Paraeducator - Technical Diploma
As an educator, you will work directly with students under the supervision of a licensed teacher. Your education will prepare you to fulfill multiple roles such as assisting students with assignments, guiding behavior, supporting students with special needs (including personal hygiene), and clerical tasks related to instruction. You may work with children from pre-kindergarten through age 21 during the traditional school day and year. Your career opportunities exist in preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.
Delivery
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Program Costs & Financial Aid
Tuition: $7,858, Books: $284, Supplies: $525
This program is fully eligible for financial aid.
Estimates based on in-state residency. Please visit the following URL to learn more about tuition and fees for this program. https://www.nwtc.edu/admissions-and-aid/paying-for-college/tuition-and-fees?ProgramCode=315222
Requirements for Program Entry
- Submit the following:
- High school transcript (or GED/HSED transcript).
- College transcript.
- It is necessary to show good health as evidenced by a medical examination within 90 days to beginning practicum classes.
- Students should have mastered basic math before entering this program. For a description of basic math, see the Basic Education section of this catalog.
- To be admitted to this program, learners must achieve a prior cumulative high school or college grade point average of 2.6 or higher OR a satisfactory academic skills assessment score. College grade point average must be based on 15 credits or more. To learn more about starting this program, please contact an academic advisor at (920) 498-5444 or (888) 385-6982.
- You will need to complete a Caregiver Background Check prior to being placed into Practicum courses. A fee is charged for this service.
- Attend mandatory program orientation.
- Tip! Our admission advisors will assist you through every step. Have questions? Connect with NWTC Admissions at start@nwtc.edu or 920-498-5444.
Program Outcomes
- Demonstrate instructional support strategies for content areas.
- Implement developmentally appropriate practices to foster learning.
- Adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
- Use proactive classroom management techniques.
- Perform professional responsibilities.
Curriculum
Students following the study plan below will complete the Paraeducator Technical Diploma in the number of semesters shown. Courses are offered online, and may be taken in any order as long as prerequisites are met. Four program courses are offered in-person each semester. Below is a suggested timeline:
First Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Second Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Full Semester
Third Semester
8 Week 1
8 Week 2
Full Semester
- Curriculum Note: Required 90 hours in classroom under supervision of K-12 teacher. NWTC Faculty arranges practicum settings for/with students. Students are required to achieve a grade of “C” or higher in the practicum courses to continue in or graduate from this program.
- Completed criminal background check required annually. It is necessary to show good health as evidenced by a medical examination including having a TB screening administered within 12 months before practicum placement. Wisconsin Caregiver Law. NWTC is required to comply with the Wisconsin Caregiver Law (2009 WISCONSIN ACT 76). The completion of a caregiver background check includes the review of criminal records for convictions of serious crimes or a history of improper behavior. Students accepted into this program must complete a background check through www.viewpointscreening.com/nwtc. A fee is charged for this service. Information regarding this process is provided to students immediately upon acceptance into the program. Students with a criminal history may be denied access to placement at the discretion of the practicum site. Consequently, should a student have a history of convictions of serious crimes or a history of improper behaviors, NWTC cannot guarantee practicum placement or guarantee graduation within typical program timing.
- 10-804-134, Mathematical Reasoning, does not transfer to a four-year college. See a counselor for math options.
- The credit for 10-890-101, College 101 is an Institutional Requirement for graduation. Consequently, it is not part of the program credit requirements, but must be passed with a "C" or better.
- Students must earn a "C" or higher in all 10-522-XXX courses to successfully graduate the Paraeducator (Instructional Assistant) Technical Diploma. A student must repeat the particular course with a "C" or better final grade to continue in or graduate from this program. If the course is sequential, the successful retake must occur before continuing the sequence.
Course Descriptions
Students gain skills that lead to success in college and employment. This course encourages students to develop a growth mindset and make wise choices. Students should take this course in their first semester. (Pre-requisite: None.)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringStudents analyze preK-12 education in the United States, determine roles and responsibilities of school personnel, and explore current trends and best practices. Students identify how students learn and the foundations of lesson planning. Students analyze Assessment strategies, classroom management, and techniques for supporting learners.
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringBasic American values of justice and equality by teaching vocabulary, history of immigration/conquest, transcultural communication, legal liability, multicultural majority/minority relations, ageism, sexism, gender, sexual orientation, the disabled/ADA. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better.)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringStudents develop the knowledge and skills to use trending classroom technologies and gain experience creating and using web tools including portfolios. Students create presentations for educational environments and identify ISTE Standards.
Course Typically Offered: FallStudents analyze personal culture, explore cultural constructs, evaluate cultural bias in educational materials and analyze strategies to support English Learners. Students examine diversity in the classroom and develop techniques for supporting equity in the learning environment. In addition, students collaborate to identify service needs in the community and demonstrate professional collaboration skills through participating in a service learning project.
Course Typically Offered: FallProvides an overview of physical, motor, perceptual, cognitive, social/emotional and growth and development birth through adolescence. Analyzes social, parental, cultural, brain, and economic influences on development.
Course Typically Offered: FallStudents learn techniques to support reading development for all learners. Students learn techniques to promote phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Students also learn strategies to promote word analysis, vocabulary, and reading fluency skills.
Course Typically Offered: SpringStudents are introduced to the content and processes of teaching science. Students explore science processes, strategies, procedures, assessment options and factors affecting science learning. Students study and practice strategies for assisting with group and individual activities in science.
Course Typically Offered: SpringStudents explore various genres of children’s and young adult literature. Students examine techniques used to support learners in reading and writing and strategies for assessing learners in the process. Students examine techniques to support learners with reading and writing across the curriculum.
Course Typically Offered: SpringStudents learn key terminology and research-based strategies to support learners in math domains: numbers, base ten operations, algebraic thinking, geometry, and measurement and data. Current practice including manipulatives, problem solving and assessment will be covered within the framework of state and national standards.
Course Typically Offered: SpringStudents apply the skills learned in previous program courses in a school setting while under the supervision of a Department of Public Instruction certified teacher. Students support learners while demonstrating professionalism. Students begin the reflective process. (Corequisite: 10-890-101, College 101)
Course Typically Offered: Fall SpringStudents examine a historical overview of special education and special education law including special education disability categories as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students explore state and federal qualification special education criteria and societal responses to students with disabilities. Students examine the impact of a student with disabilities on family dynamics and the role school personnel play in supporting students with disabilities.
Course Typically Offered: FallAll college students, regardless of their college major, need to be able to make reasonable decisions about fiscal, environmental, and health issues that require quantitative reasoning skills. An activity based approach is used to explore numerical relationships, graphs, proportional relationships, algebraic reasoning, and problem solving using linear, exponential and other mathematical models. Students will develop conceptual and procedural tools that support the use of key mathematical concepts in a variety of contexts. This course may be used as the first of a two part sequence that ends with Quantitative Reasoning as the capstone general education math requirement. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Arith score greater/equal to 250 AND Rdg score greater/equal to 250; OR TABE A 9/10 Math greater/equal to 12.7 AND Rdg greater/equal to 8.8; OR TABE 11/12 Math greater/equal to 780 AND Rdg greater/equal to 567; OR ACT Math score greater/equal to 15 AND ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16; OR prep courses-contact an academic advisor 920-498-5444)
Course Typically Offered: Summer Fall SpringStudents evaluate models of behavior management, analyze social emotional learning, and explain the importance of proactive management techniques. In addition, students evaluate models of behavior management, analyze behavior and analyze the influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on behavior in order to focus on developing skills to assist in empowering children to take an active role in self-control and classroom management.
Course Typically Offered: SpringStudents identify research-based interventions for learners in categories defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students interpret Individualized Educational Programs and examine special education related services available for learners. Students collect data to document student behavior and academic performance and recommend program adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities while applying the concepts of least restrictive environment and inclusion. (Corequisite: 10-522-107, EDU: Overview of Special Education)
Course Typically Offered: FallStudents analyze current content in social studies education as recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies and design learning opportunities for the five components of social studies: Geography. History. Culture and Society. Civics and Government, and Economics. Students explore factors that influence social studies instruction.
Course Typically Offered: FallStudents apply the skills learned in previous program courses in a school setting while under the supervision of a Department of Public Instruction certified teacher. Students support learners and while demonstrating professionalism. Students apply job search skills. (Prerequisite: 10-522-129, EDU: Practicum 1; Corequisite 10-890-101, College 101)
Course Typically Offered: Fall Spring