Office of Accreditation & Teacher Quality

Official passing score for ParaPro test in South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Education has set 461 as the official passing score for the ParaPro exam that determines whether a paraprofessional meets the “qualified” requirements of No Child Left Behind.

South Dakota adopted the ParaPro test for paraprofessionals as its official state test.  A standards-setting event was convened by the vendor, Educational Testing Service (ETS) on April 29, 2003, in Pierre, for the purpose of determining a recommended cut score for South Dakota. A panel of South Dakota paraprofessionals and supervising teachers participated in the process.  ETS analyzed the judgments of the panel and recommended a cut score to state officials.

On June 11, 2003, the Title I Committee of Practitioners (COP) and the Title I School Support Team (SST), both required groups under Title I Part A, met in Pierre to review the work and make a recommendation to the Department of Education.

Paraprofessionals are responsible for presenting ETS documentation to school officials verifying that their score on the ParaPro exam is 461 or higher in order to be considered a “qualified” paraprofessional as defined in Title I Part A, Section 1119 and its corresponding regulations.