SpEd Paraprofessional - Significant Support Needs (SSN)

Academy School District 20•Colorado Springs, CO

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The SpEd Paraprofessional - Significant Support Needs (SSN) supports the day-to-day instruction and care of special education students under the supervision of a teacher. The paraprofessional does not make diagnostic or long-term educational decisions. Assignments may take place in traditional or non-traditional learning environments, including off-campus work sites. The role supports the principal and classroom teachers in implementing SSN programs and fostering a positive, safe learning environment, and assists licensed special education teachers, therapists, nurses, and other evaluative staff with students’ goals. The position addresses student needs at the specified school. If those needs change, the employee may be required to relocate to another school at any time during the school year. Duties may vary by location and may be modified by the district. The work is generally performed in a classroom and may also involve visits to homes, schools, offices, or job sites. The environment may vary from quiet to loud and may involve exposure to classroom fumes, high noise levels, conflict situations, or student medical emergencies. The position requires scheduled school/work hours and may require extended hours or days as directed. Physical duties include assisting with students’ self-help and mobility needs, lifting, and, when necessary, physically restraining or escorting students in accordance with applicable training. The role requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Compensation is $21.02–$22.07, with 37.5 scheduled weekly hours, 7.5 hours per day, and 176 days per year. The posting identifies the role as full-time regular and non-exempt.

Requirements

High school graduate with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with students and adults in a variety of settings.
Computer proficiency, including office productivity applications and the ability to use software systems to create, access, input, retrieve, and manipulate information.
Ability to maintain accurate records, document management, and filing systems; maintain confidentiality; and understand data privacy laws and their implications for the educational community.
Ability to establish effective working relationships with supervisors, administrators, coworkers, staff, students, parents, the public, and people from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions and work independently without direct supervision.
Ability to manage simultaneous demands, set priorities, and work days, hours, locations, and assignments as directed within the position’s responsibilities.
Commitment to students’ education as a primary responsibility and ability to promote a positive climate, culture, and community.
Knowledge of special education, other educational programming, and associated legal requirements as related to assigned students’ needs.
Demonstrated teamwork, organizational and time-management skills, attention to detail, flexibility, creativity, initiative, and cooperative, collaborative, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to meet students’ physical and self-help needs, including toileting, feeding, dressing, transfers, physical escort, monitoring, and restraint when necessary and properly trained.
Ability to safely lift 50 pounds; assignments may require lifting students or other loads depending on student needs, including a two-person lift.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or squat, climb stairs or ladders, reach, grasp, turn objects, and use computer keyboards and writing utensils.
Oral and auditory capacity and visual and hand/finger coordination sufficient for the duties, including interpersonal communication and student monitoring.
Willingness to attend CO-TOP opportunities and other professional learning, receive OT-PT and student-specific training, be trained in delegated nursing practices, and participate in ongoing training.

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.
Implement student meal preparation, feeding, and cleanup activities, including support for communication, oral-motor, sensory-integration, and physical IEP goals.
Carry out instructional programs and lessons in designated learning environments and reinforce teacher-introduced material with small groups under teacher supervision.
Assist with student medical and personal-care tasks, including medication, tube feeding, catheterization, toileting, diapering, and suctioning; clean and disinfect bodily fluids and follow infectious-disease controls.
Work with confidential student information and maintain student files and related records.
Maneuver and secure wheelchairs; assist students with dressing, transfers, movement between locations, and other physical tasks; and use physical-therapy support equipment.
Monitor student behavior contracts and reward systems and use Nonviolent Crisis Intervention techniques when trained and appropriate.
Assist with non-standardized testing; develop and implement games and teaching aids; tutor students; and assist with curriculum tasks, recitation, and reading.
Help students prepare, produce, and maintain materials and equipment; coordinate assignments and job tasks with teachers or employers; and support students in one-to-one and group settings.
Assist students in the library, conduct story time, accompany students in classrooms and community-based settings, and supervise student activities and use of programs on computers, pools, weight rooms, or therapy pools as assigned.
Monitor students during recess, hall duty, passing periods, and bus loading.
Attend required pre-job and ongoing training and meetings; participate in OT-PT training and other professional learning as required.
Serve as a resource to the student personnel evaluation team regarding assigned students as needed, and work with teachers to integrate assistive technology into classrooms.
Maintain, order, and organize program materials and equipment; collect data for assessment and monitoring; complete daily paperwork and clerical tasks; laminate materials; and prepare bulletin boards.