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13 <br />In another related matter, North Carolina school administrators have <br />expressed similar concerns over No Child Left Behind's new requirements for <br />highly qualified teacher assistants, or paraprofessionals. In fact, school <br />administrators have a heightened sense of concern over paraprofessional <br />qualifications, since the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in <br />November 2003 submitted its required report on highly qualified personnel to the <br />U.S. Department of Education. That report shows that highly qualified teachers <br />are teaching 83 percent of North Carolina classes, while only 35 percent of North <br />Carolina's paraprofessionals are highly qualified. <br />New paraprofessional standards went into effect when President Bush <br />signed the NCLB bill into law on January 8, 2002. Previous employment criteria, <br />as set in N.C. State Board of Education (SBE) policies, recommended only a <br />high school diploma. The change in standards shocked many North Carolina <br />paraprofessionals, who viewed the changes as a threat to their employment. <br />However, recent reports by school systems have been very positive. In fact, <br />many paraprofessionals are excited about being included in staff development <br />training, and they feel more like team members with the teachers. Being included <br />in training activities has validated their employment. <br />Yet, North Carolina school administrators emphasize that efforts to <br />transition all our paraprofessionals to the new standards will not happen <br />overnight, and we need assistance to meet the requirement of having 100 <br />percent of our teacher assistants highly qualified by 2006, as called for under No <br />Child Left Behind, In addition, many administrators wonder where the money will <br />come from to bring current paraprofessionals up to the new standards in No <br />Child Left Behind and ensure that the pool of paraprofessionals eligible for <br />employment does not shrink and ultimately hold a negative impact for our <br />students and classrooms. We urge Congress and the U.S. Department of <br />Education to identify a pro-active solution to this massive problem facing all North <br />Carolina school systems. <br />North Carolina is still evaluating the number of teachers and <br />paraprofessionals receiving sustained, high-quality staff development. A recent <br />survey found that 47 percent of our teachers reported having English as a <br />Second Language students in their classes, but only 6 percent reported 8 or <br />more hours of staff development within the last 3 years on how to instruct those <br />children with special needs. <br />ISSUE: Staff development of teachers and paraprofessionals will become a focal <br />point for meeting Adequate Yearly Progress goals and maximizing student) <br />successes in the classroom. School administrators will devote considerable <br />attention and resources toward staff development issues and numerous delivery <br />options. <br />8