Paraprofessionals Achieving Standards Successfully (PASS)

MEA-MFT PASS is an intensive four-day course designed to help Montana paraprofessionals meet the "high quality paraprofessional" definition in the No Child Left Behind Act.

What participants say about PASS trainings.

PASS sessions
Helena session Aug. 3-6, 2009 - COMPLETED

Kalispell session Aug. 17-18 & Oct. 15-16, 2009. Click here for information.

Missoula session - Oct. 15-16 (math) and Jan. 16-17 (reading. Click here for information.
Register at https://www.mea-mft.net/Pass.aspx?Place=Missoula.

More about PASS:
The PASS course, developed by and for Montana paraprofessionals, provides proven skills in classroom management as well as reading, writing, and math instruction, all taught in a dynamic and fun setting.

A nationally developed assessment is built into the course, assuring that paraprofessionals who take the course can demonstrate evidence of content mastery to their local school districts and the State of Montana.

Course materials are taken from the nationally recognized and award-winning Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) program, developed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

The PASS course is taught by a team of highly trained Montana paraprofessional educators. Each trainer has received over 70 hours of ER&D training at the national level.

Course design:
MEA-MFT PASS is a fast-moving, highly interactive learning process for all participants. It involves a series of hands-on activities as well as informative lectures, discussions, and practice sessions that continually involve the learner as an active participant.

Here are just a few of the topics included in the training:

• effective group management, questioning strategies

• phonics, fluency, vocabulary

• narrative and expository texts

• comprehension strategies, numeration, word problems

Who should attend PASS?

• Any paraprofessional who wants to gain new skills and capacity for helping students.

• Any paraprofessional who still needs to be deemed "highly qualified" per new Title I requirements. (Check with your local school district or union representative if you are unsure if you are affected by these requirements.)

For more information:
Contact Marco Ferro, MEA-MFT's director of public policy, at 800.398.0826 or mferro@mea-mft.org.