HCPSS MPIA Request #2021-075

Requestor
Debbie Engle
Requested Information
Please supply a copy of the materials used to train Special Education Temporary Employees, Student Assistants, and Paraeducators for virtual learning for Fall 2020. Please indicate the hours that each of these types of employee categories spent learning how to navigate virtual learning for Fall 2020, and please share the equipment that was provided to each of these employee categories and how many are still waiting to receive equipment.
Date Received
Status
Complete
Response Notes

Responsive to this request, Department of Special Education staff indicates no Temporary Employees are being utilized during initial virtual instruction, therefore no equipment or training has been supplied to such individuals at this time. Regarding equipment for remaining positions, Information Technology staff indicates 107 devices have been distributed for Student Assistants, while 865 devices have been distributed for Paraeducators. IT is continuing to provide devices as new needs are identified for these groups.

Additionally, while no record reflects the training, two hours of live virtual instruction was provided to all Paraeducators by the Department of Special Education leading up to the start of fall 2020.

Lastly, please note staff also indicates there will be ongoing professional learning and resources provided throughout the year. Additional time would be needed for review of specific materials for the training outlined in the included records.

Responsive Documents
This listing contains categories of professional development resources made available to Paraeducators and Student
Assistants by the Department of Special Education.
An overview of training offered to Student Assistants and Paraeducators in this specific program leading
up to fall 2020, which provided six and a half hours of learning on roles and
responsibilities, program overview, data collection, methodology, virtual IST, Behavior,
coaching and social skills. Under MPIA GP § 4-338, which requires a custodian to deny
inspection of information about the security of an information system, we have redacted
unique identifiers such as login information.
This communication outlined the required modules to be completed by Paraeduators through their schools/general education
professional learning leading up to fall 2020, which were also available to Student Assistants.
Additional communications from our Professional Development Office leading up to and through the start of fall 2020 have
outlined the optional training (asynchronous) available to all Educational Support Professionals (including Paraeducators and Student Assistants) which they could individually choose to navigate as needed. This training will vary by level and topic.

*Some request language is summarized to include the requester's specific document requests and legally protected information (such as personally identifiable information of a student) or personal, defamatory and malicious content removed at the discretion of the school system.

**Responses containing legally protected information available only to the person of interest are omitted from the above report.

***Howard County Public Schools reserves the right to remove erroneous or outdated documents from this site.