Requirements for Teaching Assistant Certification in the State of Delaware

Teaching assistants in Delaware help teachers with classroom activities and clerical duties.woman and a teacher at seminar image by Dmitry Goygel-Sokol from Fotolia.com

A teaching assistant helps the teacher with classroom duties and clerical tasks. The extra help provided by the assistant allows the teacher to spend more time with students. In Delaware, the state certifies three classes of paraeducators or teaching assistants: service paraeducators, Title I paraeducators and instructional paraeducators.

Education

Title I paraeducators must have an associate's degree or higher to work for the state of Delaware. Title I teaching assistants work with small groups of children or on a one-on-one basis. The Title I paraeducator is an instructional paraeducator who can work with children with or without disabilities.

Instructional and service paraeducators in Delaware must have a high school education to work in the state.

Delaware requires qualifying scores on the Accuplacer Test for Title I paraeducators in the state. The examination tests the assistant's knowledge in reading, math and English. Applicants are required to pass with a minimum score of 94 on the math test, 87 on the English test and 78 on the reading examination.

Delaware also assesses the skills of the Title I paraeducator with the Parapro assessment examination. The Parapro assessment tests the candidate's knowledge of English, math and reading as well as her ability to apply that knowledge in the classroom.

Title I paraeducator candidates must submit college transcripts from the associate degree program. Instructional paraeducators and service paraeducators must submit proof of a high school diploma to the state before a permit will be issued.

All candidates for teaching assistant positions in the Delaware school system must submit a criminal conviction history. Candidates who fail to submit information regarding a prior criminal conviction will be dismissed from the paraeducator position.

A paraeducator permit is valid for five years in the state of Delaware. Renewal candidates must complete professional development activities to qualify for a renewal in the state. Activities can include college courses, school conferences and workshops, school committee participation or a professional conference. The activity must further the knowledge of the paraeducator.