New inclusive education training series for paraprofessionals: Boosting support for students with disabilities
Top header image: TIES team members (L-R) Gail Ghere, Jen Sommerness, Jessica Bowman, Darrell Peterson, and Kristi Liu. (photo by Jairus Davis)
CEHD launches new training series to elevate paraprofessional practice
For a student with a disability, the right support doesn’t just help them get through the school day - it unlocks the door to a truly inclusive education. Recognizing this, CEHD has developed a new comprehensive training series designed to turn that vision into reality. By equipping paraprofessionals with tools to foster student belonging, independence, and academic success, the Empowering Inclusive Schools Learning Series for Paraprofessionals Supporting Students with Disabilities bridges the gap between being present in a classroom and experiencing true participation and belonging. Launched this past November this training series addresses a critical need in the educational community.
“Paraprofessionals play a key role in schools supporting students with disabilities nationwide,” says Jennifer Sommerness. “We also know teachers don’t necessarily learn how to direct the work of other adults, they go to school to learn how to teach students. This content was developed with this in mind. We hope to support paraprofessionals to know what questions to ask and how to think about their support for students, and ultimately have students benefit from paraprofessionals who are informed and skilled team members.”
Sommerness is a research associate with the TIES Center in CEHD’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI). The TIES Center works with states, districts, and schools to promote inclusive practices for students with disabilities and the impetus for this project stemmed from the center’s core mission and a clear need in the field.
TIES staff member Jessica Bowman, reviews module content with ICI’s Mari Quanbeck
Photo by Connie Burkhart
Developing the series
In 2002, Sommerness was part of a team with ICI Research Associate Gail Ghere and Jennifer York-Barr, now professor emerita of the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education, they created Supporting Students With Disabilities in Inclusive Schools: A Curriculum for Job-Embedded Paraprofessional Development. This evidence-based resource has been available on the ICI website ever since.
“It holds tremendous intrinsic value,” Sommerness says. “We recognized that if updated and delivered in a modern, accessible format, it could meet the widespread, ongoing demand for high-quality, practical training for paraprofessionals nationwide.”
Early in 2025, TIES Assistant Director Jessica Bowman saw an announcement to partner with CEHD’s Office of Lifelong Learning and Credentialing (OLLC) in the creation of a professional learning series.
“The OLLC serves as CEHD’s hub for lifelong learning, credentialing, and professional education, ensuring quality, consistency, and accessibility across all CEHD noncredit learning experiences,” says OLLC Director Jessica McLain.
Bowman brought the partnership opportunity to the TIES team for consideration. They decided to submit an application and have been working with OLLC on the project ever since.
“We had the content and the experts for this high-quality paraprofessional training, and with OLLC’s announcement, I had a feeling it could be just the support we needed to turn it into a well-developed asynchronous course,” Bowman says.
The OLLC partnership turned out to be the perfect opportunity to translate foundational expertise into a professional, credentialed online series.
In developing the program, OLLC collaborated with TIES subject-matter experts to design and structure the learning modules, integrate interactive components, and ensure the training meets adult-learning best practices. “We piloted the course with some current and former paraprofessionals and made adjustments based on their feedback,” Bowman says.
Paraprofessionals talk about the modules
“A well presented (self-paced) learning opportunity for those in the field that would like to expand their knowledge in how to use best practices to support learners of all abilities.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen any meaningful training for paras!”
“An abundance of knowledge and skills to be learned and revisited. Questions and doubts answered with solutions effective for all.”
OLLC also created alternative credentials associated with the program, including digital badges, CEUs, and certificates of completion, and ensured the program aligns with CEHD standards for instructional quality, accessibility, and learner experience.
“OLLC’s expertise in Canvas course design was instrumental to making this course come alive,” Bowman says. “We could not have done it without them.”
On the TIES side, Sommerness and Bowman adapted and supplemented the original source material to create the course content and worked with OLLC to create and refine the visual elements of the course, Ghere provided expert feedback, and Kristi Liu, the TIES director and Principal Investigator, provided funding for course development as well as coordination with ICI leadership. ICI Educational Program Specialist Darrell Peterson serves as the software administrator and handles group licensing and troubleshooting technical difficulties for course participants. Other substantial encouragement and support came from ICI Director Amy Hewitt, ICI Entrepreneurial and Development Programs Director Barb Kleist, and Business Development Consultant Ann Thompson.
About the program
Empowering Inclusive Schools is a four-part, online, self-paced program open to all and geared toward non-certificated staff who work in K-12 schools. “It is designed for paraprofessionals, teacher aides, and instructional assistants who work in schools and support the engagement and full belonging of students with disabilities, including those with extensive support needs,” Sommerness says. “Our intention is for it to be the first in a series on the topic.”
Multiple courses are planned to empower paraprofessionals to support students effectively while fostering belonging, independence, and academic success. The overarching goals for the entire course series are for paraprofessionals to:
- understand their roles and responsibilities in providing instructional support for students, including those with extensive support needs, in inclusive classrooms and schools
- develop knowledge and skills that directly relate to their work supporting students in inclusive classrooms and schools
- demonstrate the use of new learning, knowledge, and skills through application and discussion activities.
The first course, Foundations of Inclusive Education (z.umn.edu/TIES-Foundations), has four modules and coordinates with current research and evidence-based practices in inclusive education, special education, and disability studies. Modules address:
- What inclusive education is and why it matters—Understanding the foundation and importance of inclusive practices for all students
- How to promote belonging—Strategies for creating welcoming, supportive classroom environments
- How to identify and maximize learning opportunities—Recognizing teachable moments across school activities and environments
- Your role in supporting inclusive IEPs—Collaborating effectively with the educational team and maintaining confidentiality
Gail Ghere; Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD) Professor Emerita Jennifer York-Barr; and Jen Sommerness. In 2002, the trio developed the evidence-based curriculum through a collaboration between ICI and OLPD. The resource serves as the foundation for the new Empowering Inclusive Schools series.
Photo courtesy of TIES.
“Through our collaboration with TIES, we ensured that learners are recognized for their learning in meaningful ways,” says McLain. “Participants earn a digital knowledge badge at the completion of each module and a mastery-level badge upon completing the full learning series. In addition, professional development hours are formally tracked as CEUs on the University of Minnesota’s official training record, giving learners documentation they can use with employers and professional organizations.”
Participants will have access to all instruction from the training for easy review; downloadable resources including worksheets, checklists, and implementation guides; and ongoing access to course materials and resources.
“This learning series goes beyond traditional professional development by com bining high-quality instructional design with meaningful, stackable credentials that support long-term career growth for K-12 school paraprofessionals,” Bowman says.
Next steps
- Evidence-based instructional strategies—Using prompting, fading, and natural supports to promote student independence
- Universal design for learning (UDL) principles—Implementing flexible tools and materials for diverse learners
- Communication support strategies—Supporting students who are non-speaking or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices
- Positive behavior support approaches—Understanding behavior as communication and implementing effective interventions
- How to facilitate peer relationships—Recognizing and creating opportunities for meaningful social connections
- Strategies for fostering student independence—Avoiding over-assistance while providing appropriate support
Advanced Inclusive Practices is tentatively scheduled for release this year.
“The development and eventual release of the second course is directly tied to the success and sustainability of the first course,” Bowman says. “By ensuring the initial course reaches a wide audience, we are generating the necessary internal resources to finalize the content development, instructional design, and launch of this next, more in-depth course, ensuring the continuous expansion of high-quality professional development for this critical workforce.”
Principal Investigator Liu says the course is not just a basic training; it is a high-quality, University-backed credential designed to truly elevate skills. “Developing modules of this caliber—ensuring they are high-quality, appealing, accessible, and grounded in the latest evidence—is a significant undertaking," she says. "It simply wouldn’t have been possible without the strong collaboration and expertise of the OLLC team, the support of ICI, and the dedicated time provided to the TIES staff. The course is a clear demonstration that the University of Minnesota, CEHD, and ICI are invested in ensuring the success of the entire education workforce.”
–Kevin Moe
Benefits of Empowering Inclusive Schools
- Stackable Digital Badges: Learners earn a digital badge after each module, signaling specific skills and knowledge they have mastered. These microcredentials can be shared on résumés, LinkedIn, and employer platforms.
- Mastery Badge: Upon completing the full series, participants receive a comprehensive Mastery Badge that represents deeper competency and commitment to their paraprofessional role.
- CEHD-Backed Credential: Receiving a credential from CEHD provides recognition from a leading college of education, adding credibility and professional value.
- High-Quality, Accessible Learning: The series is designed with best practices in instructional design and accessibility, making it easy for busy educators and paraprofessionals to engage and succeed.
- Lifelong Learning Pathways: This program places CEHD at the forefront of meeting alumni and practitioners where they are—offering flexible, relevant learning that can ladder into additional professional development or future credit pathways.
- Practical, Job-Embedded Skills: Content is tailored specifically to the paraprofessional role, ensuring learners gain strategies they can immediately apply in classrooms and school communities.
About the Office of Lifelong Learning and Credentialing
The Office of Lifelong Learning and Credentialing (OLLC) is CEHD’s non-credit professional learning arm within graduate and professional education under Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Faculty Development Kendall King.
“We partner with CEHD centers and departments—such as the TIES Center—to translate CEHD’s research and evidence-based practices into real-world application for alumni and practitioners,” says OLLC Director Jessica McLain (pictured left). “For the paraprofessional training, OLLC worked alongside TIES to design, launch, and credential the course, ensuring it met CEHD and University standards for accessibility, quality, and learner experience.”
This work also included structuring a non-credit Canvas course, aligning the program with CEHD credentialing standards, and supporting the issuance of CEHD-approved credentials.
“In short, TIES provided the subject matter expertise and content, and OLLC served as the implementation and credentialing partner, helping transform that expertise into a high-quality, accessible, and scalable professional learning experience for the workforce,” McLain says.
The OLLC is staffed by McLain and Program Manager Emilee Kaupp (pictured right). It acts as a compliance partner for all CEHD departments and centers to ensure all non-credit and alternative credentialing requests are reviewed, approved, and created with the same CEHD standards when it comes to project design, look, and feel of courses, credentials, and policies. The office develops and manages CEHD- and ADA-approved Canvas course templates to ensure accessibility, consistency, and compliance across all CEHD non-credit offerings. It also manages a college non-credit Canvas course subaccount, to make sure that all CEHD non-credit and professional learning offerings are centrally housed, consistently structured, and aligned with University and college standards.
Program Manager Emilee Kaupp
OLLC Director Jessica McLain