Paraprofessional and First Year Severe Needs Teacher Training Institute

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Paraprofessional and First Year Severe Needs
Teacher Training Institute

• Coleman Institute Workshop
• Nellie Graber, Ed.S.
• College of Education
• University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
• ngraber_at_mail.uccs.edu
• 719-262-4171

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Background Information

• Informal discussions with first year severe needs
  teachers indicate a need for additional training
  and support to handle challenges associated with
  teaching students with severe and profound
  disabilities.
• Paraprofessionals typically have little or no
  training to work with students with severe needs
  and must rely upon the district or cooperating
  teacher for training to learn to work with severe
  needs students.

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Background Information, contiued

• Recruitment, retention, and professional
  development for special education teachers and
  paraprofessionals were identified as major needs
  by school administrators at previous state
  special education directors forums held by the
  CDE Special Services Unit.

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Objective Provide support and training to a
two year cycle cohort group with three to four
topics studied per year to include, but not
limited to
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Topics

• assistive technology,
• self-determination, transition services, and
  mobility,
• self-directed and co-directed individual
  education plans,
• job coaching, supported employment
• parents, family, advocacy,
• behavior management, health issues, health
  management

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Instruction

• Connected to an induction program for first year
  teachers, credit builds toward a Master Degree in
  Special Education.
• Paraprofessionals coursework leads to a bachelor
  degree and licensure in special education.
  Courses are taught in the field as well as on
  campus using a co-teaching model.

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Instruction, continued

• This proposal ties in to the UCCS College of
  Education Transition to Teaching goal. With an
  action format centered around the needs of severe
  needs teachers and paraprofessionals in schools,
  the proposal could lead to an additional Master
  degree program in Severe and Profound Special
  Needs at UCCS.

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Collaborative Teaching Opportunities are
numerous

• University of Colorado System universities,
  including Paraprofessional Institute at CU-Denver
• UCCS Colleges of Engineering and Nursing,
  Departments of Psychology, Counseling,and Teacher
  Education (technology and health issues, behavior
  management, self determination, transition,
  education plans, supported employment)

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Collaboration, continued

• PEAK Parent Center (parent and family advocacy)
• Colorado School for Deaf and Blind (mobility
  training)
• Pikes Peak Community College (courses and
  undergraduate credit for paraprofessionals

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Additional Information was available in handout
form at the Aspen conference.

• Information items from state and national sources
  indicate the increasing need for special
  education professionals who have the training and
  mentoring to meet the unique and individual
  educational needs of students with severe and
  profound disabilities.