Paraeducator Training

Paraeducator Requirements

Forms

• Time Sheet
• PLUS Clock Hours Form
• FCS Completion Form

Links

• OSPI
  • Approved Clock Hour Providers
• Professional Educator Standards Board
• pdEnroller
  • pdEnroller Instructions 
• Canvas

All Instructional paraeducators must complete the Paraeducator Fundamental Course of Study (FCS) during their first school year of employment.  Instructional paras include any paras working in a classroom setting.  It does not include paras whose hours are strictly bus duty, recess, crossing guard, preschool or substitutes.  Paras hired at the start of the school year have 6 months from their hire date to complete all FCS training.  Paras who are hired during the school year must complete all 28 hours by August 31 of the school year in which they were hired.  

The 28 hours of training are provided by the District free of charge. 14 hours can be completed online, but at least 14 must be completed in person.  You will receive information about in-person courses when they are scheduled.  When possible, you can complete some of the training during your regular work hours.  If you work on courses outside of normal work hours, you can be paid by completing a timesheet.  

The units can be completed in any order.  

FCS_Individual_Hours_Checklist_25-26.pdf

What is the deadline for training to be completed? Training hours must be completed between September 1 and August 31.

Am I paid for completing training outside of my regular workday? Yes, the time you spend working on the FCS outside of your regular work time can be paid as extra time by turning in a timesheet to Human Resources. FCS hours are determined by PESB. (i.e. if it takes you two hours to complete a course, but it is a one hour course, the district can only pay you for the hours determined by PESB). Please do not exceed 40 hours in a week.

if I earn more than my required hours this year can I count the extra hours toward my 14 clock hours next year? No, the extra hours will not carry over toward next year's requirement. However, they will count toward the overall 70 clock hours needed for the general certificate. Please note that some FCS courses provide activity-based hours, which are different from clock hours.  

If I take a 14 hour Right Response course, will all those hours count toward my FCS? Not all of them. The FCS has a specific number of hours needed to complete each unit. Two hours of Right Response training will satisfy the hours needed to complete FCS07. The remaining 12 clock hours will count toward the general certificate once the FCS is completed.  

I worked on the FCS when I was employed in another district.  Do I need to start over on the FCS in this district? No, with documentation, you can receive credit for courses you have already completed. Please contact Wendy Coleman (wcoleman@stanwood.wednet.edu) for more information.

How many hours do I have left?  Contact Wendy Coleman (wcoleman@stanwood.wednet.edu).

Instructional paraeducators who have completed the Fundamental Course of Study in the previous school year must begin working toward earning their Paraeducator General Certificate. Paraeducators are required to complete 14 clock hours of training toward the Paraeducator General Certificate each school year until they reach 70 clock hours, if funded by the legislature. These 70 clock hours are separate from the 28 hours of the Fundamental Course of Study.  Any clock hour training from an OSPI-approved provider that will assist the instructional skills of a paraeducator may count.

Training for the general certificate must be in the form of clock hours. Training can be completed in-person or online. Please note that the same course cannot be repeated for additional clock hours. For example, clock hours for the Right Response course will count only one time, even though the course must be repeated on a regular basis.

There is no limit to the number of clock hours that a paraeducator may complete in a school year. However, they can only receive pay for a maximum of 14 clock hours of training per school year.  

If college courses are completed anytime after July 2019, these credits may be able to be applied toward the 70 clock hours. Please send transcripts to Wendy Coleman for an audit of hours.

Paraeducators who have completed the Fundamental Course of Study and hold a valid teaching certificate are exempt from this requirement.