Inquiry Project

Dana, Lindsey, Lindsay, Lana

What is an Educational Assistant?

According to Manitoba Education:
An educational assistant is a person hired to support the work of professional staff,
such as teachers and clinicians. Educational assistants are valued members of the
school community. They make a significant contribution to the work of the school
and toward the education of all students.
Educational assistants work within school and school division policies and practices.
Their roles are determined by the needs of the school division. Their day-to-day
activities are directed by the principal, teacher, or other professionals under whose
supervision they work, and can be as varied as the teachers and students they
support.

Why do we have the least qualified individuals

working with the students who have the highest
needs?
There are benefits!

It costs less (more adults in the

building=more people to help supervise)
Focused attention to address student
needs/IEP goals as well as focused record
keeping of behaviours and academic progress
To provide direct and targeted interventions
Allows the teacher to work with the majority
of the class

Certification

The specific training required of an EA depends on his or her work assignment

(different needs for different positions)

Some people choose to pursue the Educational Assistant Certificate

beforehand, whereas some might secure a position first while working towards
requirements.

Schools and school divisions coordinate the training, as required (can be

occasional support, might be on-going, long-term, or support directly related to
the needs of the EA)

Educational Assistant Certificate Requirements

Basic Computer Applications (EDUA-1001)

Academic Writing (EDUA-1002)

Inclusive Education (EDUA-1003)

EA Roles and Responsibilities (EDUA-1004)

Communication & Partnerships (EDUA-1006)

These courses can be taken in any order, but the following order is recommended:

*Portfolio Development (EDUA-1005) (not available through Distance)

*Distance students should register for PDEV-2001 Portfolio Development Online

Characteristics of Learners (EDUA-1007)

Managing Behaviour (EDUA-1008)

Supporting Learning Environment (EDUA-1009)

Observation & Documentation (EDUA-1010)

Professionalism (EDUA-1011)

Instructional Technology (EDUA-1012)

Exceptional Students (EDUA-1013)

ELA Content & Practice (EDUA-1014)

Math Content & Practice (EDUA-1015)

First Aid/CPR

Elective (choose one):

NVCI - (SEMR-9078)

WEVAS - (PDEV-1080)
Last course:

Practicum-Educational Assistant (PRAC-1035) or Practicum-EA Option

Hiring Process
According to Manitoba Education:
Based on local requirements, school divisions determine the general qualifications
and/or specific requirements of the educational assistants they hire. Depending on
the position, typical factors for consideration include formal education, experience,
and demonstrated abilities. A child abuse registry check and a criminal record check
are part of the hiring process.
School division administration typically oversees the hiring of educational assistants
and the allocation of educational assistant time in schools. Consultation with school
principals and teaching staff identifies skills required for educational assistants
work assignment(s).

Training

According to the Educational Assistants in Manitoba Schools document,

school or school division administrators are to provide an orientation BEFORE
educational assistants begin their assignment.

What do you think?

-Are orientations provided and if so, in a timely manner?
-Who is the one facilitating the orientation?

Training Continued...
Possible orientation topics the document suggests are:
-responsibilities of professional and non-professional staff
-school/school division policy and practices as they apply to current work
assignment(s)
- conduct appropriate to a school environment
- safety requirements for equipment use
- first-aid administration
- medication administration
- sick day/storm day procedures
- confidentiality requirements concerning student information
- appropriate communication with teachers, other professional staff, and family and
community members
- responsibilities as a member of the school team for student(s) with exceptional needs
- indicators of and requirements/protocols for reporting child abuse

Roles/Expectations/Responsibilities
1)

Butt, Rosemary, & Lowe, Kaye. (2012): The results showed that the teachers and EAs had a different perspective of what the
current practices, roles and responsibilities were for EAs. Furthermore, when asked about the types of training the EAs require,
both teachers and EAs agreed that more training would definitely be beneficial, but the two groups had varying perspectives on
the type of training that would be beneficial. This identified confusion of the role of the EA.

2)

McVittie, E. (2005). The conclusion was that EAs spend 50-75% of their time with Special Needs students. Their job description
matched what they were doing in the buildings according to the journals they kept. So in regard to Roles and Responsibilities,
they were supporting good practice. The general conclusion of this study is that EAs are being used effectively.

3)

Radford, Bosanquet, Webster, & Blatchford. (2015). The researchers found that certain roles could be improved for both
teacher and EA. Teachers and EAs should work together as partners who plan together and identify their roles together.
Teachers and EAs should be trained together and administrators should team them together based on individual skills.

4)

Vogt, Rosemary. (2011). The recommendation to improve EAs efficiency is to train both EAs and teacher for working together,
having principals allow for time set aside at the beginning of the school year for collaboration, and clear roles and
communication between teacher and EA.

5)

Warhurst, C., Nickson, D., Commander, J., & Gilbert, K. (2014). The results showed that most EAs work as intended,
supporting teachers by organizing and using resources and taking care of students. However, it also mentions that EAs are
starting to gain more and more of the teacher role as they work with individual students.

EA Levels

The general roles/responsibilities of EAs stem down from Manitoba Education,

then get more specific at each School Division level across the province.
EA Levels differentiate from School Division to School Division.
Each School Division has a different collective agreement for EAs, just as they
do for teachers.
For example: Pembina Trails School Division (PTSD) has EA1 and EA2
distinctions. River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) has EA 1-3
levels of distinction and The Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) and The
Winnipeg School Division (WSD) have four levels of EA distinctions, though
classified differently. In Louis Riel it is EA 1-4 and in WSD it is EA-A, EA-B,
EA-C and EA-D.

EA Levels Continued...

The main difference in EA levels are specific roles/responsibilities and salary

Overall experience and/or training prior to applying to become and EA
distinguishes the level one can work and is hired for.
In WSD you do not need to start as a EA-A, you can even start as an EA-C.
As one works and is employed as and EA, opportunities for more training are
available to increase ones level or potential to climb levels.
Differences in levels include types of contact with children, general or specific
1:1 support, hours of support, supporting students with or without disabilities
(funded and not funded).
Specific distinction between EA levels for WSD are:

EA Levels Continued...

EA-A - Non-instructional. Can supervise students, help prepare materials,

clerical assistance, event assistance. Requirement is some previous
working/volunteer experience with children and general English
reading/writing skills.
EA-B Providing individual and group instructional assistance to classroom or
resource teachers. Requirement is some working/volunteer experience with
with students and children. Excellent oral and written skills in English.
Classroom setting experience is very beneficial.
EA-C Providing Assistance to students with learning disabilities and/or
behavioural difficulties in group and individual settings. Requirement is one
year minimum of working with children/adolescents with physical, social,
academic and/or behavioural difficulties. Excellent oral and written skills in
English. Experience with Crisis Intervention is very beneficial.

EA Level Continued...

EA-D Responsible for providing assistance of a support nature, both in and out
of the classroom in Special Ed programs designed for students who are severely
physically, mentally and/or emotionally challenged. Requirement is a minimum
of two years working with children/adolescents who are severely physically,
mentally or emotionally disabled. Excellent oral and written skills in English.
Experience with Crisis Intervention is very beneficial.
Again, each school division has their own clear EA level distinctions just as
WSD.

Implementation of EAs

EAs are assigned based on individual school needs and individual's

qualifications.
School population, classroom size, classroom profile/dynamics, students who
are considered funded (level 2 or 3) and special programs required at specific
schools (behaviour support, speech support, etc.) determine an EAs specific
assignment.
Personality dynamics play a role in assigning EAs to students with funding too.
Who will fit together best?
EAs do not choose their assignments. Assignments/schedules can change year
to year or even within a year. EAs must also adapt as needed on a daily basis to
cover absences and unexpected needs that arise.
EAs are not assigned to any individual students for their entire ongoing funded
period.

Implementation of EAs Continued...

Despite EAs meeting level qualifications to be an EA, they are not qualified like
teachers in terms of planning, curriculum and child development knowledge.
What does this mean?
Often EAs are left to their own devices to support children who need the most
support. Whos at fault for this? What is the impact and result?
No matter what qualifications and experience or who an EA is, it is still the
teacher's responsibility to plan for every student they teach.
EAs can offer valid input and suggestions, but all decisions are ultimately the
teachers. EAs are there to implement support as directed.
Too often EAs, specifically when they are assigned to support students 1:1, are
not being as effective as needed. What does this mean?

Implementation of EAs Continued...

CONCERNS/OBSTACLES:

Lesser trained employees working more directly or possibly being left to plan for
students who need more support or are considered special needs.
Co-dependence that can arise with EAs and students who are supported 1:1
Parents thinking that EAs are only there for their child if the child receives level 2
or 3 funding.
EAs overstepping boundaries in regards to planning, contact with parents,
coddling students (doing too much for them), doing too little (not helpful at all),
making decisions they shouldnt, not knowing how to teach a specific
strategy/concept, attendance issue or not being given proper direction/guidance.
Lack of time to plan/debrief between teachers and EAs
How can this be solved?
Does inclusion work without EAs?

Assessment of EAs
-EAs go through a yearly Performance Review in most school divisions (EAs can request additional
reviews)
-Involved staff includes the EA, Administrator, Classroom Teacher, Resource Teacher.
-They are used to evaluate growth and development and set goals for improvement.
-This promotes and maintains standards throughout the divisions and many are kept in a database for a
record of performance, ongoing growth, and future evaluation.
-Have indicators like a report card (Exceeds, Meets, Marginal, Unsatisfactory)
-What has been your experience with this process?
(Printable Review form)

EA Perspectives
EAs were anonymously surveyed in different school divisions
Overall EAs
-love working with kids and are in the profession for the children
-are concerned about the growth of each child they work with
-feel somewhat trained although are interested in furthering their knowledge through PD and teacher training
-do not feel like there is time to touch base with the teacher as often which can result in a lack of direction
-have a good relationship with the classroom teacher

Recent Data

In the last month, 9 EAs from 4 different schools (across 3 different divisions) were
given a questionnaire about being an EA. What was some of the data collected?
2/9 took an official paraeducator course from an institution. All others were hired
to be an EA based on their experience working with children such as working in
childcare/daycare, at camps or being a school volunteer.
Main training for all came through workshops and PD offered by their division.
Most EAs felt relatively good about the training they received - feeling job ready.

8 Teachers were also given a questionnaire about their existing knowledge about EAs.
Most teachers were unclear about the requirements to become and EA
All teachers felt that EAs need more specific and ongoing training to be more
effective.
Teachers see EAs as overall valuable and an important relationship to invest in.

Discussion
Q: A teacher designed a phonics program to help meet the learning needs of a particular student. An
assistant working one-on-one with the student believes that the program is inappropriate for the student and
has said so to the students parents. Can anything be done?
Q: When is the school administration responsible for training an assistant?
Q: An educational assistant tolerates unacceptable language and behaviour from a student. Although the
teacher has directed the assistant to enforce a higher standard of conduct, so far she has not done so.
Q: My educational assistant is a creative person who comes up with fun ideas for the student she works with.
My concern is that she occasionally decides on her own to have a student shift from doing school work to
carrying out a fun project such as a Christmas craft. How much latitude should an educational assistant have
to change activities that a teacher has planned?
Q: My classroom assistant recently complained to the principal that I was not using his abilities to their
fullest. He also told the principal that he could produce better student materials than the ones I provided and
that I was not giving the students enough fun activities. What can I expect from the principal?

References
Butt, Rosemary, & Lowe, Kaye. (2012). Teaching Assistants and Class Teachers: Differing Perceptions, Role Confusion and the
Benefits of Skills-Based Training. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(2), 207-219.
Downing, J. E., Ryndak, D.L., & Clark, D. (2000) Paraeducators in inclusive classrooms. Remedial and Special Education, 21(3),
171-181.
Giangreco, M.F., Suter, J.C. & Doyle, M.B. (2010). Paraprofessionals in inclusive schools: a review of recent research. Journal of
Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20(1), 41-57.
Manitoba Education (2009) Educational Assistants in Manitoba Schools, Found at: <www.edu.gov.mb.
ca/k12/docs/support/ed_assistants/index.html>.

McVittie, E. (2005). The role of the teaching assistant: An investigative study to discover if teaching assistants are being used
effectively to support children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Education 3-13, 33(3), 26-31.
Radford, Bosanquet, Webster, & Blatchford. (2015). Scaffolding learning for independence: Clarifying teacher and teaching assistant
roles for children with special educational needs. Learning and Instruction, 36, 1-10.

References
Riggs, C.G. & Mueller, P.H. (2001). Employment and utilization of paraeducators in inclusive settings. The Journal of Special
Education, 35 (1), 54-62.
The Manitoba Teachers Society MTS Policy (2011). Teachers and Educational Assistants, Found at:
www.mbteach.org/library/Archives/Handbooks/HB-EAmanual.pdf
Vogt, Rosemary. (2011). Co-constructing Collaborative Classrooms: Novice and Veteran Teachers Perceptions of Working with
Educational Assistants. Master of Education Thesis. University of Manitoba. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/5044
Warhurst, C., Nickson, D., Commander, J., & Gilbert, K. (2014). Role stretch: Assessing the blurring of teaching and nonteaching in
the classroom assistant role in Scotland. British Educational Research Journal, 40(1), 170-186.