Every student should have access to a quality public education, regardless of where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make.

Download the Navigating ESSA pdf

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) works to support equal opportunity for disadvantaged students and eliminate barriers to student success. ESSA requires all paraprofessionals working in a Title I funded school to meet certain proficiency in reading, writing and math.

If you would like to be considered for positions at Title I schools, you will need to upload documents in your application that show you meet these requirements. There are two ways to do this:

If you have already taken COLLEGE COURSES or have a DEGREE

• Say “yes” to the appropriate ESSA question on your application, then
• Upload your college transcript that shows one of these:
  • Completion of college credit courses with a “C” grade or better that show you have college-ready reading, writing, and math skills; or
  • Completion of two years of college courses (72 quarter credits or 48 semester credits) at 100 level or higher; or
  • Completion of an Associate’s degree or higher

If you have not already taken college courses, submit EXAM SCORES.

• Say “yes” to the appropriate ESSA question on your application, then
• Upload your Accuplacer exam with passing scores:
  • Next Generation Reading at or above 225
  • Next Generation Writing at or above 225
  • Next Generation Math: Arithmetic at or above 240
  • If you already took the EMBARC exam, ETS ParaPro exam or another exam that shows you have college-ready reading, writing and math skills, talk to us before you take the Accuplacer exam (you may not need to take it).

This exam is computer-based and multiple choice. It measures the skills and knowledge in reading, writing and math possessed by prospective and practicing paraprofessionals.

We highly recommend that you use the free study materials and practice tests available on the College Board website to be sure you are well prepared.

Salem-Keizer Public Schools has a partnership with Willamette ESD and Chemeketa Community College (Salem and McMinnville) to offer you the convenience of three testing locations. Visit the Willamette EDS website for more information.

You will pay $9 on Willamette ESD’s website to secure your testing date plus a $25 proctoring fee, collected by the testing site on the day of your exam, either by check, cash or credit card (depending upon the testing location you select).

You will receive an email on your exam day with your test results and will also be able to access your results online for future needs.

The following Salem-Keizer Public Schools receive Title I funds and would require ESSA documentation for Instructional Assistants. Title I status is reviewed annually and may change for the 2023-24 school year.

Yes, demonstrating you are competent in basic literacy skills, including the ability to speak and write standard English, is a requirement and is measured by the completion of one of the ESSA requirements above.