Abstract:
Paraprofessionals are increasingly being seen across the Western world as one way to provide support for school students with additional and high classroom needs. Their work is varied and ranges from playground supervision, to the creation of classroom materials, to sole instruction. Based on a 2007 study of twenty four English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) paraprofessionals working across all levels of the New Zealand school system, this paper considers the issue of sustainability by examining current ESOL paraprofessional practices and identifying where the gaps in effective practice are.