Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 10 - Education and Culture › 295 - Program for Deaf-Blind Adults › Children's Services › Section 10-295-12 - Paraprofessional training

Current through July 10, 2024
(a) The agency may
				offer Braille instruction classes to paraprofessionals employed or contracted
				by LEAs. Priority for participation shall be granted first to paraprofessionals
				who are assigned to work directly with BESB-eligible students and who are
				endorsed by their school district and the agency.
(b) Upon request of the LEA, the agency may
				reimburse the full cost of any substitute paraprofessional brought in to cover
				the time period when a paraprofessional assigned to a BESB-eligible student is
				participating in Braille instruction classes sponsored by the agency. A written
				request from the TVI and the Special Education Director of the LEA in advance
				of each day of substitute paraprofessional coverage and an estimate of the cost
				for the substitute hours for each day are required. When it is known in advance
				that a substitute will be needed for coverage for more than one day, the
				request may encompass all of the eligible days. Upon completion of the
				substitute hours for each approved day, the LEA shall submit a billing invoice
				verifying the actual cost incurred.
(c) The agency may also pay for the mileage
				costs of the paraprofessional participating in Braille instruction classes.
				Such reimbursement shall be paid directly to the LEA at the state-approved
				mileage reimbursement rate for actual miles incurred for a round trip from the
				school to the training location. Such requests shall be submitted by the LEA in
				writing in advance of participation in each Braille instruction class and may
				encompass more than one day. The request will state the total mileage estimated
				for the participation in the classes. Upon completion of each training session,
				the LEA shall submit invoices for the round trip mileage incurred.
(d) The agency may reimburse
				paraprofessionals who participate in the Braille instruction classes and who
				are required by their school district to take accrued leave time, such as
				vacation or personal leave but excluding educational or professional
				development leave, or who are otherwise not compensated directly by the school
				district for the hours required for participation at Braille instruction
				classes sponsored by the agency for the actual cash value of vacation leave,
				personal leave or lost wages. In these circumstances, the Special Education
				Director of the LEA shall submit, in advance of the paraprofessional's
				participation, a written attestation of the paraprofessional's lost wages or of
				the requirement that vacation or personal leave time must be used by the
				paraprofessional to participate in the Braille instruction classes. Such
				written certification shall include the hourly wage rate of the
				paraprofessional and the total number of hours of wages lost or hours of
				accrued leave charged. Upon completion of each training session for which the
				school district has not provided direct compensation to the paraprofessional,
				the paraprofessional seeking reimbursement from the agency shall submit an
				invoice that includes the date of the session.
(e) BESB may terminate the participation of a
				paraprofessional in agency training who does not demonstrate satisfactory
				progress or continuous and sequential participation in the Braille instruction
				classes.