The Paraprofessional-to-Teacher Pipeline: Barriers and Accomplishments.

The role of urban school paraprofessionals as "bridge-builders" between the increasingly diverse metropolitan populations and their public schools has been long established (Rueda & DeNeve, 1999). School districts rely on this economical workforce to act as translators for parents of various linguistic backgrounds, to assist recent immigrant arrivals, to help young children transition into school settings, and even to perform the duties of substitute teachers when massive teacher absences so demand (Abbate-Vaughn, 2007; Haselkorn & Fideler, 1996). Educational settings are enriched by such paraprofessionals and their funds of knowledge: the historically developed strategies, beliefs, and practices that make diverse cultures functional in their own terms (Velez-Ibanez & Greenberg, 1992). Until recently, in many public school districts paraprofessionals were required to have only a high school diploma and were often inducted into the profession by way of on-the-job apprenticeships (Rueda & Monzo, 2000). For many veteran urban paraprofessionals, successive years of immersion in school districts' changing curricula and pedagogical approaches - as well as observation of novice teachers - gave them a unique perspective on what effective teaching means in a given context. Such status quo was disrupted by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and its definition of highly qualified paraprofessionals as those holding a minimum of an associate's degree, and preferably a baccalaureate degree. Many veteran paraprofessionals have since re-entered higher education to secure the credentials to maintain their jobs. Paraprofessionals are a desirable force to develop towards filling urban teacher shortages and reaching culturally and linguistically diverse student populations, with a 92% teacher retention rate for paraprofessionals who have completed a baccalaureate degree in California,(Fairgood, 2008), for instance. They also bring experience, maturity and other cultural contributions to the teaching profession.Utilizing a qualitative approach, this article analyzes some of the barriers urban school paraprofessionals (including early education practitioners, who perform a job similar to paraprofessionals in nonpublic school settings) experience when re-entering college. Those paraprofessionals exhibit most or all characteristics of nontraditional college students (Horn & Carroll, 1996): delayed enrollment, part-time attendance, full-time employment, responsibility for dependents, and high school completion by way of a GED or schooled in other countries. Furthermore, many are non-native speakers of standard English and live in culturally and ethnically segregated neighborhoods. The study is framed by the following research questions: What challenges do urban school paraprofessionals face when attempting to complete a baccalaureate degree and earn teaching licensure? What funds of knowledge do these ethnically diverse, developmental students tap to succeed in college? Developmental Support for Nontraditional StudentsSophisticated institutional structures are needed to support nontraditional students who wish to earn a college degree. Among these, colleges must make developmental education a highly visible and centrally coordinated priority that includes both developmental coursework and support services operating in an integrated manner. The institution must build and maintain structures for early identification of students in need of additional support and hire faculty who are sensitive to and capable of meeting developmental students' needs (Boylan & Saxon, 2002; McCabe, 2000; Raftery, 2005; Roueche & Roueche, 1999; Seidman, 2005). Components of effective developmental programs include new student assessment and adequate course placement integrated with nonacademic supports, thorough advising on financial aid opportunities, and periodic program evaluations in which outcomes are analyzed and used to improve coursework and service delivery (Boylan & Bonham, 2007; Perin, 2005). …