Effective Collaboration between Professionals and Paraprofessionals

Abstract

In rural districts the use of paraprofessionals provides a valuable resource that is often essential to the success of educational programs. Unfortunately, variables exist that can lead to ineffective collaboration between professionals and paraprofessionals. This article provides concrete strategies to lead to more effective professional-paraprofessional collaboration: (a) clarifying roles and responsibilities, (b) discussing job expectations, (c) daily scheduling, (d) on-going communication, and (e) providing regularly scheduled training.