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Orange County Public Schools · Apopka, FL · Today

TrainingFull-time

Salary schedule candidates that have taken the Para Assessment with a passing score, or have an Associate’s degree or 60 completed semester credits, may be eligible for a higher hourly rate in a certified position. Evidence must be provided. Please upload a copy of your official transcripts or certificate showing a passing score on the assessment.

About the Role

Under direct supervision, this position provides staff support in an educational or child care environment, performing paraprofessional work in assisting teachers and students. Employees work with certified teachers, occupational therapists, and other certified specialists in the education, care, and development of mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students. The role involves instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to trainable and educable exceptional students.

Responsibilities

Provides instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students, as prescribed by the supervising teacher.
Assists students as they arrive on buses, including physically transferring students from wheelchairs to school desks or floor mats for participation in school activities.
Assists students with gross motor activities, such as grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to individual development.
Assists students with fine motor activities, such as playing with toys, cutting materials, and coloring, as appropriate to individual development.
Assists students with daily living skills, such as dressing, eating, lavatory needs, grooming, and personal hygiene as appropriate to individual development.
Monitors, observes, and charts behavior of students in their exploratory classes and documents behavioral changes, outbursts, and other actions specific to the student.
Applies effective principles and procedures of crisis intervention to students with aggressive behavior or other social difficulties; provides physical restraint as necessary, such as in violent circumstances.
Reinforces rules of the school and learning environment; acknowledges and encourages appropriate behavior and distinguishes inappropriate behavior for the students' understanding.
Assists in the preparation of lesson plans, behavior modification plans, and teacher's pre-planning sessions; provides input and assistance in the development of learning activities; prepares or assists in the preparation of instructional and vocational materials.
Maintains accurate and complete records of student activities and behavior, which may require the use of a computer terminal to enter student information and data; completes applicable forms, schedules, and instructional reports, as directed.
Assists teachers in the supervision of learning activities, circulating within the classroom and providing assistance and learning support to students.
May be assigned monitoring duties, such as hallways, lunchroom, restrooms, and bus duty; ensures appropriate student conduct during these periods; escorts students to designated activity areas, such as music room, computer room, art classes, and assemblies.
May be assigned to various labs providing assistance to teachers and instruction/information to students; may translate lesson plans and other information to students for better understanding and comprehension.
Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology as job-appropriate; attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in the current position.
Responsible for timely and accurate information maintained as part of job responsibilities.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Minimum two (2) years working with school-age children in an educational environment that provides broad familiarity and understanding of the physical and emotional behaviors and challenges of exceptional needs children.
Demonstrated stress management skills and ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work.
All new hires to this position must successfully complete the ESE Training within 45 days of the date of hire.
Additional HRS training preferred.

Performance Aptitudes

Data Utilization: Ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercising discretion in determining actual or probable consequences and referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
Human Interaction: Ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Ability to operate, maneuver, and/or control the actions of special needs equipment and devices, and standard office equipment.
Verbal Aptitude: Ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Depending on school grade classroom of assignment, may require the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; may require ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may require ability to utilize principles of fractions and/or interpret graphs.
Functional Reasoning: Ability to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Involves routine work according to clearly prescribed standard practices, with some latitude for independent judgment.
Situational Reasoning: Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over).
Sensory Requirements: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.
Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as violence when working with developmentally disabled or emotionally disturbed children.