In 1922, the founders of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) embraced professional standards and ethics for the field of special education. As the recognized leader for special education professional standards, CEC develops standards, ethics and practices, and guidelines to assure that individuals with exceptionalities have well-prepared, career-oriented special educators. CEC collaborates with other professional organizations to ensure that all educators have a robust professional working environment and are well-prepared to support the learning of individuals with exceptionalities. The CEC standards for paraprofessional preparation underscore the significance of paraprofessionals’ contributions to the delivery of effective instruction to all learners. Paraeducators serve an essential function as part of the instructional team in supporting delivery of instruction, and play a prominent role in learning schoolwide as well as with each child they work with, including those with more complex needs.
To ensure that paraprofessionals have the required skills for their expanded roles, in collaboration with the National Resource Center for Paraeducators, CEC validated the specialty set of standards for paraprofessionals who serve individuals with exceptionalities. These research-based and nationally-recognized standards were revised in 2022, and can be found at this URL as well as from the attached file: 2022 CEC Paraeducator Competencies