College of Education & Human Services

The Para Program: Accessible Pathway to a Bachelor's Degree and Professional Educator’s License (PEL) or Credentials/Endorsements

The Para Program offers a flexible and accessible route to earning a bachelor's degree and a Professional Educator’s License (PEL) or Credentials/Endorsements for individuals currently working in the education field with children from Birth through 12th grade. This program is specifically designed for paraeducators, teacher assistants, and others in direct student contact roles, including those in school and early care and education settings.

Program Features:

  • Flexible Learning Options: Courses are delivered through online formats, including both synchronous and asynchronous options, to ensure accessibility for working professionals. All online course activities are scheduled after 5:00 p.m. to accommodate those with daytime employment.
  • Efficient Completion: For students with an Associate’s degree, the program can typically be completed in 6-7 semesters, including summers, using a combination of 4-week, 8-week, and 16-week courses. This structure helps students balance their studies with full-time work commitments. Students without an Associate’s degree may also be eligible, though their estimated completion time may vary.
  • Block and Student Teaching Flexibility: The program offers flexible block and student teaching options, allowing students to maintain uninterrupted employment, as long as licensure requirements are met.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Current employment in a school or early care and education setting, including family-based childcare, in a role that directly supports children.
  • The ability and willingness to attend both asynchronous and synchronous online courses.
  • Transfer GPA of 2.0 or higher, or a high school diploma/equivalency for those new to higher education.

For more information, please select the area of focus you are interested in:

Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)

Program Overview

Welcome to the Western Illinois University Para Pathway, designed to provide high-quality educational workforce members working with children from birth to Grade 2 access to pursue licensure and/or credentials in Early Childhood Education. The courses are offered online in either an asynchronous or synchronous format (synchronous courses are held in the evening hours). We have created flexible options to ensure an equitable experience, allowing workforce members to remain employed in their current placements as long as their placement aligns with their licensure pathway, meets ISBE requirements, and both the employer and workforce member are willing to collaborate with us to ensure successful program completion.

Options

We offer two options: 1) the Licensure option and 2) Non-licensure option. Both options lead to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Education in Elementary Education with an option of Early Childhood Education.

For more information about this option please click here Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)

Special Education

The Special Education Para to Professional Educator License (PEL) program is designed for individuals working in special education settings to earn their Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) license. Whether you are working as a special education classroom aide or a one-to-one paraprofessional for a student on an IEP, you can remain employed while studying to earn your teaching credential! All courses are offered online either synchronously or asynchronously. You will learn all of the essential knowledge and skills required of a special educator, including evidence-based instructional strategies, assessment techniques, classroom and behavior management, and IEP writing. You will also have the opportunity to build a collaborative community with your fellow classmates, which will assist you throughout your teaching career.

For more information about this option please click here Special Education

Elementary (Grades 1-6)

TBD

Elementary (Grades 1-6) with ESL Endorsement

TBD

ESL Endorsement Option

TBD

Paraprofessional Memo of Understanding

In The News!

Student Highlights

TBD