Date Posted: November 17, 2022

Position Title: Classroom Assistant / Paraprofessional, Special Education

Assignment Location: Pinecrest Elementary, Hastings, MN, in the Dakota Alternative for the Severely Handicapped (DASH) Program

Hours per Day: 7.25

Schedule: 7:40 a.m. – 2:55 p.m., Monday through Friday, following school calendar as assigned

Anticipated Start Date: ASAP 

Starting At: Starting pay rate: $20.37 / hour per the Paraprofessional (Program Assistant) Contract

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Under the guidance of the classroom teacher and the direct supervision of program assistant directors/principals, our paraprofessionals aid students in meeting their individualized education plan (IEP) goals in areas such as: educational, communication, emotional, physical, and behavioral. Paraprofessionals work with students individually and in small groups on these goal areas, along with additional goals set by speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, and other professionals working with students. Paraprofessionals who are student assistants work one-on-one with a specific student throughout the workday. In this role, one helps model and encourage respect, communication, and competency during student work tasks and during socialization. Professionalism, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach are essential when working with students receiving special education services to ensure their safety and growth and in order to help them understand and exhibit appropriate behaviors at school and in the community. A paraprofessional is part of a team environment, where collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to the success of the team and the success of the students. The paraprofessional role is performed following District policy and State/Federal Laws.


RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist classroom teacher in providing instruction and managing student educational programming.
• Adapt instructional materials, equipment, or strategies, under the direction of the teacher or other professionals, to provide differentiated instruction, accomplish objectives and meet student needs.
• Implement charting, data collection, paperwork preparation, and other monitoring techniques to ensure student success in a variety of areas, such as behavioral, social, and educational.
• Assist licensed staff in the implementation of classroom management and behavioral interventions, creating an environment appropriate for learning.
• Utilize proactive behavior management techniques, reinforcing positive behaviors, utilizing de-escalation techniques, and redirecting inappropriate behaviors. May be required to use physical restraints.
• Assist student in his/her daily routine, including helping the student with personal cares, mobility, and daily living, escorting the student during arrival and departure and to special classes or therapy, providing supervision in school areas such as lunch, the playground or gym, and at school related activities off site.
• Facilitate activities with a student or small group under the direction of the teacher, therapist or other related services staff.
• Assist students with developing appropriate social skills and behavior, through a variety of methods including modeling, lessons, incentive plans, and charting.
• Help to maintain safety of all students and the environment.
• Collaborate with related service personnel, teachers, fellow assistants, and other program/school staff in order to meet the needs of students and maintain a positive work environment for all.
• Participate in training/in-service as assigned, in accordance to the contract.
• Performs other job-related duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Willingness and ability to work with students receiving a high-level of special education services.
2. Must be highly qualified: Two years of study at an institution of higher education with the ability to provide transcripts showing 60 completed semester credits, an Associate’s (or higher) degree, OR a passing score on the ParaPro assessment.
3. Previous experience working with children and/or individuals with special needs, with general knowledge of the practices, methods, and techniques used in the teaching of students. Other work history may be considered.
4. Ability to work as an effective member of a team with staff, parents, and the community through the building and maintaining of collaborative and positive relationships.
5. Willingness to complete training in Professional Crisis Management and implement restrictive procedures.
6. Ability to obtain PCA certification from the Department of Human Services.
7. Good oral, written, and interpersonal communication that is maintained during high-stress and crisis situations.
8. Ability and desire to work with assistive technology.
9. Basic computer and email skills. Proficient in core educational subject areas.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Ability to lift up to 50 pounds weight and up to adult-size body weight with two-to-three-person lift.
2. Ability to support a student's full body weight up to adult size.
3. Frequently requires standing, walking, lifting, bending, leaning, and repetitive motions.
4. Occasionally requires sitting, stooping, kneeling, and crouching.
5. Ability to tolerate sudden jarring movement.
6. Work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may require wearing of personal protective equipment.
7. Locations are generally moderately noisy.

DISTRICT PROFILE:

Intermediate School District 917 serves the low incidence needs of students receiving special education services from our member school districts in the southeastern metropolitan area. Students are referred to us by member school districts. Our programs and services include comprehensive options and efficient special education services that expand on what member districts may be able to offer students in their own schools. Programs provide special education and related service support to students from early childhood through age 21 in a variety of different, specialized settings for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, developmental and cognitive disabilities, mental health needs, those who are deaf and hard of hearing, and learning disabilities.

In our highly-structured and specialized educational environments, you will encounter:

• Classrooms of 4-8 students supported by a teacher and 3-6 trained paraprofessionals.
• Behavior support teams, including board certified behavior analysts.
• Lead teachers to support due process and curriculum development.
• Collaborative teams, which can include: audiologists, interveners, interpreters, teachers, paraprofessionals, developmental adaptive physical education teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, school nurses, health associates, school social workers, and speech language pathologists.
• Functional spaces, which can include: individualized work spaces for each student, group instruction areas, sensory spaces, break spaces, playground/gym/area for gross motor movement, and safety features for staff and students.

District 917 also provides students from member districts a secondary education program, including Dakota County Area Learning Schools, which provide alternative learning programming both in-person and online to students in need of a positive, safe, and structured learning environment outside their resident high school, and Dakota County Secondary Technical Center, which provides technical education for high school students in 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade.

Application Procedure: Can be completed at https://www.applitrack.com/isd917/onlineapp/
District 917’s Website: http://www.isd917.org

jessica.huss@isd917.org