CE Press / Paraprofessional Training

The Para Pro Handbook

The complete professional foundation for paraprofessionals and the training resource every school para program has been missing.

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Your role

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Experienced Para

School or District Leader

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Most parasstep into one of education's most demanding roles with almost no formal preparation. That ends here.

The problem

Most paraprofessionals receive little to no formal training before they are placed in classrooms with students who have complex needs. No manual. No shared language. No one to walk them through what the role actually requires. Every para gets a different orientation depending on who they happen to work with. The students who need the most consistent support pay the price.

The solution

The Para Pro Handbook is a complete 12-chapter training resource built for the real daily work of the para role: behavior, IEPs, independence, ethics, trauma-informed practice, and professional growth. One resource. One language. One professional standard across every classroom and every site.

What's inside

12 chapters. Every dimension of the para role.

From role clarity and IEP literacy to behavior support, ethics, and professional growth.

01

The Role of the Paraprofessional

Role clarity, professional identity, and why the work matters

02

Building Strong Partnerships with Teachers

Communication, trust, and the teacher-para relationship done right

03

Supporting Positive Student Behavior

De-escalation, consistency, and co-regulation strategies

04

Trauma-Informed Practice

Understanding trauma, safety, and how regulation shapes behavior

05

IEP Literacy for Paraprofessionals

What IEPs are, how to implement accommodations, your role

06

Supporting Academic Access

How to support learning without doing the work for the student

07

Promoting Independence

The most important para skill: building students' own capacity

08

Health, Safety and Crisis Response

Medical considerations, emergency protocols, physical safety

09

FERPA, Ethics and Confidentiality

Legal obligations, professional boundaries, ethical practice

10

Cultural Responsiveness

Serving diverse students and families with skill and respect

11

Self-Care and Professional Resilience

Staying effective and grounded in a demanding role

12

Your Professional Growth

CEC standards, career pathways, continuing development

Who it's for

For paras and the people who support them.

New Paraprofessionals

Understand your role before day one, not after week three. Build confidence with a resource that treats you like the professional you are.

Experienced Paras

Put a name and framework to what you already do. Strengthen your IEP literacy. Have a reference instead of searching online at 11pm.

School and District Leaders

A complete onboarding and PD system built around one resource. Four implementation models included. No curriculum to build from scratch.

Supervising Teachers

Give your paras a shared professional language. Use chapters as structured conversation anchors for weekly check-ins.

Inside the handbook

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What readers are saying

From paraprofessionals who found what they were looking for.

★★★★★

"First year as a para and it truly helped me define my role. Great info and very helpful."

Sue · Verified Buyer

★★★★★

"A wonderful resource. I passed it along to my principal. I have worked at the school for 18 years and wanted to know more about what I can do as a para. This is a must have."

Lindsey · Verified Buyer

★★★★★

"Fun to read and informative! I have shared it with other paraprofessionals."

Verified Buyer

About the authors

Written by practitioners who have lived the work.

M.A., M.S. / Special Education and Educational Leadership

Jeanine Leech

Former Director of Special Education / Educational Advocate / Author

Jeanine Leech spent 25 years inside California public schools supervising paraprofessionals, directing special education programs, and building the para frameworks that still hold up in classrooms today. She has sat in every meeting, managed every compliance challenge, and supported every role on the team.

M.S., CCC-SLP / Educational Leadership and Speech-Language Pathology

Kamica Barnes

Director, OCDE Connections Programs / Special Education Administrator

Kamica Barnes brings 27+ years of experience across California and Nevada as a speech-language pathologist, special education administrator, and professional learning leader. Currently Director of the Orange County Department of Education's Connections Programs, she built the chapters that reflect what actually happens when the classroom door closes.

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