SF5296

Purpose

This bill aims to improve school employee support and instructional quality by mandating paid orientation and professional development for paraprofessionals, strengthening paraprofessional qualifications to align with federal standards, and creating funding to help schools cover training costs. It also includes broader education finance provisions (such as health insurance and salary adjustments) that are part of the bill’s overall scope, though this summary focuses on the paraprofessional training provisions shown in the text.

Main Provisions

• Paraprofessional Training Requirements

  • Schools must provide a minimum of eight blocks of paid orientation or professional development annually to paraprofessionals, Title I aides, and other instructional support staff. Each block is described as 16 hours.
  • Six of the eight blocks must be completed before the first instructional day of the school year or within 30 days of hire.
  • The training must be relevant to the employee’s job and may include collaboration time with classroom teachers and planning for the school year.
  • For paraprofessionals who directly support students, at least 50% of the training must address their required duties.
  • Schools must obtain an annual certification of compliance from an administrator to the Department of Education.
  • For the 2024-2025 school year only, a school may reduce training hours to a minimum of six hours and must cover paraprofessional test materials and testing fees for those who have not yet completed the paraprofessional assessment or met the competency requirements.

• Reimbursement for Paraprofessional Training

  • Beginning in fiscal year 2025, the Department of Education must reimburse schools for paraprofessional training costs in a specified form.
  • Reimbursement equals the prior-year compensation expenses related to providing up to eight 16-hour blocks of paid orientation and professional development per trained paraprofessional. Compensation expenses include regular wages, FICA taxes, and employer retirement contributions.
  • The department may set procedures to ensure reimbursed costs are not double-counted in other revenue calculations.
  • For fiscal year 2026 only, the department must reimburse six hours of paraprofessional training.
  • In addition to the six-hour reimbursement in 2026, the department must pay each school an extra amount equal to 33.33% of the amount in the six-hour reimbursement. The school must use these funds for paraprofessional test preparation and exam fees or additional training under the training provisions.

• Consultation and Collaboration

  • Districts or charter schools must consult with the exclusive representative for employees receiving the training before planning the training.

• Qualifications of Paraprofessionals

  • Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, paraprofessionals must meet federal qualifications under CFR Title 34 § 300.156 if they have:
  • at least two years of college credits or an associate degree or higher, or
  • a passing score on an approved assessment, or
  • demonstrate a set of competencies (detailed below) regardless of the number of training hours.
  • The listed competencies include understanding roles and responsibilities of professionals and paraprofessionals, knowledge of education goals, laws and district policies, inclusion and behavior management, building rapport with students, following teacher instructions, applying strategies to support safe and effective classrooms, and reinforcing instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and other subjects following licensed teachers’ plans.
  • The bill also requires paraprofessionals to meet Read Act-related professional development expectations and, starting 2025-2026, CFR 34 § 200.58 qualifications if they have sufficient education or demonstrate knowledge in reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics (or readiness in those areas).
  • If a paraprofessional demonstrates the competencies listed (instead of a formal assessment score), the department must work to ensure federal qualification requirements are met (including applying for waivers if needed) and must not exclude state aid on this basis.
  • Districts must maintain records of the paraprofessional’s completed assessments and competency documentation in the employee’s file.
  • Administrative assistance may be provided to help paraprofessionals complete the competency requirements.
  • For state and federal purposes, demonstrating the listed competencies can be treated as equivalent to a passing score on a formal assessment, where appropriate.

• Documentation and Waivers

  • The department must take steps to ensure paraprofessionals meet federal qualification requirements, including applying for waivers when necessary.
  • State aid must not be excluded simply because a paraprofessional demonstrated the required competencies rather than passing a formal assessment.
  • Schools must keep documentation of paraprofessionals’ assessments and competency demonstrations in personnel files.

Changes to Law

• Establishes a formal, funded framework for paraprofessional training with specific hourly requirements, including staged adjustments for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
• Introduces a reimbursement mechanism for paraprofessional training costs, with escalating details for 2025 and 2026 (and an additional allocation in 2026 to support testing or extra training).
• Ties paraprofessional qualifications to federal standards (CFR) and detailed competencies, while incorporating state provisions and potential waivers to avoid disqualifying qualified staff from state funding.
• Requires consultation with labor representatives before training plans are set, recognizing labor-management collaboration.

Implementation Timeline (Key Points)

• 2024-2025: Paraprofessional training hours may be reduced to six; schools must fund paraprofessional test materials for those not yet meeting requirements.
• 2025: The state begins reimbursing schools for paraprofessional training costs (up to eight 16-hour blocks per paraprofessional trained).
• 2026: Reimbursement shifts to six hours; an additional 33.33% of the six-hour amount is provided for test fees or extra training.

Practical Implications

• Paraprofessionals may receive more structured and formally recognized training and certification.
• Districts will have predictable funding to support training costs, with defined rules for reimbursement and required documentation.
• Some paraprofessionals may need to meet federal qualification standards or demonstrate competencies to continue working under certain funding and eligibility rules.
• The policy emphasizes collaboration with unions or exclusive representatives in planning training.

Relevant Terms paraprofessional; orientation; professional development; Title I aides; instructional support staff; eight 16-hour blocks; six-hour minimum (2024-25); paid training; paraprofessional assessment; paraprofessional competency grid; CFR Title 34 § 300.156; CFR Title 34 § 200.58; Read Act; exclusive representative; consultation; compensation expenses; FICA; employer retirement contributions; reimbursement; prior year compensation expenses; waiver; state aid; training materials; testing fees; test preparation; administrative assistance; documentation in personnel file.