The highly qualified guidelines for Title I paraprofessionals should be attained before being hired by the LEA. These qualifications must include:

• Have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent

AND

• Completed 60 semester credit hours at a regionally accredited institution of higher education -or-

• Obtained an associate’s (or higher) degree -or-

• Met a rigorous standard of quality and be able to demonstrate, through a formal State or local academic assessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics (or, as appropriate, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness). In Arkansas, the formal test accepted is the Educational Testing Services (ETS) Parapro Assessment” and applicants must obtain a passing score of 457.