Impact of Kindergarten Instructional Assistants on Student Reading Achievement

A Florida school district provided kindergarten instructional assistants (KIAs) after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we seek to understand the effects of KIAs during the pandemic and recovery period on students’ reading achievement. Due to the lack of a comparison group, we used propensity score matching to create a comparison group of students from charter schools within the district that did not have KIAs. Regression analyses revealed a slight but significant advantage for students without KIAs in the charter schools on the state reading assessment. The paper explores possible explanations for this outcome and then focuses on evidence-based practices for utilizing KIAs and other paraprofessionals to best support students and teachers. Suggestions include role clarification, targeted professional learning, coaching, and fidelity checks.