GACE Paraprofessional cheat sheet
GACE Paraprofessional · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Paraprofessional Knowledge and Skills for Georgia Public Schools
Paraprofessionals work under the direct supervision of a certified educator; instructional decisions and grading remain the teacher's responsibility.
Confidentiality is governed by FERPA: student education records may be shared only with school officials who have a legitimate educational interest.
Mandated reporting: any school employee who suspects child abuse or neglect must report it to DFCS or law enforcement; the paraprofessional does not investigate.
The chain of command runs paraprofessional to supervising teacher to principal; concerns about assignments are raised through that chain, not directly with parents.
Least restrictive environment (LRE) and the IEP team's placement decisions determine how and where a student with a disability is served.
Universal precautions apply to blood and bodily fluids; gloves are used and incidents are reported to the school nurse or administrator.
Positive behavior supports emphasize prevention, clear expectations, and reinforcement rather than punitive consequences.
Professional boundaries: physical contact, transportation, and electronic communication with students follow district policy and are documented.
Alignment with Georgia Standards and State/National Content Standards
Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) define the P-12 content expectations for English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies in Georgia.
Georgia's content standards are organized by grade level and content area, with literacy standards embedded across science, social studies, and technical subjects.
Georgia Milestones is the state summative assessment aligned to GSE, administered in grades 3-8 and in high school end-of-course subjects.
The Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) guide instruction for children from birth through age five.
Georgia's K-12 mathematics standards were revised with implementation phased in beginning in the 2023-2024 school year; materials should reflect the current adopted version.
Differentiation means adjusting content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, and learning profile while keeping the same standard as the target.
Formative assessment (checks for understanding during instruction) informs reteaching; summative assessment measures mastery at the end of a unit.
Accommodations change how a student accesses content (e.g., extended time, read-aloud) without changing the standard being measured.