SpEd Paraprofessional - Student Specific Support

Academy School District 20•Colorado Springs, CO

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The SpEd Paraprofessional provides day-to-day instructional and personal support to a specific student with significant support needs under the supervision of a teacher. The paraprofessional does not make diagnostic or long-term educational decisions. The role supports principals, classroom teachers, licensed special education teachers, therapists, nurses, and other evaluative staff in implementing student programs, goals, and a positive, safe learning environment. Assignments may take place in classrooms, non-traditional learning environments, community-based settings, and off-campus work sites. The position follows the student if the student transfers within the district; changing student needs may also require reassignment to another school during the school year. The role includes implementing teacher-planned instruction and IEP goals; supporting students with meals, mobility, medical and personal-care needs; monitoring behavior and safety; assisting with equipment and assistive technology; and helping with assessments, records, data collection, clerical tasks, and classroom activities. The paraprofessional must obtain and maintain certifications needed to support students, complete required training, and follow district procedures and confidentiality requirements. The position is generally performed in a classroom, with occasional work in homes, schools, offices, job sites, or community settings. The environment may vary from quiet to loud and may involve exposure to bodily fluids, infectious-disease risks, fumes, high noise levels, conflict, or student medical emergencies. Physical duties may include lifting, transfers, mobility assistance, and physical restraint when necessary and in accordance with training.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing and interact with students and adults in varied settings.
Computer proficiency, including office productivity applications and the ability to use software systems to create, access, enter, retrieve, and manipulate information.
Ability to maintain accurate records, document-management systems, and filing systems.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions, maintain confidentiality, and understand data-privacy requirements.
Ability to manage simultaneous demands, establish priorities, work independently, and adapt to changing technologies and equipment.
Ability to work the days, hours, locations, and assignments directed by the supervisor within the position's responsibilities.
Demonstrated ability to work well with others, collaborate, solve problems, and maintain effective relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Knowledge of special education, educational programming, and associated legal requirements as related to assigned students' needs.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, written, listening, and verbal communication skills; attention to detail and effective time management.
Commitment to students' education and a student-centered, relationship-focused approach.
Willingness to attend professional learning, OT-PT training, and ongoing training specific to student needs, including vision, hearing, motor, Braille, and delegated nursing practices.
Ability to meet students' physical and self-help needs, including toileting, feeding, dressing, and transfers; ability to physically escort or restrain students according to applicable training and guidelines.
Ability to safely lift 50 pounds; some assignments may involve lifting students or higher demands, including a two-person lift.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or squat, climb stairs or ladders, reach, grasp, and operate computer keyboards and other equipment.
Ability to perform visual and auditory monitoring of students.

Responsibilities

Report consistently for scheduled work, 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; attend required pre-job and ongoing training and meetings.
Implement student instructional programs, lessons, IEP goals, and teacher-designated activities in various learning environments.
Work with individual students and small groups to reinforce instruction, tutor, assist with curriculum tasks, and support preparation and completion of assignments.
Assist students with meal preparation, feeding, lunch cleanup, communication, oral-motor, sensory-integration, and physical goals.
Assist with medical and personal-care tasks, including medication, tube feeding, catheterization, toileting, diapering, suctioning, and infection-control procedures; clean and disinfect bodily-fluid spills.
Assist students with dressing, mobility, transfers, wheelchairs, and movement between locations; use physical-therapy equipment and sanitize equipment and materials.
Provide initial first aid or emergency care and monitor student safety, behavior contracts, and reward systems; use Nonviolent Crisis Intervention techniques when appropriate.
Support standardized or non-standardized testing, develop games and teaching aids, and assist with materials and equipment.
Coordinate assignments and job tasks with classroom teachers and employers; support students in one-to-one, group, classroom, and community-based settings.
Assist students in libraries, conduct story time, monitor recess, hallways, passing periods, and bus loading, and supervise use of computers, pools, weight rooms, or therapy pools as assigned.
Work with teachers to integrate assistive technology and serve as a resource to the student personnel evaluation team regarding an assigned student as needed.
Maintain and update student files, collect assessment and monitoring data, complete daily paperwork, and maintain, order, and organize program materials and equipment.
Perform clerical and classroom support tasks, including laminating materials and preparing bulletin boards.
Maintain student confidentiality and effective working relationships with students, families, staff, supervisors, administrators, and the public.