Paraprofessional to Teacher Pipeline
West Texas A&M University
Overview of the Practice
Buff START (Stampede Track for Accelerated Readiness for Teaching)
The purpose of the Buff START program is to identify and recruit current paraprofessionals who have demonstrated the qualities and dispositions of an effective teacher in their work as support staff in their school. The Buff START program provides a framework of collaborative encouragement provided by both the school district and the Educator Preparation Program. Through this accelerated program, the Buff START paraprofessional can earn both their bachelor’s degree and initial teacher certification, allowing them to become a fully certified teacher of record more quickly. Some participating school districts also provide funding to help the paraprofessional pay for their coursework through a “sponsored billing” opportunity.
The Buff START program was designed in response to local school districts’ critical need to have more certified teachers, especially in high-needs areas. School district leaders reached out to the West Texas A&M University’s leadership team to explain the problem and ask for the EPP’s assistance in meeting this critical need. The initial design of the Buff START program was developed and then presented to the local school districts for additional input. Through governance meetings and ongoing communication with the school districts, the EPP continues to refine the program to best meet the needs of teacher candidates and school districts.
The targeted audience for the Buff START program are experienced, highly effective, and qualified paraprofessionals who are currently working in the school district and have a desire to complete their bachelor’s degree and earn a standard educator certificate. The ideal Buff START candidate will be Core Curriculum complete (60 earned semester credit hours), have a 2.75 GPA or higher, hold an Educational Aide certificate, and be highly recommended by their campus or district administrator.
The key components of this program are collaborative and consistent support provided by both the school district and the EPP. The EPP offers 12 SCH hours of Education on Demand (EOD) coursework that incorporates some of the paraprofessional’s work experiences into the assignment requirements for the course.
The Buff START Program was developed early in the 2024 Spring semester, and our first cohort started in the 2024 May Intercession semester. The program has been running for two years and continues to grow.
Planning, Implementation, and Monitoring
After meeting with school district leaders and learning of their needs, the EPP leadership team designed the program. The College Dean, the Department Head, and the Executive Director of the EPP were involved in the development and design of the program.
The data and evidence came from the school district’s needs assessment. They were able to utilize a strategic staffing model to provide funding for the paraprofessional’s mentor and to help pay for the paraprofessional’s coursework. The EPP explored different options to best utilize the Education on Demand program to deliver accelerated and focused instruction for this unique group of students. This included recruiting faculty to develop the EOD coursework to meet the unique needs of the Buff START candidates.
An application was designed specifically for the Buff START candidate that included a recommendation from the school district.
The goals for the program were to provide the paraprofessionals with an accelerated pathway to complete their degree and certification without having to add an additional year for alternative certification.
Success indicators included the paraprofessional successfully completing their bachelor’s degree and earning their standard educator certificate.
Scheduling additional courses in both intercession semesters was established, along with the design of Education on Demand coursework.
We launched the Buff START program by sharing information with the original group of school districts first to get their input on any possible changes. We then presented the program to other school districts through the Region 16 Education Service Center. The launch also included the development of a webpage specifically for the Buff START program. The School District initiates the process by filling out an application. This beginning step helps to identify the candidate as a Buff START student and provides the school district with information about sponsored billing regulations. The Buff START advisor is critical in conducting the initial review of the paraprofessional’s transcript and helping to guide them through the program with intentional advising and ongoing support. The Buff START advisor also communicates with the EPP certification officer and faculty. Ongoing communication with school districts is also vital in supporting the Buff START candidate as they transition into their clinical experience, which uses their work as a paraprofessional to meet the TEA requirements for both formal and informal observations, feedback, and ongoing coaching.
The Buff START advisor identified a need for more consistent communication with the paraprofessionals and the school district liaison. Therefore, we have initiated a “seminar” time where Buff START candidates meet 2 times per semester with the Buff START advisor to discuss topics that are important for the candidates. Such as work/life balance, certification testing, POP cycles, etc.)
This program is monitored by the faculty, Buff START advisor, and the EPP leadership using grades in coursework, certification exam scores, informal and formal observation data to monitor candidates’ progress. At the school district, the campus administrator, mentor teacher(s), and the school district liaison also use walk-through data, mentor feedback, and formal observations to ensure the candidate is making acceptable progress.
We continue to make adjustments to the EOD coursework to ensure that the candidates are meeting course learning outcomes, while also being able to use some of their authentic work experience as evidence of mastering the learning outcomes.
Impact on Teacher Preparation
Relate to EPF Levers
- Alignment KP 1.1 – The Buff START program establishes an articulated partnership agreement from day 1 that includes data-informed shared vision and goals, areas of mutual interdependence, and detailed roles and responsibilities.
- Alignment to KP 1.5– The EOD coursework aligns preparation curriculum and training with the authentic work that the paraprofessional candidate is doing in the field.
- Alignment KP 1.4 – The university’s Buff START advisor provides ongoing support for the candidate from the very beginning of their program. The faculty also provide consistent instruction and motivations to the candidates. When the candidate is ready to begin their clinical experience, the EPP Field Supervisors support, coach, and evaluate teacher candidates.
- Alignment to KP 2.3 –The development of partnership action plans to develop this targeted and accelerated program helps support the unique needs of the paraprofessional teacher candidates’ progress toward certification.
Our district partners have provided input about their satisfaction with the Buff START program, and the number of students in this program continues to increase.