Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential Portfolio Guidance Document - Guidance: Documenting Competencies

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by jay

Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential Portfolio Guidance provides Minnesota candidates with structured ideas for documenting competencies through training, experience, evaluations, and supporting evidence. It emphasizes that candidates must demonstrate each competency in its entirety and that the list of examples is not exhaustive or tied to a required number of documents or trainings. The guidance outlines how to choose appropriate evidence types, reference the exact language of standards, and use one experience across multiple standards when properly matched.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Guidance: Documenting Competencies

General ideas for documenting competencies

Competency 1: Philosophical, history, and legal foundations of education

Sensitivity to the beliefs, traditions, and values across cultures

Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential Portfolio Guidance Document In Minnesota, paraprofessionals can obtain a Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential, which recognizes that the paraprofessional has completed additional training and preparation. It is up to the candidate to build their competencies and decide how to demonstrate each one. The following grid offers ideas to help candidates start thinking about how they might approach each competency. The following are ideas only. There is no number of document/trainings/letters/experiences needed for each standard—candidates need to show that they meet each standard in its entirety. For some standards, that might be a single training. For others, it might mean multiple experiences. This is not an exhaustive list but is intended to get candidates thinking. Table of Contents Guidance: Documenting Competencies .......................................................................................................................................................................3 Competency 1: Philosophical, history, and legal foundations of education .................................................................................................................4 Competency 2: Characteristics of students ..................................................................................................................................................................8 Competency 4: Instructional content and practice.....................................................................................................................................................12 Competency 5: Supporting the teaching and learning environment ..........................................................................................................................15 Competency 6: Managing Student Behavior and Social Interaction Skills..................................................................................................................19 Competency 7: Communication and Collaboration Partnerships ...............................................................................................................................24 Competency 8: Professional and ethical practices .....................................................................................................................................................28 Competency 9.1: Mathematics ..................................................................................................................................................................................32 Competency 9.2: Reading ..........................................................................................................................................................................................34 Competency 9.3: Writing ...........................................................................................................................................................................................36 Guidance: Documenting Competencies General ideas for documenting competencies (this is not a comprehensive list—these ideas are designed to get candidates thinking of options. There will be helpful and appropriate ideas that are not included here: • Transcripts for courses you’ve completed. • interviews with specialists (submit questions, your own notes, and a letter from the person you interviewed, including that person’s contact information) • your district evaluations where they speak directly to the competency. • book studies, with written documentation of the competencies covered, including specific examples. • volunteer experiences, with specific descriptions of the competencies covered, including specific examples. • letters from specialists, attesting to conversations, presentations, observed work, or interviews, including specific descriptions of the competencies covered. • educational awards, inclu

FAQs

What is the Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential in Minnesota recognizing?

It recognizes that a paraprofessional has completed additional training and preparation. Candidates use the credential portfolio to show that work meets each competency standard.

Do candidates need a specific number of trainings, documents, or letters for each standard?

No. The guidance states there is no required number; candidates must show they meet each standard in its entirety. Some standards may be met with one training, while others require multiple experiences.

Can the same experience be used for more than one competency standard?

Yes. Candidates can reference the same experience for multiple standards, as long as they specifically show how it meets the precise language of each standard.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by jay