Instructional Assistant - Life

Non-exempt, hourly employee. 180 work days (days when students are scheduled to attend school), 7 hours per day (excluding a 30-minute unpaid duty-free meal break).

Salary & Benefits

Paid on the "Instructional Assistants" salary schedule (designated program, level 3). Eligible for benefits on the "Support Staff" benefits schedule after 90 consecutive days of employment.

Reports To

Supervised by one or more teachers; reports to the building Principal or designee.

Responsibilities

• Provide one-on-one or small-group assistance to students with special needs, helping them with academic, organization, and communication skills.
• Assist students in achieving goals that require physical and emotional support, successfully navigating classroom, cafeteria, and school-related experiences as outlined by their IEP and teacher direction.
• Participate in community-based instruction, supporting school and community jobs and skill development.
• Implement behavior management strategies following Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to support students’ emotional and behavioral development.
• Ensure the safety and well-being of students at all times, following established protocols for medical and emergency situations.
• Receive NCI training to promote de-escalation and safety.
• Assist students with daily living skills, such as dressing, eating, lavatory needs, grooming, medical needs, and personal hygiene as appropriate to individual development. Comply with personal hygiene rules and standard sanitation procedures.
• Familiarize students with assistive technology tools and aid them in using these devices to enhance learning and/or communication.
• Collaborate with the teacher to prepare instructional materials, adapt curriculum, and create a supportive classroom environment.
• Collect and record data on student progress and behavior, ensuring accurate documentation for IEP progress reports and meetings.
• Reinforce behaviors that demonstrate students’ successful achievement and growth of identified goals.
• Facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classroom activities, ensuring equal access to the curriculum.
• Maintain open and effective communication with teachers and other specialists involved in the students’ education.
• Stay informed about best practices in special education and participate in training opportunities to improve skills and knowledge.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor or designee.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED required; Associate’s degree or higher, or at least sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred. Official transcripts are required to validate education.
• Previous vocational training or work experience with school-age children with special needs is preferred.
• Able to meet the requirements of a paraprofessional as outlined in ESSA. Must have at least an Associate’s degree, two years of college, or have passed the ParaPro Assessment.
• Pass the required Expanded Criminal History Check and Expanded Child Protection Index Check.
• Understanding of the developmental, physical, and emotional behaviors and challenges of students with moderate-to-profound intellectual, physical, and/or emotional disabilities; demonstrated stress management skills.
• Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to the special needs of school-age children.
• Patience, empathy, and strong communication skills.
• Ability to follow IEPs and adapt instructional strategies accordingly.
• Physical ability to assist students with mobility and personal care needs if necessary.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing situations.

Performance Aptitudes

• Data Utilization: Ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and assess data using established criteria, including exercising discretion in determining consequences and referencing evaluations to identify alternatives.
• Human Interaction: Ability to assist students and staff by action or interaction in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Ability to operate, maneuver, and control special needs equipment and devices.
• Verbal Aptitude: Ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Depending on grade level, may require ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, calculate decimals and percentages, utilize principles of fractions, and/or interpret graphs.
• Functional Reasoning: Ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and exercise independent judgment to develop approaches for problem resolution.
• Situational Reasoning: Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in evaluating information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria.

Physical & Sensory Requirements

• Physical Requirements: Tasks involve exerting very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, including climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects up to 100 pounds (occasionally heavier).
• Sensory Requirements: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination; some require oral communication ability and 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 children with severe emotional or intellectual disabilities.