Role of the Paraeducator - Administrator Pathway [Read and Examine]

CA MTSS logo Paraeducators in the Classroom

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. recognizes Paraeducators as "a voice in key decision making and professional development opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels."

Review the role of the paraeducator as seen from the California Department of Education Links to an external site. website:

  • Paraeducators, teacher aides, or instructional aides, are an important component of California’s education system. A paraeducator includes an instructional aide as defined in subdivision (a) of California Education Code (EC) Section 45343 and a teacher aide as described in EC Section 45360.
  • The term, ‘‘paraeducator,’’ means an individual who is employed in a preschool, elementary school, or secondary school under the supervision of a certified or licensed teacher, including individuals employed in language instruction educational programs, special education, and migrant education (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] Section 3201, 20 United States Code [U.S.C.] Section 7011[11]). The term, ‘‘paraprofessional,” also known as ‘‘paraeducator,’’ includes an education assistant and instructional assistant (ESSA Section 3201, 20 U.S.C. 8108[37]).
  • A paraeducator shall perform only duties that, in the judgment of the certificated personnel to whom the instructional aide is assigned, may be performed by a person not licensed as a classroom teacher. These duties shall not include assignment of grades to pupils (EC Section 45330[b]).
  • A paraeducator is considered non-instructional if the paraeducator:
    • Acts only as a translator of non-academic, teaching or learning activities such as translating a report card to a parent, or translating lunch line etiquette-to enhance the participation of English learners or students with disabilities;
    • Has instructional-support duties that consist solely of conducting parental involvement activities; or
    • Has only non-instructional duties, including providing technical support for computers, providing personal care duties, or performing clerical duties (20 U.S.C. Section 1119[e], 34 Code of Federal Regulations Section 200.58).