"I’m Just a Parapro": The Role of Paraprofessionals in Elementary Science Education Leadership

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding and Nurturing School Leadership (Table 19)

Abstract

It is often the case that there are decision-makers who are not necessarily in formal leadership positions in elementary schools, making elementary science instruction precarious and even sometimes neglected compared to content areas like reading/ELA and mathematics. This study explores the role of power and the decision-making opportunities of a science leader in one district whose formal title was a paraprofessional and who offered instructional support with the supervision of a certified teacher. Through a lens of distributed leadership, power, and social capital, this study specifically examines the roles and responsibilities of elementary science paraprofessionals in one district, how science leadership is distributed when there are science paraprofessionals, and the power science paraprofessionals believe they have to effectively lead science.

Author

• Stefanie L. Marshall, Michigan State University