Education support includes a wide range of services, resources and guidance to help students navigate their educational journey. It can encompass everything from tutoring and counseling services to financial assistance and mentorship programs.
Academic support is typically based on students’ demonstrated needs and may be delivered through legal documents such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. However, what constitutes academic support varies from school to school.
Definition
Education support is a crucial part of the learning process. It helps students overcome academic difficulties, improve their learning techniques, and build confidence in their abilities. It also promotes a positive learning environment by encouraging motivation, engagement, and a sense of belonging in students.
It can be delivered through various educational services, including tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and access to learning materials and technology. Education support programs recognize that each student has different needs and challenges, and they seek to provide a personalized approach to learning that fosters growth and development.
Education support workers are the heart of our schools and communities. They are paraeducators, secretaries, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, security personnel, and other vital school employees who work to provide a comprehensive educational experience for their students. They deserve decent wages, better working conditions, and respect for the critical role they play in our students’ lives. MSEA is fighting for them. Join us. Together, we can win.
Types
Education support services are a diverse and dynamic field that can be adapted and customized to the unique needs of learners and educators. However, they require effective coordination and collaboration between different stakeholders and sectors to be successful.
Educators: Educators can provide students with educational support by offering tutoring, mentoring, and extracurricular activities. Additionally, they can help students develop their non-academic skills and abilities, such as communication, collaboration, self-regulation, and resilience.
Administrators: Administrators can play an important role in coordinating and evaluating education support services. They can implement and optimize data collection, analysis, and reporting systems, and conduct and disseminate research and evaluation studies.
The majority of education support workers are classified as paraeducators, who are found in classrooms, school offices, and cafeterias. Their job duties include providing academic and behavioral assistance, assisting students with physical or learning disabilities, and ensuring that students have access to the curriculum. They are a vital component of every student’s success and need to be supported with decent wages, working conditions, and respect for their contribution to the overall student learning experience.
Examples
Education support services can take many forms, including tutoring, mentoring, counseling, coaching, guidance, and feedback. They can be provided by teachers, peers, parents, volunteers, experts, organizations, or governments. They may address different opportunities and challenges in the education sector, such as enhancing learning outcomes, increasing access and equity, fostering innovation, and establishing accountability and governance.
Educators play an important role in providing educational support by identifying student needs and helping them find the right resources. They can also encourage parental involvement in students’ education by providing information and facilitating communication with families.
Educators also need to be empowered, supported, and recognized for their contributions and efforts in providing educational support. They can also benefit from training, workshops, and professional development opportunities. They can also collaborate with other educators and stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate education support services. In addition, they should be willing to experiment with and adopt new models, methods, and approaches to education support services.
Scope
Educational support encompasses a wide range of services, resources, and guidance designed to help students navigate their learning journeys. It recognizes that students have unique needs that stem from a variety of factors, such as social issues and financial constraints. Education support seeks to address these challenges, thus ensuring that all learners are given the opportunity to thrive.
The scope of education support may vary depending on the goals documented in a participant’s service plan. These goals may include, but are not limited to, tutoring or formal classes to obtain a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) diploma, vocational training, apprenticeship programs, community college or university and/or any college-level courses or classes.
Education support personnel are vital to the delivery of quality education. They must be recognised for their contribution and enjoy the same status, rights and conditions as other education personnel. This includes teaching assistants, school nurses and psychologists, and bursars. They also need to have adequate time off for professional development.