Description
Salary Range:
Communication Aide, SR-12: $3,000.64 per month
Examples of Duties

1. Provides reinforcement lessons and repetitive drill activities in speech and/or language correction to students, in accordance with an educational/treatment plan developed by a Speech Pathologist; receives specific instructions from the Speech Pathologist with regard to remediation activities that are to be provided to the student;
2. Assists students in improving their speech and/or language skills; instructs students in the correct usage of the mouth, jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, and diaphragm in a controlled manner; provides remedial activities in the correct pronunciation of all vowel and consonant sounds;
3. Corrects student's misunderstanding of communication (i.e., production of sounds and language); teaches students how to attend and react to verbal communication; assists in teaching correct usage of socially appropriate language with regard to time, place, situation and person(s) involved;
4. Records all pertinent data and information related to speech and/or language activities, as directed by the Speech Pathologist; makes arrangements for remediation sessions with school personnel involved;
5. Participates in conferences with parents, designated school personnel, and the Speech Pathologist; makes arrangements for remediation sessions with school personnel involved; participates in conferences with parents, designated school personnel, and the Speech Pathologist to maintain an awareness of the needs of the student and to provide input regarding the student's progress;
6. Adapts and devises materials and activities to meet individual students' needs; provides follow-up home activities and materials relevant to students' specific needs;
7. Gathers information and data regarding students' progress in tutorial sessions, in addition to any significant behavioral observations; scores appropriate responses for remediation as indicated by program guidelines;
8. Assists Speech Pathologist in preparing and developing materials and activities for strategies of intervention;
9. Attends training sessions and workshops;
10. May provide clerical services for the Speech Pathologist and/or the diagnostic team.

Minimum Qualifications
Basic Education Requirements: Applicants must possess a high school diploma, General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or equivalent AND one of the following minimum education requirements, which have been established within the parameters described by the Federal Government's No Child Left Behind Act of 2001:
1. 48 semester credits, baccalaureate level courses, from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the Hawaii Department of Education. The forty-eight (48) credits may be from various program or academic subject areas. In addition, of the 48 credits from baccalaureate level courses, 3 must have been for math and 3 for English courses.
2. An Associate in Arts (AA) or Science (AS) degree or higher from an accredited institution recognized by the Hawaii Department of Education. The credits earned for the degree must include a minimum of 48 credits for courses that are baccalaureate level.
3. Successful completion of the ParaPro Assessment provided by the Education Testing Service (ETS).
Experience Requirements: Except for the substitutions provided for in this specification, applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the statements below and in the amounts shown below, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
General Experience: Two (2) years** of work experience which involved providing supportive services to professional personnel directly engaged in the academic, personal, social and/or vocational development of children. The experience must have involved direct interaction with individuals, and at least one (1) year of this experience must have included some involvement in assisting in the learning activities of children (e.g., assisting children in drills and in learning specific skills; observing and reporting on children's difficulties and progress; assisting in reading exercises, etc.).
Specialized Experience: One (1) year** of progressively responsible work experience which involved assisting a Speech Pathologist in implementing educational/treatment plans for individuals with speech and language disorders and/or problems. This experience must have involved providing remedial activities (e.g., reinforcement lessons and repetitive drills) in speech and language correction, under the direct and close supervision of the Speech Pathologist. Further, such experience must have provided the applicant with knowledge of common speech and language problems and disorders; basic goals and objectives of speech and language services; basic child development, as it related to speech and language; basic instruction/remedial techniques used in speech and language correction; and the ability to adapt and devise materials and activities to meet individual needs.
**A school year of approximately 180 "teacher duty" days, or approximately 38 weeks per year, is considered equivalent to one (1) year of required work experience.
Special Requirement: Applicants must demonstrate the ability to hear and speak (i.e., articulate and enunciate sounds, words, phrases and sentences clearly) the English language properly, in order to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of the class.
Substitutions Allowed Substitutions of Education for Experience:
1. Successful completion of one (1) year of the Associate in Science program for Teacher Aide at an accredited community college that did not include the completion of practicum involving the provision of instruction-related activities may be substituted for the one (1) year of General Experience that did not involve assisting in the learning activities of children.
2. Successful completion of (1) year of the Associate in Science program in Teacher Aide at an accredited community college which included the completion of practicum involving the provision of instruction-related activities may be substituted for one (1) year of General Experience including the experience which involved assisting in the learning activities of children.
3. Possession of an Associate in Science degree in Teacher Aide from an accredited community college that included successful completion of practicum that involved the provision of instruction-related activities may be substituted for all the General Experience.
4. Possession of a bachelor's degree in education or its equivalent from an accredited college or university may be substituted for all of the General Experience.
5. Possession of a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology from an accredited college or university may be substituted for all of the required experience.
Quality of Experience: Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.
Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a current, valid driver's license.
Supplemental Information
Salary: The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable.
Requirements: Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks. Part-time experience is pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.
Temporary Assignment: Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below:

1. A copy of the applicant's TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report;
2. A signed letter from the applicant's supervisor that includes the applicant's name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked; or,
3. Copies of the applicant's signed SF-10 Forms.

Documents: Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application. Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023. All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education.
Information about Temporary Positions: Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs. Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities. A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months. Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.
10-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits:

• Holidays, Personal Leave, and Sick Leave: Many employees enjoy paid holidays, personal leave, and sick leave during the school year provided that all conditions under the respective collective bargaining agreement are met.
• Health Insurance: If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan.
• Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees.
• Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
• Retirement Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits.
• Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA): If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employee-selected investment service provider authorized to provide TSA products.
• Deferred Compensation: The State offers employees a tax deferred (sheltered) retirement investment program. This program is an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several investment options are available.
• Temporary Disability Insurance: Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.
• Social Security: As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account.
• Workers' Compensation: If an employee is injured while on the job, benefits covering medical expenses and partial wage support may be available through workers' compensation.
• Union & Collective Bargaining: Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining.

The above is intended as a general summary of the benefits offered and is subject to change. This does not constitute a contract or binding agreement. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and collective bargaining agreements.