Under direct supervision, the purpose of the position is to provide staff support in an educational or child care environment, performing paraprofessional work in assisting teachers and students. Employees in this classification work with certified teachers, occupational therapists, and other certified specialists in the education, care, and development of mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students. Employees at this level provide instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to trainable and educable exceptional students. Work is performed under the direction of a certified teacher or other school official. Essential functions as outlined herein are performed according to the exceptional needs of assigned students. Performs related work as directed.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Responds to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous and empathetic manner representing OCPS in a positive light.
Provides instructional, vocational and developmental assistance to mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students, as prescribed by the supervising teacher.
Assists students as they arrive on buses taking them to and from learning areas, to include physically transferring students from wheelchairs to school desks or floor mats for participation in school activities.
Assists students with gross motor activities, such as grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to individual development.
Assists students with fine motor activities, such as playing with toys, cutting materials, and coloring, as appropriate to individual development.
Assists students with daily living skills, such as dressing, eating, lavatory needs, grooming, and personal hygiene as appropriate to individual development.
Monitors, observes, and charts behavior of students in their exploratory classes and documents behavioral changes, outbursts, and other actions specific to the student.
Applies effective principles and procedures of crisis intervention to students with aggressive behavior or other social difficulties; provides physical restraint as necessary, such as in violent circumstances.
Reinforces rules of the school and learning environment; acknowledges and encourages appropriate behavior and distinguishes inappropriate behavior for the students' understanding.
Assists in the preparation of lesson plans, behavior modification plans, and teacher's pre-planning sessions; provides input and assistance in the development of learning activities; prepares or assists in the preparation of instructional and vocational materials.
Maintains accurate and complete records of student activities and behavior which may require the use of a computer terminal to enter student information and data; completes applicable forms, schedules, and instructional reports, as directed.
Assists teachers in the supervision of learning activities, circulating within the classroom and providing assistance and learning support to students.
May be assigned monitoring duties, i.e., hallways, lunchroom, restrooms, and bus duty; ensures appropriate student conduct during these periods; escorts students to designated activity areas, i.e., music room, computer room, art classes, assemblies, etc.
May be assigned to various labs providing assistance to teachers and instruction/information to students; may translate lesson plan and other information to students for better understanding and comprehension.
Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology, as job appropriate, being used by OCPS. With the support of the district, attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in current position.
Responsible for timely and accurate information they maintain as part of their job responsibilities.
The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.
MARGINAL FUNCTIONS
While the following tasks are necessary for the work of the unit, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other unit members.
Performs related duties as directed.
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Associate’s degree or higher; or at least sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education (official transcript required to validate education) or passing the paraprofessional certification exam (e.g., ParaPro Assessment) can substitute for the educational requirement to meet the highly qualified status. All applicants for this position must be highly qualified prior to the start of their employment with Orange County Public Schools or obtain the highly qualified status within one (1) year of hire or by July 1, 2024, whichever is later. Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work, and effectively attend to the needs of school age children; previous vocational training or work experience in a licensed child care environment preferred. For more information about the ParaPro Assessment visit www.ets.org/parapro.
Minimum two (2) years working with school age children in an educational environment that provides broad familiarity and understanding of the physical and emotional behaviors and challenges of exceptional needs children; with demonstrated stress management skills.
PERFORMANCE APTITUDES
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of special needs equipment and devices, and standard office equipment.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Depending on school grade classroom of assignment, may require the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; may require ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may require ability to utilize principles of fractions and/or interpret graphs.
Functional Reasoning: Requires ability to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Involves routine work according to clearly prescribed standard practices, with some latitude for independent judgment.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
ADA COMPLIANCE
Physical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over).
Sensory Requirements: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.
Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as violence when working with developmentally disabled or emotionally disturbed children.
The Orange County School District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to perform the essential functions of the job when such individuals request an accommodation.
05/01/2024
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