Paraeducators, A Valuable Support in Special Education: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Paraeducator Barriers to Professional Development and Self-Efficacy

Paraeducators are an important part of the school system and vital to the success of students with disabilities. Often, they face many barriers and challenges in getting the necessary training to be confident and effective. This study examines the barriers paraeducators face such as, cost, lack of employer support, and training that are not relevant, along with the challenges the state level offices of education face providing training to paraeducators. From surveying 108 paraeducators from ten states and interviewing state education professionals from four states, the research identified financial barriers as a challenge for paraeducators, matching challenges such as lack of funding for the state offices to support training paraeducators. The findings of this study can assist schools, state offices, and policy makers build effective professional development and support systems for paraeducators to be effectively trained to provide high quality services for students with special needs.