The COMPASS is a comprehensive job embedded professional development curriculum developed specifically for paraprofessionals. This series of modules, aligned with National Paraprofessional Standards, has been designed to enhance the paraprofessional’s skills in working with students in educational settings.

Basic Modules

Roles & Responsibilities
Understand the roles and responsibilities of the paraprofessional, teacher, and administrator as partners of an educational team. Strategies to work effectively as a member of the instructional team are provided.

Communications
Explore various aspects of collaboration and communication including relationship building and effective problem solving.

Managing Behaviors
Learn strategies for managing and supporting students in small and large groups and one-to-one learning situations. Emphasis on proactive environmental and instructional supports and behavioral record keeping.

Ethics and Legal Issues
Understand current information on the special education laws and regulations and school-based practices. Review Individualized Education Plan components and procedures.

Instructional Strategies
Practice research-based strategies to help students achieve. Collaboration and communication skills will enable the paraprofessional to be an effective, contributing member of the instructional team.

Advanced Modules

Strategic Tutoring
Learn and use specific processes related to the student’s development of skills and strategies, generalization of learning to other tasks, modeling and feedback are emphasized.

Reading in the Elementary Classroom
Explore commonly used techniques and strategies that support reading development in younger students. Specific techniques that are commonly used in effective reading instruction are highlighted.

Job Coaching
Understand the roles, responsibilities, and skills required of the paraprofessional who is working with students in a vocational setting.

Exceptional Learners
Gain knowledge about the many types of disabilities and learn behavioral and instructional supports for working with special needs students. Common terms and acronyms of the special education process are also identified.

Language Development
Understand the impact of language development on learning. Information and strategies related to language processes are presented.

Teaching Students with Autism
Learn and apply strategies that enhance social, behavioral, and communication skills in students with autism. Social stories and other techniques are provided.

Creating Independent Learners
Improve student independence by learning how to assess a student’s abilities, analyze tasks, and fade instruction to promote student independence.

Advanced Instructional Strategies
Practice research-based strategies to provide accommodations and modifications to help students achieve independence in reading, writing, and studying.

For more information contact Tricia Silva tsilva@crec.org