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Office of Diverse Learner Supports & Services

Special Education Classroom Assistant (SECA) Allocation Process

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December 18, 2023

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CPS Instructional Core Vision

VISION

INSTRUCTIONAL

CORE

CPS INSTRUCTIONAL

CORE VISION

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ODLSS Mission & Vision

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The ODLSS Mission is to provide equal education for ALL Diverse Learners in the least restrictive environment. We will enhance a convergence with all district-wide administrators, teachers, parents, advocates, and community members.

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The ODLSS Vision is to support every student with equitable access to the instructional core in order to reach their full potential in all areas of development through collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders.

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Agenda

  • Introductions
  • Mission & Vision
  • Special Education Classroom Assistant (SECA) Allocations
    • Procedural Considerations
      • Overview
      • Roles, & Responsibilities
      • Types of Support
      • Needs Assessment
    • Operational Considerations
      • SECA Support Minutes
      • Position Appeals Process
  • Questions & Answers

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Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECA)

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PROCEDURAL CONSIDERATIONS

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Special Education Classroom Assistant: OVERVIEW

Special Education Classroom Assistant are responsible for assisting in the instruction and personal care needs of students with disabilities in accordance with their IEP. SECAs’ primary duties include:

  • Assisting general and special education teachers in reinforcing efforts with children with various 16 disabilities per each student's IEP
  • Not serving as substitute teachers or assuming office clerk, school maintenance and operations, or common area monitor duties

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SECA: ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECAs):

  • Assist with the delivery of instruction and/or other services for eligible students with disabilities, per their IEPs
  • Implement accommodations and modifications in the classroom under the direction of the teacher and/or related service providers
  • Assist with personal care needs (e.g., toileting) as identified in the individual IEP
  • Support students with disabilities in the general education setting in alignment with student IEPs and/or per the direction of the teacher
  • Assist teachers and related service providers in maintaining written student records (e.g., data collection, student work portfolios, etc.)

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Special Education Classroom Assistant: SUPPORT TYPES

  • PROGRAMMATIC Support
    • Special programs (e.g., Cluster classrooms) receive a standard allocation of special education teachers and paraprofessionals, depending on the type of classroom.
  • SHARED Support
    • Students in Special Programs (e.g,. Cluster):
      • Shared minutes are supported by the allocated programmatic SECA.
    • Students not in Special Programs (e.g., General Education):
      • Shared minutes are grouped by grade, area of need, and/or setting
  • DEDICATED Support
    • 1:1 support is stipulated in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)
    • May be allocated to students across settings as determined by the IEP team
    • SECA can not be assigned to support other students during time 1:1 support is written in the IEP
    • One student may have both Dedicated and Shared Support across the day

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Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECA)

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OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

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Paraprofessional Support Determination

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It is crucial that all relevant

services and supports are carefully considered

when promoting student independence. Decisions made

regarding a student’s Individualized Education Program

must be appropriate, justified, and considerate of the child’s

social, emotional, functional, and academic growth.

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Data Collection

Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECAs) assist with collection of data about student performance and progress. This data may be qualitative or quantitative.

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  • Qualitative Data is data that can be observed.
    • It cannot be counted, measured or easily expressed using numbers.
    • Examples: Observations, work samples, anecdotal records, etc.

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  • Quantitative Data is data that can be measured and is expressed numerically.
    • Examples: tally sheets showing frequency/duration

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Data Informed Decision Making

If data, other relevant information, and the IEP team discussion supports the need for paraprofessional support, then the IEP team should specify in the IEP…

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  • When, where, and for what tasks/activities SECA support is needed
  • If the SECA will be shared or dedicated per task/activity
  • If the SECA needs any training or other supports to provide support in the IEP

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Guidelines for Support

An IEP team may decide a student needs paraprofessional support only if documentation shows that ONE OR MORE of the guidelines have been discussed, supports the team’s decision, and is data informed.

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  • Guideline 1: Personal Care or Medical Condition
  • Guideline 2: Academic Support
  • Guideline 3: Behavior (including Safety and Social Supports)

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Guidelines for Support (Continued)

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  • Guideline 1: Personal Care or Medical Condition
    • Including but not limited to: toileting, hygiene, mobility, lifting, feeding, monitoring/documenting medical conditions, dressing and/or other daily living skills
  • Guideline 2: Academic Support
    • Including but not limited to: reinforcing instruction provided by teachers, review of directions, completion of tasks and/or engagement with tasks with prompting
  • Guideline 3: Behavior (including Safety and Social Supports)
    • Including but not limited to: physical aggression (as outlined in student’s Behavior Intervention Plan), safety/supervision and/or support with modeling or facilitating appropriate social skills

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Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECA)

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ALLOCATIONS

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SECA Methodology Overview

  • SECA Allocation Methodology for Elementary and High School
    • SECA allocations are based on shared and dedicated para minutes per student IEP or 504
    • SECA allocations are based on a PARA’s paid work time, which is 2025 minutes per week.

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Dedicated Minutes

  • All dedicated minutes in a student's IEP or 504 are counted
  • Student’s minutes cannot go beyond the bell to bell schedule
    • 2100 Minutes Per Week - Elementary
    • 2175 Minutes Per Week - High School
  • Cluster and Non-Cluster student minutes are included in the overall allocation
    • It is possible for a SECA to work in both the Cluster and Non-Cluster program

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Inclusion Shared Minutes Example

  • Students are grouped by grade and area of need
  • Minutes allocated are based on the student with the highest minutes
  • Total of all section minutes are used to determine overall SECA allocation.

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Resource Shared Minutes Example

  • Students are grouped by grade band and area of need
  • Students are grouped by grade band and area of need
  • Minutes allocated are based on the student with the highest minutes
  • Total of all section minutes are used to determine overall SECA allocation.

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Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECA)

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POSITION

APPEALS

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Position Appeals

  • Schools may appeal for positions if
    • New enrollees require services
    • Current students have increased services
  • ODLSS Appeals team reviews requests in order of receipt
  • ODLSS Appeals team determines if current staffing is sufficient to serve needs of new students or increased services
    • If programmatic need exceeds the current school allocation, additional positions are provided
  • School allocations are based on criteria for a model schedule

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References

(Links to the Procedural and 504 Manuals)

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Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECA)

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QUESTION

AND

ANSWER

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