Severe Needs Para Educator - Buffalo Trail Elementary School

Job Title: Severe Needs Para Educator

FLSA Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Classification Group: Paraeducators

Supervising Position: School Principal or designee

Pay Plan: Educational Support Personnel

Pay Range: Range 07

Last Updated: 07/22/2025

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Benefits Information

JOB SUMMARY: Under the guidance of licensed special education staff, assist students with severe special education needs by helping individuals or small groups of students with curriculum, implementing programming, generalizing learned skills, and implementing behavior strategies. Assist licensed special education staff by preparing student materials, monitoring students, and recording student achievement and progress. Provide technical physical care for students. Maintain a clean and hygienic work environment where appropriate. When working in an online/remote environment, provide support to students by assisting them with access to remote learning, re-teaching curriculum, implementing programming, setting up executive functioning strategies, generalizing learned skills, and completing assignments. Assignments include: Autism, Behavior Development (BD), Early Childhood Education, Homebound (FAPE) Program, Integrated Learning Center (ILC), Serious Emotional Disability (SED), and Transition Programming.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The subsequent duties outline the fundamental operations of the position and exemplify the nature of the tasks carried out. They do not encompass a comprehensive inventory of the obligations and responsibilities fulfilled in this role. The approximation of frequencies and time allocation percentages are flexible and subject to the requirements of the organization. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

         Shared Job Task Across Assignments  Frequency Percentage of Time

1.

Assist students with classroom activities, including adapting the curriculum to individual student needs. Assist with curriculum delivery to both individuals and small groups to ensure generalization of skills.

Daily 35%

2.

Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP). Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.

Daily 30%

3.

Assist special education licensed staff in preparing materials, administering tests, attendance, etc. Assist with paperwork and documentation as needed. Assist with other classroom events, such as fire drills, as necessary.

Daily 5%

4.

Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Daily 5% TOTAL 75%

INTEGRATED LEARNING CENTER (ILC) AND HOMEBOUND (Free Appropriate Public Education/FAPE) PROGRAM ASSIGNMENT

          Job Task Description  Frequency Percentage of Time

1.

Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.

Daily 15%

2.

Provide technical physical care for students with special needs as assigned, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, care of gastrostomy tube (G-tube), positioning, and improving range of motion (Autism Classroom or ILC). Following training and as delegated by a registered school nurse, accurately follow student medication delivery orders.

Daily 10% TOTAL 25%

SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISABILITY (SED) ASSIGNMENT

          Job Task Description  Frequency Percentage of Time

1.

Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.

Daily 25% TOTAL 25%        

ONLINE/REMOTE ENVIRONMENT

         Job Task Description  Frequency Percentage of Time

1.

Assist small groups of students or individuals with online classroom activities, during synchronous or asynchronous learning, including curriculum accommodations or modifications. Assist with curriculum delivery or practice to ensure generalization of skills. If working in DHH Program, develop student language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language for students who need a signing para-educator.

Daily 50%

2.

Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support students in completing assigned work.

Daily 35%

3.

Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with the licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program team.

Daily 5%

4.

Support students in troubleshooting technology issues.

Daily 5%

5.

Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Daily 5% TOTAL 100%

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The minimum prerequisites of formal education, professional work experience, certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, trainings, and other criteria that a candidate must fulfill to be considered for a position. It is essential that certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, and trainings are fulfilled, valid, and not expired.

• Criminal background check and fingerprinting required
• High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma
• No professional work experience required
• Mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training provided by the District for staff working in an Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignment
• Medication administration training provided by the District as needed
• Basic knowledge of typical office equipment such as telephones, copiers, fax machines, email, etc.
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Intermediate verbal and written communication skills
• Intermediate interpersonal relations skills
• Intermediate organizational skills
• Ability to work alone and with others
• Ability to appropriately modify curriculum
• Ability to implement behavior modification techniques
• Ability to diffuse and manage volatile and stressful situations
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job
• Ability to work one-on-one and in small groups with students
• If working in the DHH Program, ability to understand the impacts of hearing loss on learning and social interaction
• If working in the Homebound program, ability to set appropriate boundaries and build appropriate relationships while working in the home setting with families and other student healthcare providers
• If working in the Homebound program, the ability to have appropriate communication and boundaries with families while working in their homes with students

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS: The physical demands, mental functions, cognitive capacities, and work environment factors required to perform a position’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work location is subject to change to meet the requirements of the organization
• Medium work strength level (lifting or carrying 50 pounds)
• Primarily works indoors
• Typically a moderate noise level
• Prolonged standing and walking
• Frequent bending, reaching, and climbing
• Frequent lifting, pulling, and/or pushing
• Squatting
• Overhead work
• Eye/hand coordination (e.g., typing, ten key)
• Visual concentration

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Formal education, professional work experience, certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, trainings, and other qualifications relevant to the position that are strongly preferred but not mandatory for a candidate to be considered.

• Experience working in the public sector, specifically public education
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Racially conscious and culturally competent with the skill, will, capacity, and knowledge to commit to a culture of continuous improvement
• Associate’s degree
• Work with special needs children in a paid program or licensed special education teaching experience
• Experience working with students with autism, behavior challenges, medically fragile conditions, hearing or vision loss, or intellectual disabilities
• CPR and First Aid certification