NDSCS College Catalog |
The Paraeducation program provides an option for paraprofessionals and teacher aides to meet the personnel requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction certificate of completion requirements. Paraprofessionals and aides newly hired after Jan. 8, 2002, working in a program supported with Title I funds must have completed at least two years of study at a higher education institution, obtained an associate degree or higher, or met a rigorous standard of quality through a formal state assessment.
The Paraeducation program is organized around core courses that emphasize math, reading and writing. Program elective courses allow an individual to select areas of knowledge applicable to his or her employment situation.
Individuals who need flexibility, accessibility and convenience will be able to complete the degree via distance learning. Online courses, video conferencing, face-to-face mentors and seminars will allow individuals to continue to work and to complete the degree close to home. Individuals can choose to take courses on campus.
Agreements among North Dakota campuses allow individuals to identify a home campus, take courses from multiple campuses, receive financial aid for the courses, receive a single billing from the home campus and generate a single academic record from the home campus.
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Associate courses | ||
| PARA 101 | Intro to Paraeducation | 1 |
| HPER 210 | First Aid/CPR | 1-2 |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 238 | Children’s Literature | 3 |
| PSYC 250 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 250 | Intro to Education | 2 |
| EDUC 298 | Pre-Professional Experience | 1 |
| MATH 277 | Math for Elementary | 3-4 |
| TOTAL CORE ASSOCIATE COURSES | 17-19 | |
| General Education Courses | ||
| English/Communications | 6 | |
| Arts and Humanities | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Business, Math, Science and/or Computer Technology (1 course from math, 1 course from computer technology) | 8 | |
| TOTAL GENERAL EDUCATION | 20 | |
| Program electives (select 12 credits) | ||
| SPED 101 | Intro to Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 110 | Intro to Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 120 | Intro to Behavior Intervention | 3 |
| CHLD 123 | Activities for Children | 3 |
| EDUC 150 | Intro to Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| CHLD 186 | Family Studies Cooperative | 2 |
| COOP 197/297 | Education/Internship (max of 6 credits may be used) | 1-3 |
| PARA 210 | Classroom Management | 3 |
| PSYC 211 | Intro to Behavior Modification | 3 |
| PSYC 230 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| SWK 257 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment | 4 |
| PSYC 260 | Psychology of Adjustment | 3 |
| EDUC 265 | Audio-Visual Aids | 3 |
| TOTAL PROGRAM ELECTIVES | 12 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | 11-13 | |
| TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS FOR ASSOCIATE | 60-64 | |
| Certificate | ||
| (See specific course titles and numbers above) | ||
| General Education | 20 | |
| Core Program | 16 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS FOR CERTIFICATE | 48 | |
Individuals can obtain an Associate in Applied Science degree by completing a minimum of 60 to 64 semester hours and meeting the requirements of the home campus. Individuals with previous college credits will meet NDDPI certificate of completion requirements by completing the Paraeducation certificate program if the college credits total 48 semester hours. The certificate program must contain 16 credits from the core program requirements, 12 credits from the program electives, 20 general education credits and meet the requirements of the home campus.
Individuals having questions about the NDDPI certificate of completion requirements can contact Nita Wirtz, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, by phone (701) 328-1876 or e-mail.
The NDSCS Paraeducation program advisor is Wade King. Phone toll free 1-800-342-4325, ext. 3-2317 or e-mail.
