Paraprofessionals

Rhode Island law (RIGL 16-11.2) establishes requirements related to the employment, training and use of paraprofessionals. As required by this law, the RI Department of Education (RIDE) has established state standards that identify pre-employment requirements related to preparation required for all entry-level paraprofessionals. In addition to state legal requirements, in January 2002, federal legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act, was signed into law. This law established requirements for the qualifications of paraprofessionals, which were extended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015.

A paraprofessional is someone (no matter the job title) who provides instructional or other direct services related to the school’s curriculum to students (and/or their parents/legal guardian) under the supervision and direction of the classroom teacher or other appropriately certified professional staff. This includes those who:

• Provide one-on-one instructional reinforcement (referred to as tutoring in Title I programs) if such is scheduled at a time when a student would not otherwise receive instruction from a teacher,
• Assist with classroom management, such as by organizing instructional materials,
• Provide instructional assistance in a computer laboratory,
• Provide instructional support in a library or media center,
• Provide instructional assistance along with acting as a translator, or
• Provide instructional support services under the direct supervision of a highly qualified teacher.

NOTE: The RI Department of Education does not certify individual paraprofessionals, but sets minimum qualifications that school districts must follow in hiring them. Applicants should always check with the district(s) where they want to apply to learn about their specific employment requirements. These are minimum requirements, and districts have the right to make their requirements more stringent.

1. Be of good character;
2. Have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma;
3. Completion of a Paraprofessional Pre-Employment Training Program approved by the RI Department of Education (RIDE). Three (3) exceptions to this particular qualification:
   1. Those hired before January 1, 1999
   2. Those with certification as a paraprofessional in another state,
   3. Those with an associates degree or bachelors degree AND who have completed coursework or other training consistent with the teacher assistant program standards. It is a district's decision whether coursework or other training is consistent with the teacher assistant program standards.
4. Meet one (1) of the following requirements:
   1. Successfully pass the ParaPathways Assessment. OR
   2. Complete at least 2 years of study at an institution of higher education OR
   3. Obtain an associates or higher degree.

List of RIDE-Approved Training Programs

Pre-Employment programs are run by individual organizations. All instructional and non-instructional paraprofessionals hired after 1/1/99 must meet the minimum requirements, as listed above. For your convenience, here is a list of currently approved Paraprofessional Pre-Employment Training Programs.

Please contact each program for information on schedules, cost, and registration.

Take the ParaPathways Assessment

• Organizations offering the ParaPathways in RI - Updated 5/2021 [174KB]

One requirement for instructional teaching assistants hired after 2001 is to demonstrate, through a formal State or local academic assessment:

(i) knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics; or
(ii) knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.

In RI, the assessment designated to meet this requirement is the ParaPathways Assessment. RIDE recognizes scores of 332 for the Reading/Writing subtest and 334 for the Mathematics subtest as the designated cut scores.

The ParaPathways Assessment is developed and scored by Educational Testing Service.

View the ParaPathways Assessment Study Guide here.

ParaPathways Assessment Presentation

• Program Standards and Indicators for ALL teacher assistants
• Guidelines for Teacher Assistants Working with Students Who have English as a Second Language
• Guidelines for Teacher Assistants Teacher Assistants Working under the Supervision of a Classroom Teacher with Students with Speech/Language Impairments
• Guidelines for Teacher Assistants Who Support Students with Behaviors that Interfere with Learning and/or Relationships
• Guidelines for Teacher Assistants Assisting with Community-Based Instruction
• Guidelines for Teacher Assistants Who Support Students with Diverse Academic Needs

Sign up for the Rhode Island Paraprofessional electronic mailing list to receive our newsletters and current information regarding Teacher Assistants in Rhode Island. You do not have to be currently employed to join the mailing list.

To join the Rhode Island Paraprofessional electronic mailing list, send an e-mail to kathleen.perry@ride.ri.gov and, in the text of your message write: SUBSCRIBE Para List Serve. Please include the following information in that email:

• First and Last Name
• School District
• School (if working)

You will receive an e-mail that requests you to confirm that you sent the e-mail, and you need to follow the directions in the confirmation e-mail to be added.

NOTE: This list is solely for the purpose of sharing information from the RI Department of Education regarding paraprofessionals. The list will not be shared with others. It is expected that the number of messages will be minimal over the course of a year. We ask that you post, forward and share this information.