Educational assistants

The number of educational assistants in Alberta schools has more than doubled in the last decade and the use of educational assistants is the single most commonly cited support for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Emerging research indicates that the use of educational assistants has not led to the positive outcomes for students that we hoped for. We need to rethink the roles of educational assistants to ensure we are using this valuable resource in our schools to make a positive difference for student success.

For a sample of the kinds of changes in practice observed by participants in the community of practice, click here.

Rethinking roles

Current findings on one-to-one educational assistant support are challenging the value and effectiveness of this common classroom practice. Learn more…

10+ strategies for strengthening practice

There are a number of key strategies that educational assistants can use to provide supports in more effective and enabling ways. These sample strategies offer a way of thinking about students’ individual needs, and then strategically providing the ‘just right’ level of support. Learn more…

References

For a list of research articles, references and other information related to educational assistants, click here.