The 1974 Virginia General Assembly agreed to the provisions of Senate Joint Resolution 16 which directed the State Department of Education to study the feasibility and advisability of utilizing teacher aides in the State's public schools. If the Department concludes that the use of such personnel is both feasible and advisable, it shall determine a method and formula for reimbursing school divisions for such salaries.

A committee of educators and personnel from education-related organizations was appointed by Dr. Woodrow W. Wilkerson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to make the study required by Senate Joint Resolution 16. The composition of the committee provided for state-wide representation and included principals, teachers, a superintendent of schools, State Department of Education personnel, a representative from the P.T.A., and a representative from the Virginia Education Association. Mr. Hilary H. Jones, a member of the State Board of Education from Norfolk, Virginia served as an ex-officio member of the committee. Appendix II of this report contains a list of the committee members.