Program Information

The Instructional Assistant program is an Associate Degree program. Although instructional assistants provide instructional services to students from pre-kindergarten through high school, the focus of this program is on preparing graduates to work primarily in elementary and middle level schools. This program fulfills the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB Act) for paraprofessionals and Title I requirements. You may enroll in this program as a full-time or part-time student.

Information specific to the Instructional Assistant program is available to you; select this link and you will find specific information related to the program such as: general program information, course information, and graduate information. Program requirements and admissions information can also be found here. This link also provides two video files related to the program, one is a 60-second clip and the other is a more complete informational video that provides specific program information.

This program is made up of a group of core classes, general education classes, and elective classes. Core classes are those courses which are specific to the Instructional Assistant program.

Courses may be taken in any order as long as prerequisites are met.

A majority of core courses are only offered in an online format. This format provides the student with greater flexibility in completing the core courses of this program. The online core courses will be offered through Chippewa Valley Technical College and other campuses in the Wisconsin Technical College System.

Three core courses (Field Experience/Practicum 1, 2 and 3) will be completed in a K-12 setting. Placement for these courses will occur, if possible, in the area in which the instructional assistant program student resides. A physical and criminal record check must be completed prior to Field Experience/Practicum 1.

General education courses in this program may be taken online, self-paced or in a face-to-face setting at any Chippewa Valley Technical College campus.

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Students may be granted credit for previous work, life and military experiences that are comparable in content and level with specific Instructional Assistant core courses at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Only students that meet specific criteria are allowed to submit materials for this credit option. For those students that qualify, experiences must be presented in the form of a portfolio.

This program is fully eligible for financial aid. Information on financial aid eligibility, procedures and deadlines may be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid Office at 715-833-6252 or 1-800-547-2882. Scholarships are also available.

Applications for the program are considered on a first-come, first-completed basis; therefore it is to your benefit to complete the required items as soon as possible. Information regarding the application process can be found at CVTC Admissions. Once all requirements have been completed, you will be considered for enrollment based on current openings in the program. CVTC Registration information is available to help you through the registration process. This site also provides you with an opportunity to search for available courses.

To ensure class availability, it is strongly recommended that you enroll in the Instructional Assistant program. Course registration priority is given to those students officially enrolled in the Instructional Assistant program. Undeclared students may register during open enrollment. Note: You do not need to be officially enrolled in the program in order to take courses in the Instructional Assistant program.

Graduates of this program:

• Support all learning based on knowledge of subject matter.
• Identify developmentally appropriate child/adolescent physical, social/emotional, intellectual, and language characteristics and their developmental and environmental impact on learning.
• Adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
• Utilize a variety of instructional strategies, media, and technology to foster the development of critical thinking and problem solving.
• Use proactive classroom management techniques to promote a positive class climate, intrinsic motivation, and optimal learning.
• Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication in working collaboratively within the school setting and interactions with students and families.
• Assist in planning and implementing instructional strategies that reflect the learning cycle.
• Utilize informal assessment strategies to collect data for the support of student learning.
• Incorporate the reflective process to promote student learning and professional growth.
• Assume professional responsibility for ethical, moral, and legal policies and procedures.
• Provide for health and safety needs of students.

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