Special Education Aide/ Paraprofessional

Reports to: Building Principal
Terms of Employment: 185 days

About the Role

This position provides assistance to teachers in the daily instruction and care of eligible students with disabilities. As a paraprofessional, the employee works under the direction of the teacher to monitor and address the instructional, personal, and behavioral needs of students.

Responsibilities

• Assists with the implementation of Individualized Education Programs for students with disabilities under the direction of the classroom teacher(s) and/or service provider(s).
• Assists with individual or small group instruction developed and supervised by the teacher in the assigned class(es), including but not limited to teaching, re-teaching and reviewing lessons, asking questions and prompting students, and/or guiding independent work.
• Attends to the needs of students with disabilities that may include personal hygiene, lifting, feeding, toileting, monitoring supportive medical equipment (e.g., walkers, wheelchairs), and/or facilitating the use of assistive technology.
• Escorts and supervises students during daily arrival and school departure, transitions between classes, the playground, cafeteria, and off-site learning activities.
• Collects, charts, and reports student performance data to teachers.
• Performs general clerical tasks for assigned classroom, including maintaining student records (e.g., data books, portfolios, assignment folders).
• Distributes and collects instructional materials and reports.
• Assists with behavioral management programs in the classroom and implements behavior intervention plans and/or plans for independence for individual students.
• Participates in designated staff development needed to fulfill job duties. Paraprofessionals who may be required to physically restrain students to ensure their safety and the safety of others will be provided appropriate staff development.
• Maintains bulletin boards and classroom supply inventories, as appropriate.
• Provides intensive behavioral supports, as appropriate. Paraprofessionals who provide this IEP-required service are required to participate in ongoing, supplemental staff development.
• Communicates with parents only under the direction and supervision of a teacher.
• Serves as an educational team member who collaborates and supports the efforts of school staff and the needs of all students with disabilities.
• Performs any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or other appropriate administrator.

Requirements

• Candidate must meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements for a Paraprofessional, including:
  • Passing the Parapro Test, Workkeys Assessment (all 4 parts),
  • Associates Degree or higher, or
  • 60 college credit hours.
• Ability to:
  • Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
  • Write routine reports and correspondence.
  • Communicate effectively before groups of customers or employees of an organization.
  • Apply common sense in the delivery, understanding, and following of instructions in written, oral, or diagram form.
  • Perform basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
  • Compute rate, ratio, and percent, and draw and interpret bar graphs.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly required to stand, reach with hands and arms, walk, sit, stoop or kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Duties may involve risk resulting from attending to students' behavioral, physical, or sanitation/hygiene needs.
• Physically capable of frequently lifting or moving up to 40 pounds.
• Sufficiently mobile to ensure the safety of students.
• Specific vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Manual dexterity for using a telephone and data entry.
• Ability to read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids.
• Ability to hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone.
• Ability to speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in person and on the telephone.

Work Environment

Duties are normally performed in a school/classroom environment. Duties may be conducted in work-related community settings and/or occasionally performed on study trips away from the school.

Pay Grade: 103-104