Qualifications,Responsibilities,Training,and Supervision of Paraprofessional Job Coaches

Abstract

Community-based work experiences (CBWEs) offer students with intellectual and developmental disabilities structured opportunities to develop knowledge and skills needed to meet post-school employment goals. School paraprofessionals are often tasked with supporting students during CBWEs—a role which is often referred to as a job coach. To date, little research has been conducted on the role of paraprofessional job coaches or how they are trained or supervised to fulfill this role. The purpose of the current study was to understand the qualifications and responsibilities of paraprofessional job coaches, the training these job coaches receive to perform their job, and the role of school professionals in directing the activities of paraprofessional job coaches. School personnel who direct the activities of job coaches (e.g., vocational coordinators and special education teachers; N = 110) completed a 66-item survey, which included five sections. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analyses, and inferential statistics. Researchers found that the responsibilities of paraprofessional job coaches vary greatly and that training and supervision specific to job coaching are limited. These findings offer implications for future research as well as how school districts prepare and support paraprofessional job coaches to provide high-quality workplace supports for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.