Paraeducator - Non-Mainstream Special Education ILC - SUPPORT

Position Hours and Pay

• This position is for 6.5 hours per day at 164 days per year and 3.5 hours per day at 14 days per year.
• Additionally, 7 hours per day for 4 days for the first year and 2 days each year following until certification is completed.

Description

This position's responsibilities are to assist certificated staff with instructional and non-instructional activities for non-mainstreamed special education students, generally in a self-contained classroom, and including instructing students individually or in small groups, assisting students with basic life skills, and supervising student behavior activities.

Essential Functions

• Instructs moderately to severely handicapped students individually or in small groups in a variety of learning activities to promote student understanding of materials presented.
• Provides encouragement, reinforcement and achievement of educational objectives and goals defined by certificated staff.
• Assists in the administration of objective tests or other measurements.
• Communicates with certificated staff concerning individual student progress; adjusts methods to meet the needs of a wide variety of students; consults with certificated staff concerning remediation or enrichment activities.
• Affords assistance in maintaining records, logs, charts, assignments and other records for assessment of student progress.
• Attends to student physical and safety needs; monitors students for medical risks such as seizures and behaviors that may result in harm to themselves or others.
• Corrects behaviors and maintains discipline according to established policies and procedures.
• Affords assistance in toileting, which may include catheterization and diapering; attends to the personal hygiene needs of students.
• Affords assistance in washing hands and face, brushing teeth and hair, and taking showers.
• Affords assistance in developing communication skills; facilitates integration of students with age-group peers to the extent possible.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication with students, staff and parents for student progress and safety, and community relations.
• Provides physical assistance to students, such as lifting or positioning.
• Uses adaptive equipment to communicate with students; follows and documents procedures established by physical therapist.
• Maintains cleanliness and hygiene of classroom, implements and equipment.
• Washes dishes; cleans and disinfects tables and counters; washes and dries clothes, towels, washcloths and bibs.

Other Functions

• Alerts qualified district staff to student problems.
• Locates, prepares and/or modifies materials for student use, enrichment activities and special projects under the direction of certificated staff.
• Prepares, duplicates, collates and distributes materials; operates a variety of office equipment.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to the school principal or assigned administrator; receives guidance from certificated staff.

Mental Demands

• May experience frequent interruptions.
• Required to deal with a wide range of student behaviors and academic abilities.
• Required to deal with a wide range of physical or emotional disabilities.
• May occasionally deal with distraught or difficult students.

Physical Demands

• Potentially exposed to ordinary infectious diseases carried by students.
• Exposed to student noise levels.
• Required to lift and position students and their special equipment such as wheelchairs.
• Required to work in non-routine positions for extended periods.
• May be required to attend to students' personal hygiene.
• May be exposed to biting behavior.
• May need to take precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids.
• Playground supervision requires working outdoors in inclement weather.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education, training, skills, and experience necessary to carry out the assignment, with experience working with school age children and special needs students preferred.
• For Title One and Title One School-wide Special Education positions there is an associate degree, or proof of completion of the Washington State Paraeducator Assessment, or two years of higher education requirement per the Federal "No Child Left Behind" Act.

Required Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Demonstrated skill in reading, writing and communicating.
• Knowledge of basic subject areas, such as reading and math.
• Ability to deal with students in a warm and confident manner.
• Ability to remain flexible in changes in assignments.
• Ability to organize activities.
• Ability to follow and give instructions.
• Ability to be fair and consistent when working with students.
• Ability to learn and implement effective behavior management techniques.
• Ability to learn and implement effective instructional techniques.
• Knowledge of a variety of behavior and learning disorders.
• Knowledge of student safety rules and procedures.
• Ability to learn the use of computers and various software packages for student instruction and record keeping.
• Ability to learn the operation of general office machines.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students and staff.
• Ability to diffuse situations and resolve conflicts.
• Requires some confidentiality.
• Willing to be trained in a variety of medical procedures if necessary, such as, administration of medication, tube feeding, etc.

Licenses/Special Requirements

• Requires fingerprinting and background check to determine that there have been no convictions involving physical molestation, abuse, injury or neglect of a minor.
• Must complete training in and adhere to district infection control plan.
• May be required to obtain first aid and CPR certification.
• Hepatitis-B immunization is offered.
• Must complete Right Response Training and receive qualifications within the first 3-5 months of hire date; renewal of Right Response certification must be completed annually prior to expiration date.