Assessment Options to Certify Paraprofessionals

All educational aides, also called paraprofessionals, employed in Texas school districts must be certified according to requirements established by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), but districts have local choice on which assessments they use to meet the specific certification requirements.

Certification Requirements

To be issued an educational aide certificate an individual must be employed by a school district, meet certification requirements for an educational aide I, II, or III, and pay the designated fee.

Additionally, paraprofessionals whose salaries are paid in full or part from Title 1, Part A funds on a schoolwide or targeted assistance campus must also meet the Title 1, Part A Paraprofessional requirements. This includes all paraprofessionals who provide instructional support, tutoring, and assistance with classroom management.

The requirements for each level of certification are detailed below. The Educational Aide II and the Title 1, Part A paraprofessional certifications include assessment options used for certification and are noted in bold. Best practice is for districts to require educational aides to be certified and meet the Title 1, Part A paraprofessionals requirements. This practice will eliminate confusion and non-compliance with the requirements if an educational aide is reassigned to a Title I campus.

Educational Aide I:

• Must be a high school graduate or hold a General Education Development (GED) certificate or higher; and
• Have experience working with students or parents as approved by the employing superintendent (e.g., church-related schools, day camps, youth groups, private schools, licensed daycare centers); or  
• Be a high school student 18 years of age or older; and
• Have a final grade of 70 or better in two or more education and training courses specified in Chapter 127, Subchapter G, Education and Training, for three or more credits verified in writing by the superintendent of the district where the credits were earned.

Educational Aide II:

• Must be a high school graduate or hold a General Education Development (GED) certificate or higher; and
• Have satisfied one of the following requirements:
  • Have two creditable years of experience as an educational aide I;
  • Have a minimum of 15 semester credit hours of college credit with some emphasis on child growth and development or related subject areas; or
  • Have demonstrated proficiency in a specialized skill area as determined by the school district; and
• Have experience working with students or parents as approved by the employing superintendent.

Educational aide III:

• Must be a high school graduate or hold a General Education Development (GED) certificate or higher; and
• Have satisfied one of the following requirements:
  • Have three creditable years of experience as either an educational aide I or II; or
  • Have 30 semester hours of college credit with some emphasis on child growth and development or related subject areas; and
• Have experience working with students or parents as approved by the employing superintendent.

Title 1, Part A paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, earn the Educational Aide state certification within one year of being hired, and meet one of the following:

• Complete at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (defined as completion of 48 semester hours or equivalent trimester hours) of college coursework or an applicable number of semester hours as defined by the institution of higher education attended, whichever is less.
• Possess an associate (or higher) degree.
• Meet a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate, through a local academic assessment:
  • Knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics; or
  • Knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.

Assessment Options

Districts have local choice for which assessments they use as long as they can successfully document paraprofessionals meet demonstrated proficiency in a specialized skill area (Educational Aide II) and/or meet the rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate the knowledge of and the ability to assist instructing students in the various content areas (Title I, Part A Paraprofessional).

“Proficiency” and “rigorous” standards are not clearly defined, so it is up to the district to determine what constitutes these levels. A reasonable expectation is a district-provided assessment would match the grade level curriculum the paraprofessional is working with and include a way to demonstrate the individual’s proficiency at providing successful instructional strategies for intervention or acceleration for student learning.

Districts can create their own local assessments, use ready-made assessments provided by an education service center (Region 13 example), or use another entity’s assessments — such as the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s Project PARA or Educational Testing Services’ The ParaPro Assessment. These are just a few examples; others exist and are available.

More Information

Ensuring educational aides are certified and properly trained to instruct students successfully is a requirement. More information about the role can be found in the following documents in the HR Services Resource Library (member login required):

• Educational Aide Certification
• Paraprofessional Support Job Descriptions
• Parent Notification Requirements
• Educational Aide and Clerical Support Staffing

Additional information from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) can be found on the Becoming an Educational Aide in Texas webpage.