Professional development is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required for effective teaching. A variety of courses, workshops, and programs are provided. Paraprofessionals can earn in-service credit as well as undergraduate credit, depending of the offering.
Courses provide training in the skills needed to assist instruction in the areas where most Paraprofessionals are assigned –Special Education, English Language Learning, and Early Childhood Education. The Winter/Spring 2012 course list has brief descriptions of courses being offered. To enroll in courses, please visit My Learning Plan.
Courses provide training in the skills needed to assist instruction in the areas where most Paraprofessionals are assigned, along with the opportunity to earn undergraduate credit. Offered in partnership with a local university, the courses are taught on campus by faculty. Paras have the option of taking the courses at no-cost for In-Service credit or for undergraduate credits at special reduced fees. Spring courses are being contracted with local universities.
Seminars are offered jointly with the Office of Teacher Development and Advancement. These seminars develop knowledge and skills required of effective teachers based on the BPS Dimensions of Effective Teaching. The announcement lists the dates for the spring and summer seminars.
• Bridge to Teaching Program
Program is offered in partnership with Northeastern University and allows Paraprofessionals who have earned undergraduate credits to complete their bachelors degrees. NU administers the Bridge to Teaching Program and courses are taught on the NU campus and by NU faculty. Eligible paras can use the state-sponsored Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant to cover most of the cost completing their bachelors degrees.
Assistance is provided to Paraprofessionals who do not meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The NCLB requirements are summarized in a Superintendent’s Circular on NCLB requirements. Visit Parapro Assessment for more information about the test. Visit BPS ParaPro Prep for assistance with the ParaPro Assessment.
Paraprofessionals who have completed five or more years of full-time service as of the end of the prior school year are eligible for tuition reimbursement of up to $500 a year for approved college courses. A Superintendent’s Circular on tuition reimbursement describes the process and requirements for tuition reimbursement.
Malindi’s Journey: The Forbidden City Project is an interdisciplinary project-based curriculum that will focus on the study of the Forbidden City during the Ming Dynasty as a vehicle for standards-based learning in a range of academic disciplines in the classroom. In Boston, this project will serve as a n example of how thematic interdisciplinary project-based learning can meet the goals of Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson’s Acceleration Agenda for Boston Public Schools.