DeKalb County, Illinois

Regional Office of Education
Services

Paraprofessional

Paraprofessional (teacher aide)

 A paraprofessional is a teacher’s aide who is paid to assist in instruction under the supervision of  a certified teacher.  Non-instructional assistants, such as personal care assistants and  translators, are not considered paraprofessionals or teacher aides.     

All teacher aides must have a Statement of Paraprofessional Approval issued by the Illinois State  Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.     

There are two categories of Paraprofessional:  those with State approval and those with State and   NCLB (No Child Left Behind) approval.  Individual school districts decide which category is  required to work in their district.  

Requirements for State-Approved Paraprofessional:   You must have at least 30 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.  

Requirements for State and NCLB-Approved Paraprofessional:   You must have at least 60 semester hours of credit OR an Associate’s degree or higher from a regionally credited institution of higher education OR pass the ETS ParaPro Assessment test OR pass the ACT WorkKeys Assessment OR have state approval and have paraprofessional work experience