THE FILLING OF THIS POSITION IS BASED UPON CONTINUED FUNDING IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET.

POSITION TITLE: PARAEDUCATOR – SPECIAL EDUCATION for Medically Fragile and Moderately to Severely Disabled Students

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Willingness to learn and adapt to best practice strategies for supporting students with IEPs, including encouraging independence and autonomy for students.
• Willingness to assist and monitor medically fragile students supervised by nurse (training provided as needed).
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions effectively.
• Exhibited proficiency in basic reading, math, writing, and speaking English.
• Possession or willingness to acquire the skills necessary to work productively with children.
• Appropriate reading, spelling, writing, and math skills to support student.
• Physical condition commensurate with the demands of, at a minimum, the essential functions of the position.
• Exhibited good judgment, patience, tact, and courtesy.
• Demonstrated use and maintenance of ethical practices for confidential communication about students.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must follow the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements and have passed the ParaPro Assessment, hold an Associate’s Degree, or have completed at least 60 credits at an approved college
• Must possess or be willing to acquire the skills necessary to support any specialized programs for Special Needs students, including support of behavioral plans, strategies for autism or other identified diagnoses, or support for treatments such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or activities of daily living such as feeding and toileting.
• Experience/training in working with children preferred.
• Comfort with use of standard computer applications.
• Such additions and alternatives to the above qualifications as may be appropriate and acceptable.

PURPOSE:

To serve as an integral member of the student support team to provide services to students in accordance with the goals/objectives identified by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) with the overarching goal of promoting student independence and autonomy.

STUDENT SUPPORT DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support students in increasing capacity to perform tasks independently by using strategies that gradually release responsibilities to students.
• Work with individual students or small groups of students, under the supervision of a certified teacher, to reinforce learning of materials or skills initially introduced by the teacher.
• Record achievements and diagnostic tests, under the direction of the teacher, for individual students or groups of students.
• Assist the teacher in the handling, operation, and care of equipment used in the classroom, including media and instructional materials, assistive technology, and augmentative communication devices.
• Assist with daily living needs, such as feeding and bathroom accommodations (i.e. toileting, diapering).
• Guide activities of daily living, sensory diets, OT/PT programs.
• Ability to assist with physical transfers into wheelchairs, standers and other adaptive equipment.
• Assist with the supervision of students during emergency drills, assembles, play periods, field trips, and in other non-classroom activities.
• Support with implementation of goals and objectives (IEP) as assigned by certified staff, and maintain strict confidentiality of the same.
• Serve as the chief source of information and help to any substitute teacher assigned in the absence of the regular teacher.
• Assist with implementation of Health Care plans for students and other medical needs.
• Alert the teacher(s) regarding any problem or special information related to an individual student.

GENERAL/ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist with the supervision of students during lunch, recess, arrival and dismissal, assemblies, emergency drills, play periods, field trips, and in other non-classroom activities, as assigned.
• Participate in professional development training programs, as required.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time to view & operate computer equipment, and to stand for extended periods of time to assist student(s) and/or staff.
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, bend, stoop and kneel.
• The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must lift and/or move with proper transfer techniques, students from standers, beds, walkers, wheelchairs, etc. as a team.
• Must be capable of participating in the Side by Side lift of students, as trained, with two people assisting, not to exceed 120 pounds; and capable of participating in the Upper Lower Body Lift of students, as trained, with two people assisting not to exceed 120 pounds.
• The employee may occasionally be required to lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
• Strength and stamina to lift and move students and engage in strenuous physical activities.
• Must possess mobility to work in a classroom using specialized educational materials like medical equipment and a computer
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus