Paraprofessional Gateway Program

North Middlesex Regional School District Nissitissit Middle School - Pepperell, Massachusetts Open in Google Maps

Job : 5908614

Final date to receive applications: Posted until filled

Posted: Aug 31, 2026 12:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Immediately

We are seeking a paraprofessionals to work with students in the Gateway Program located at Nissitissit Middle School in Pepperell, MA. The Gateway program is a post-secondary transition program that supports young adults with disabilities ages 18-22 years who require continued instruction and support to prepare for adult life beyond high school. The program focuses on developing individualized functional academic, vocational, social/emotional, and independent living skills through a combination of classroom instruction, supervised employment experiences, and community-based learning opportunities.

Instruction and activities are designed to promote greater independence and help students build the practical skills needed for employment, community participation, and adult living. The weekly schedule is structured to provide balanced learning across environments and skill areas, typically including two Academic Learning Days, two Vocational/Work Days, and one Community Experience Day. Academic Learning Days focus on maintaining and strengthening functional academic skills as they apply to real-world settings.

Instruction may include consumer economics, workplace reading and writing, basic office and clerical tasks, and job readiness skills such as communication, organization, and workplace expectations. These courses emphasize practical application to support students in navigating everyday responsibilities and employment settings. Vocational/Work Days provide students with structured opportunities to explore careers, develop job-related skills, and gain authentic work experience. Vocational programming includes four components: exploration, assessment and training, job site internships, and work experience.

Students may move through these components sequentially or flexibly based on their individual strengths, goals, and needs. Career exploration introduces students to a range of workplace environments through activities such as job shadowing, field trips, and guest speakers. Assessment and training occur in both classroom and workplace settings, allowing staff and job coaches to identify students’ strengths, learning styles, and areas for skill development while establishing individualized training objectives.

Community Experience Days focus on building independent living and community participation skills through real-world experiences. Students practice activities of daily living in authentic settings, such as accessing community resources, banking, shopping, navigating transportation, attending medical or dental appointments, and participating in recreational opportunities. These experiences reinforce academic and vocational learning while supporting social development and self-advocacy.

• Providing support in the school, vocational and community setting
• Oversee independent/guided practice
• Assist teacher with engaging students in learning and assist in instruction
• Modifying or adapting instruction
• Providing one-on-one assistance
• Guiding independent study, enrichment work, and remedial work with students as set up and assigned by the teacher
• Working with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of the material and/or skill introduced by the teacher

• General support of a classroom or classrooms
• Provide academic support and carry over of the lessons the teacher and Special Education Teacher has developed
• Provide all accommodations delineated within a student’s designated IEP/504
• Implement modifications that have been developed by the classroom teacher and/or Special Education Teacher
• Develop materials based on specific instruction from the classroom teacher and/or Special Education Teacher
• Create opportunities and instructs students to be independent in a variety of settings across their school day
• Provide carry over of instructional practices developed by related service providers (speech, OT, PT, Psychologist)
• Potentially assigned to multiple/different classroom grade levels
• Ability to implement behavioral/social support plans within the classroom to individual students or group of students (including but not limited to attending, non-compliance, completion of tasks, following rules and classroom…