SpEd Paraprofessional - Significant Support Needs (SSN)

Academy School District 20•Colorado Springs, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The SpEd Paraprofessional - SSN performs day-to-day activities supporting special education students under a teacher’s supervision. The position does not make diagnostic or long-term educational decisions. The paraprofessional supports the principal and classroom teachers in implementing Significant Support Needs programs and fostering a positive, safe learning environment. The role also assists licensed special education teachers, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, and other evaluative staff with implementing goals for students with severe or profound disabilities. Assignments may take place in non-traditional learning environments, including off-campus work sites. The position addresses current student needs at the specified school; if those needs change, the employee may be reassigned to another school during the school year. The role includes instructional, personal-care, medical, behavioral, clerical, and administrative support. Duties may include carrying out lesson plans and IEP goals; assisting with feeding, toileting, mobility, medical tasks, and emergency care; supporting behavioral management; monitoring students in classrooms and other settings; collecting assessment data; maintaining student records and program materials; and coordinating with teachers, employers, and other staff. The employee must obtain and maintain certifications needed to support students with special needs and participate in required and ongoing training. Work is generally performed in a classroom, with occasional visits to homes, schools, offices, or job sites. The environment may range from quiet to loud and may involve exposure to fumes, high noise levels, infectious materials, personal conflict, or student medical emergencies. The position requires scheduled school/work hours and may require extended hours or days as directed. Physical demands include sitting, standing, walking, bending, kneeling, lifting and moving equipment or students, and potentially physically restraining or escorting students in accordance with applicable training and guidelines. The position is scheduled for 37.5 hours per week, 7.5 hours per day, Monday through Friday, for 176 days per year.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing and to interact professionally with students, adults, families, staff, and the public.
Ability to create, access, input, retrieve, and manipulate information in software systems; computer proficiency, including office productivity applications.
Ability to establish and maintain accurate records, document-management systems, and filing systems; understanding of data privacy laws and their implications for the educational community.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions, maintain confidentiality, manage simultaneous demands, and set clear priorities.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, establish effective working relationships with diverse individuals, and work the days, hours, locations, and assignments directed by the supervisor within the position’s responsibilities.
Commitment to student education as a primary responsibility; student-centered and relationship-focused approach; promotes a positive climate, culture, and community.
Knowledge of special education, other educational programming, and associated legal requirements related to assigned students’ needs; considerable knowledge of district policies, procedures, and functions.
Demonstrated organizational, time-management, interpersonal, problem-solving, listening, written, and verbal communication skills; detail-oriented, cooperative, flexible, energetic, creative, and innovative.
Willingness to attend CO-TOP opportunities and other professional learning, attend OT-PT training, receive on-the-job training specific to student needs, be trained in delegated nursing practices, and participate in ongoing training.
Ability to meet students’ physical and self-help needs, including toileting, feeding, dressing, and transfers; ability to physically escort and, when necessary, restrain students in accordance with Nonviolent Crisis Intervention guidelines.
Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 50 pounds; safely lift 50 pounds per person in a two-person lift; and potentially lift students or handle higher demands depending on assignment and student need.
Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and/or stools; reach, hold, grasp, turn objects, operate computer keyboards, and perform visual and auditory monitoring.

Responsibilities

Report consistently for work as scheduled, perform other assigned duties, and attain proficient or higher evaluations on established performance standards.
Obtain and maintain certifications necessary to support students with special needs.
Carry out instructional programs and lesson plans in designated learning environments, reinforce teacher-introduced material with small groups, tutor students, and assist with curriculum tasks and non-standardized testing.
Support students’ communication, oral-motor, sensory-integration, physical, and other IEP goals, including meal preparation, feeding, personal care, mobility, and use of physical-therapy equipment.
Assist with student medical tasks, which may include dispensing medication, tube feeding, catheterization, toileting, diapering, and suctioning; provide initial first aid or emergency care; and clean and disinfect bodily fluids as required.
Maneuver and secure wheelchairs; accompany students between locations and in classroom, community-based, and other settings; and assist with physical tasks such as dressing and using the lavatory.
Monitor behavior contracts and reward systems, and perform behavioral management using Nonviolent Crisis Intervention techniques when appropriate.
Develop and implement games and teaching aids; assist students with preparing and maintaining materials and equipment; and integrate assistive technology into classrooms with teachers.
Coordinate completion of assignments and job tasks with classroom teachers and/or employers, and serve as a resource to the student personnel evaluation team concerning assigned students as needed.
Monitor students during recess, hall duty, passing periods, bus loading, computer use, swimming, and use of weight or therapy rooms, as assigned.
Attend required pre-job training, ongoing training, and meetings, including OT-PT training and other professional learning related to assigned student needs.
Maintain student files and appropriate records; collect data for assessment and monitoring; complete daily paperwork; and maintain, order, and organize program materials and equipment.
Perform clerical and classroom-support tasks, including assisting staff, laminating materials, and preparing bulletin boards for parents and programs.