What is a Paraprofessional?
Paraprofessionals are K-12 school employees who provide one-on-one tutoring for students, assist with classroom management (e.g., organizing instructional or other materials), provide instructional assistance in a computer laboratory, conduct parent involvement activities, provide support in a library or media center, act as a translator, or provide instruction support services under the direct supervision of a teacher.
Federal legislation requires paraprofessionals that are serving in an instructional capacity to meet the definition of Highly Qualified.
Am I Highly Qualified to be a Paraprofessional?
Have you…
Earned a Bachelor’s Degree from a state-approved institution of high education? or
Earned an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or an Associate of applied Science degree from a state-approved institution of higher education? or
Completed two years of full-time study (48 semester hours) from a state-approved institution of higher learning?
Within the 48 hour semester, the paraprofessional must complete a total of 15 hours of general education requirements that include:
English Composition (3 semester hours)
English/Reading (6 semester hours)
Math (6 semester hours)
If Yes…
You are exempt from the Para-Pro Assessment and are highly-qualified to become a Paraprofessional.
If No…
You are required to take the ETS Para Pro Assessment and receive a passing score of at least 450.
Test Exemption Guidelines– Louisiana’s High-Qualified Definition for Paraprofessionals
Paraprofessional Testing
The East Baton Rouge Parish School system is proud to be a participating test center for the ParaPro Assessment, a nationally required proficiency examination for Paraprofessionals.
Registration and Testing Information:
EBRPSS Applicants: as of June 2021, the EBRPSS Paraprofessional Test is free to all participants that have an active EBRPSS application on file in our Frontline Education Recruit and Hire System and the application reflects that they are seeking employment in the East Baton Rouge Parish School system for the current school year.
Non-EBRPSS Applicants: a non-refundable fee of $55.00 is required in money order form to register for this test. the $55.00 money order should be made payable to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and must be paid on the day of the test.
The Paraprofessional Test, offered under the auspices of the Educational testing Services (ETS), is administered at the Professional Development Center located at 3000 N. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70814.
The test will begin promptly at 10:00am.
Please bring a valid driver’s license or picture identification upon entry.
Cellular telephones, calculators, smart watches, and other electronic devices are to be kept in your car.
You will receive your unofficial PRAXIS test score at the conclusion of taking your test.
Please use the following link to register for the EBRPSS Paraprofessional test:
EBRPSS Paraprofessional Testing Registration
Apply to become a Paraprofessional
Click here to begin or revisit your application for EBRPSS.
Upon receipt of the required document and verification of your highly-qualified status, you will be considered for a paraprofessional position for the current or upcoming semester.
TEST PREPARATION:
The following website has free test preparation material http://www.ets.org/parapro/test_prep/materials/
Click on TEST AT A GLANCE under FREE TEST PREPARATION
The following website has additional test preparation for a fee: http://www.testprepreview.com/parapro_practice.htm
If you have any questions, please contact Mynesha Williams (mwilliams40@ebrschools.org) Allison Brown-Lands (abrown12@ebrschools.org), or Tiffany Victorian (tvictorian@ebrschools.org).