Classroom support is provided when a special education teacher and/or a special education paraprofessional under the direction of a special education teacher work with special education students in their general education classrooms. The supports provided may include:
-
Re-teaching a previously taught concept;
-
Providing practice on a skill to facilitate mastery;
-
Clarifying information for the students;
-
Reviewing information previously learned;
-
Breaking tasks into smaller steps to facilitate mastery.
Special education paraprofessionals who provide classroom support may review previously taught information, but may not be asked to plan or to deliver initial instruction.
The goals of classroom support are:
-
To provide individual support to special education students so they may be able to successfully participate in a mainstream setting;
-
To monitor the progress of students toward mastery of general education concepts;
-
To assist the classroom teacher in meeting the individual needs of students.
Providing classroom support to students in general education classes must be determined by the ARD/IEP committee and the IEP must be implemented.