Special Education Paraeducator Aide HQ

Overview

PARA EDUCATOR AIDE
3. Highly Qualified Status (HQ):
Individual selected into this position must be Highly Qualified for this assignment. Applicants must possess a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and have completed the following requirements: completed at least 48 semester hours of credit at an accredited college or university; or obtained an associate's degree or higher from an accredited college or university; or passed the Para Pro Assessment prepared and administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS) with a score of at least 460.

Summary Description

Under supervision, works in a special education classroom assisting teaching staff in a variety of instructional activities. Assists teachers in special education classrooms and provides individual or group assistance depending on student or class functional living and academic skills and/or behavioral support needed. Incumbent can also provide attendant services to students with various intellectual and/or physical disabilities. Incumbent performs related work as required.

The Teacher Aide III works in a special education classroom assisting the teacher and/or a special education student within the general and/or special education classroom, in specific specialized programs such as CLS (Comprehensive Life Skills), EC (Early Childhood), MA (Multi-Age), SIP (Social Intervention Programs), Strategies (Autism Spectrum Disorders), Social Resource and/or Resource classrooms as well as one-on-one assistance. Additionally, a Teacher Aide III working at a Title I school must be highly qualified.

May act as liaison between general education teachers, resource teachers; previews instructional information when possible and may attend seminars and conferences.

• Teacher aides may be assigned to a variety of special education programs or individual students who require adult support based upon their IEPs (Individualized Education Program).
• Duties may include assisting students with intellectual, physical, or behavioral disabilities in boarding and de-boarding buses before and after school; assisting students in reaching proper location in school; accompanying students into general education classrooms; providing attendant services (diapering, toileting, washing faces, etc.) to students as needed; supporting instruction in proper health and hygiene habits; performing delegated procedures such as clean intermittent catheterization, providing emergency and first aid care as necessary.
• Move students weighing 50-80 pounds daily and repetitively; follow proper safety procedures; prepare and help feed students as needed; support instruction in functional life skills; recognize individual needs of students with intellectual, physical and/or behavioral disabilities and modify general education classroom assignments occasionally.
• Follow behavior plans as outlined in students  IEPs; use positive behavior management techniques; assist with lesson assignments; reinforce learning concepts to students; maintain discipline and order on the playground, lunchroom, library and classrooms; accompany students on field trips.
• Arrange and adjust wheelchairs, oxygen hoses and other equipment as needed; communicate with special education teachers about concerns and observations of students; assist in maintaining bulletin boards; may assist children with medication when trained; assist in the operation of classroom equipment or students  assistive technology devices; assist in recording student progress towards goals and developing instructional materials and preparing graphs and charts;
  
  assist in modification of the general education curriculum.
• Participate in district training programs when requested and receive training in and implement non-violent behavioral intervention procedures; maintain confidentiality regarding student information and records.

The following program descriptions apply to SPED roles and are included for context. Specific assignments may include EC
- Early Childhood/Pre-K, EC SIP, EC STRAT, IEC
- Early Childhood/PreK, IK
- Integrated Kindergarten, CLS
- Comprehensive Life Skills, SIP
- Social Intervention Program, STRATEGIES (Autism), SOCIAL RESOURCE, AH
- Hearing Impaired, VI
- Vision Impairment, and related duties as described in individual program descriptions.

EC
- Early Childhood/Pre-K:
Provides services to three, four and five year olds with disabilities with a developmentally appropriate curriculum addressing literacy and math readiness, gross and fine motor skills, self-help skills, communications skills, and social skills, with emphasis on cognition and language development.

EC SIP:
Provides developmentally appropriate curriculum focusing on social-emotional development for students with behavioral challenges in small groups; combines EC and SIP practices as needed to suit student needs.

EC STRAT:
Focuses on development of communication and social-emotional skills…