Special Education Aide

Job Summary

Position provides assistance to teachers or other district personnel 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. Although responsible to the teacher(s) to whose classrooms he/she is assigned, the individual's overall performance is evaluated by the principal or designee. This job description describes in general terms the normal duties that the special education paraprofessional will be expected to undertake. However, the job or responsibilities and/or the location may vary or be amended without changing the level of responsibility associated with the job. Duties will vary depending upon the age of the students served as well as the nature and severity of the student's disabilities. Although responsible to the teacher(s) to whose classrooms he/she is assigned, the individual's overall performance is evaluated by the principal or designee. Employees are subject to reassignment at any time by the District Office or the building principal in consultation with the District Special Education Office to meet the changing needs of students with disabilities within the school or District.

Hours
The required number of paid work hours is contingent upon position type (i.e., 7.5 or 7 hours).
The employee's school day or work schedule is established by the building principal in consideration of the employee's required paid work hours.

Essential Duties

• 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, i.e., walkers, wheelchairs, etc. and/or facilitating the use of assistive technology.
• Escorts and supervises students not limited to daily arrival and school departure, transitions between classes, the playground, cafeteria, transporting to and/or from school and/or off-site learning activities.
• Collects, charts and reports student performance data to teachers and/or other service providers.
• Performs general clerical tasks for assigned classroom, including maintaining student records (i.e., 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.
• Successfully 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.

Other Duties

Performs any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or other appropriate administrator.

Job Specifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required)

Candidate must meet the requirements for a Paraprofessional: You must have one of the following:

• 60 college credit hours from an accredited college
• Associate degree
• Passing score on the Work Keys or ParaPro

Knowledge, skills and abilities of this job include the following:

• read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals;
• write routine reports and correspondence;
• communicate effectively;
• apply common sense in the delivery, understanding and following instructions in written, oral, or diagram form;
• add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; and
• compute rate, ratio, and percent and draw and interpret bar graphs.

Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and 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.

Physical requirements also include the following:

• physically capable of frequently lifting or moving up to 40 pounds;
• sufficiently mobile to ensure the well-being and safety of students, including but not limited to positioning, transferring and restraining;
• 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 the purpose of using a telephone and data entry;
• read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids;
• hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone; and
• speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in person and on the telephone.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties are normally performed in a school/classroom environment. Duties may be conducted in work-related community settings and/or performed while the student is transported to and from school and/or on study trips away from the school.

Pay Grade: Support Staff 103-104
Please click here for salary scales.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The Special Education Paraprofessional will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by classroom teacher and approved by the Principal or other appropriate administrator.