Paraprofessional, Early Childhood Education - Instructional Assistant

 

Job Title:              Paraprofessional, Early Childhood Education
Pay Program:      Support Staff	FLSA Status:   Non-Exempt
Reports to:          Building Leader or Early Childhood Education Director	Pay Range:  CH 6 $16.42 - $18.66
Work Year:          174 Days / 8 Hours (School Year)

 
VISION: To Engage, Equip, and Empower Each and Every Student, Each and Every Day.
 
SUMMARY: Operating under the general supervision of the school’s Principal and assigned Teacher, the employee will perform a variety of instructional support and clerical duties for the Early Childhood Education Program.  Employee acts as a Teacher’s instructional support and resource working directly with students, including students with special needs.  Employee works to balance and support all areas of a young child’s development, including physical, social-emotional, cognitive and language skills preparing and assisting with core lessons and participating in students’ learning programs.  In addition to assisting with instruction and assessment a primary responsibility includes supervising children at all times while ensuring their safety and well-being.   This support paraprofessional is an integral part of the District’s social emotional learning programs; leading students through example.  This position is also often a point of contact for the staff, students, and parents entering the classroom environment and the employee must work cooperatively to facilitate these interactions.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 

Job Responsibility Descriptions
Assisting the teacher for the assigned classroom, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Paraprofessional works as a first point of contact helping the Teacher to deliver instructional curriculum and maintain the classroom learning environment.  Supporting the Teacher in implementing the D51 Learning Model, the paraprofessional can be assigned a wide variety of tasks and duties that include but are not limited to; assisting in the planning and implementation of the curriculum and instruction designed to meet a child’s individual goals.   This role reinforces the Teacher’s expectations for quality work by coaching and guiding students as assigned/appropriate.  Duties include communicating back to the Teacher any observations regarding participation levels and effectiveness of instructive programs for student’s performance-based learning plan(s).  Employees are expected to interact with children, adults, and families in a friendly, positive and courteous manner.
Monitoring student behaviors and social emotional skills in a variety of school environments including playgrounds, library, snack/nap times, group activities, one-on-one tutoring, and many other situations is a continuous responsibility of this position.  ECE Paraprofessional may also be assigned before and/or after school bus stop monitoring duties as well and will accompany students to and from specials and various other destinations.  Daily interactions with students give the employee an opportunity to provide guidance and impart self-management skills to enhance student(s) behavior(s) toward appropriate responses and choices.  The paraprofessional is often a first-point-of-contact for demonstrating D51 Social Emotional Learning with students and there is an expectation for the person in this role to promote the District’s mission for this topic.
Supporting the assigned Teacher in preparing a wide variety of instructional and classroom materials and documents are typical duties for this paraprofessional role.  Para may be assigned oversight of student assignments, copying, tracking, reviewing, grading, etc. assisting students through the process of both in classroom and out of classroom work.  Para also assists the Teacher with supporting home visits and family conferences as well as classroom learning. ECE Para may assist with any of installing and maintaining bulletin board updates, visual aids, sensory learning tools, and other in class materials.    ECE paras share a goal to maintain a safe, healthy learning environment for young children including children with special needs. They encourage independence and safety in children throughout the daily routine using positive techniques of guidance outlined in program expectations.
Aiding the teacher with student assessment which may include testing session logistics and other clerical duties related to testing periods is an important aspect of the para’s duties.  Assigned tasks may be in classroom or one-on-one sessions and may include duties such as, scheduling, demographic data entry, and providing for testing make-up sessions.  The ECE para works to fulfill all policies and/or rules governing early childhood for the classroom, including implementation and directed actions to follow the district’s philosophy of education and instructional goals and objectives.
Meeting with teachers and ECE paraprofessionals to develop, and implement any accommodations necessary to achieve an optimal classroom-learning environment is an expectation.  Employee also participates in staff meetings and/or building level in-service training programs as appropriate.  Employee may be requested to assist in student supervision; including both outdoor and indoor activities.  The ECE Paraprofessional often participates in for instance, library visits, field trips, auditorium events and other group activities in locations other than the normal classroom setting.
Perform other duties as assigned and/or requested.

 
EDUCATION AND RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or equivalent required and*;
• Minimum two years of experience working with students; preference given for prior school district experience;
• Preference given for prior experience working with preschool-aged students;
• Group Leader Qualified/Early Childhood Teacher highly desirable;
• Bilingual oral and written skills, English/Spanish, are desirable;
• *Acceptable demonstration of education and/or experience is at the sole discretion of the district.

               
LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS or CERTIFICATIONS:

• Criminal background check required for hire;
• Valid Colorado Driver’s License or Colorado Identification required;
• Ability to lift 35 pounds with a Lift Test required at time of hire; Lift Test renewal required every three years;
• Quality Behavioral Solutions Certification (QBS) must be obtained within 60 days of hire;
• Obtain Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), First Aid, and Universal Precautions certifications within one month of hire;
• Early Childhood Education Professional credential level II on PDIS within one-year of hire;
• Meet Office of Early Learning licensure requirements;
• Attend and successfully complete all staff development training as required by state law or as directed by supervisor.

TECHNICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES:

• Well-developed oral communication presentation skills in English; preference for Spanish speaking skills;
• Well-developed interpersonal relationship building skills, especially as it relates to students and the school environment;
• Strong ability to use de-escalation techniques and to defuse stressful and possibly volatile situations;
• Strong working knowledge of laws and statutes as outlined in the:
  • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015),
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA, 1996),
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990),
• Strong ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job, especially as related to student issues;
• Ability to work independently as needed upon direction and/or with limited supervision;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and frequent interruptions in a timely manner;
• Ability to be adaptable and flexible with critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities;
• Ability to use de-escalation techniques and to defuse stressful and possibly volatile situations;
• Ability to promote and follow Board of Education policies, building, and department procedures;
• Ability to communicate, interact, and work effectively and cooperatively with people and students from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds;
• Ability to recognize the importance of safety in the workplace, follow safety rules, practice safe work habits, utilize appropriate safety equipment, and report unsafe conditions to the appropriate administrator.

 
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT OPERATING KNOWLEDGE:

• Operating knowledge of and experience with personal computers and peripherals,
• Operating knowledge of and experience with office software such as word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets,
• Operating knowledge of and experience with G-suite software programs and email,
• Operating knowledge of and experience with typical office equipment, such as copier, scanner, fax machine, etc.,

Salary & Benefits:
View all salary schedules for the current school year at: https://www.d51schools.org/departments111/human-resources/salary-schedules
Information regarding D51 Benefits can be found here: https://www.d51schools.org/departments111/human-resources/employee-benefits