instruction

Discusses research-based literacy instruction and how to effectively support literacy instruction in the classroom.

20

Explicit Instruction

Covers ways to support explicit instruction in the classroom and provide clarity of learning to students.

Resources

Special Education Fliers 2024_Page_01

Disability Flyers

These fliers cover common characteristics of different disability categories, commonly helpful strategies for working with each, and some references / resources to access.

Copy of Tool #2 Digital Handout - Compass Work Style Analysis 2024-25 - Work Style Comparison

Compass Work Style Analysis

This resource enables a paraprofessional and a cooperating teacher to sit down and discuss their work style preferences, exploring how they might work more effectively together.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • This training can be done self-paced online, live in-person or virtually, a hybrid of self-paced and live, and can be done in one setting or broken up over time.
  • Yes, schools often choose to have SPED and general education teachers to participate. We also offer a training and supports called the supportive classroom. 
  • No, you can customize select what tools you want in any order.
  • $550 for ultimate users for a year. If less than 5 staff, price is negotiable.
TESTIMONIALS

See the Impact

Participant from an in-person district training

“This training was specific and helped to explain and support my prior knowledge as well as add to my knowledge…I liked that instead of having a great deal of turn and talks to say what other paras do, that the presenters just gave us the right ways to do it.  Some turn and talks were used, but they were meaningful.”

Participant from an in-person district training

“All of the presenters did an amazing professional job.  It is evident that presenters put much time and effort into their part.  ALL of the content was useful and relevant.”

Participant from an in-person district training

“Keep doing what you are doing!  I personally respect my own value as a para, but I would like [my district] to know that BHSSC has reinforced that feeling of making a difference, and because BHSSC has taken the time to prepare for us, it has increased my self-worth to continue in this position.”

Participant from an in-person district training

“As a long-time para, I felt that this day and the presentations were put together for us…This is the first time in 18 years that I felt that what was presented to us was created with the para’s role in mind, and that all content was relevant to my job.  Everyone delivered valuable info and advice to help us do our job better.”

Get in Touch

Connect with our team to discuss your district’s needs, explore training options, and find a schedule that works for you.

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