This is your comprehensive resource on providing effective special education services in your school. Written for current and aspiring administrators and teacher leaders, the book offers action items, case studies, and reproducible tools to help you stay in front of special education law, know and support your learning services team, and ensure…

Improving school climate takes time and commitment from a variety of people in a variety of roles. This document outlines key action steps that instructional staff--including teachers, paraprofessionals, and others in the classroom who provide instruction or assistance--can take to support school climate improvements. Key action steps are provided…

The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

Middle and high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are increasingly being taught in general education settings. This guide reviews common characteristics associated with autism and provides teachers with practical tips and strategies for supporting their students with autism in the classroom setting. It is also designed to…

In support of President Bush's commitment to giving parents and teachers tools to help children succeed, the U.S. Department of Education has developed a number of publications featuring the latest research and most effective practices in subjects such as reading, homework, and staying drug free. This catalog provides brief descriptions of each…

The author offers guidelines for teaching volunteers and aides as classroom tutors. It is suggested that the tutor be instructed in administering pretests to students. Materials needed for tutoring are outlined, a simple teaching sequence is offered, and tutor supervision is mentioned. (SBH)

Training methods for the preparation of teacher aides are described. (LH)

The article offers suggestions for recruiting, training, utilizing, scheduling, and retaining senior citizen volunteers in the special education classroom. (DB)

"Learning and Teaching" concentrates on the practical teaching skills that an HLTA needs to be able to use in the classroom. It offers guidance and support on fulfilling the standards and succeeding in the classroom role. This book includes: (1) Real-life case studies that put the theory behind the standards into a whole-school context; (2)…

Special education paraprofessionals play an important role in providing services to severely/profoundly retarded children, making their interaction with parents also important. Paraprofessionals need to be trained to communicate with parents and to serve as a team member in such functions as collecting information and consulting on home behavior…

For more than a decade, a principal of a large innercity elementary school in New Haven, Connecticut, convened a committee of parents and school personnel to interview candidates for positions as teachers and aides. About 50 persons were hired using this process, and all the teachers were successful. The interviewing process has since become…

This handbook is designed to acquaint instructional aides in Indiana's elementary schools with the various aspects of their job. Included are helpful hints and a variety of resource materials considered likely to be useful. Contents focus on the following: (1) qualifications; (2) instructional, clerical, and auxiliary duties; (3) working…

This brief guide for kindergarten teachers shows how teachers and teacher aides can work as a team. Guidelines for selecting new aides and getting acquainted with an experienced aide are provided. A teacher's responsibilities to the teacher aide are listed. An aide's responsibilities, including instruction, management, housekeeping, and clerical,…

Describes successful volunteer programs that use parents to help expand curriculum, improve academic achievement, and free teachers to make better use of their teaching time. Includes a list of key elements to consider when setting up such programs. (MD)

This article addresses ways that regular and special education teachers can provide training for paraeducators and delineates the roles and responsibilities appropriate for paraeducators. Training suggestions cover the interview, orientation, sharing information, meetings, and team skills. Paraeducator responsibilities require teaching students…