Paraprofessional Jobs in Connecticut

INTRODUCTION

Oak Hill is seeking a highly motivated and dynamic Paraprofessional to assist with support for students with Developmental and other Disabilities. This person will inspire students to achieve educational goals and make a life-changing impact while achieving professional growth and personal fulfillment. Oak Hill sets the standard, partnering with people with disabilities, to provide services and solutions promoting independence, education, health, and dignity. This role will help expand Oak Hill’s ability to identify and address diverse needs within the community. Along with the individuals we serve, Oak Hill is committed to empowering our staff. When you join our team as an ATII, our team will support you to reach your career goals. We offer professional development, tuition reimbursement, and career pathways that allow you to develop your career while an Oak Hill employee.

GENERAL PURPOSE

Under direct supervision of the Special Education Teacher, the Paraprofessional – Behavior assists in the implementation of students’ Individual Education Plans (IEP), providing academic and vocational instruction and support for individual students inside and outside of the classroom. The Paraprofessional in this role focuses on the behavioral aspect of students’ educational process that impacts their progress, quality of life, and self-direction. Individual must be able to work effectively with the education team to provide positive behavioral supports to and for students to maintain a positive learning community for students by promoting student engagement, independence, and interdependence through alignment with Connecticut Common Core of Teaching (CCT) Rubric.

SUPERVISORY AND OTHER CONTACTS

Role reports up to the Special Education Teacher. Additionally, reports to the Program Assistant for all job responsibilities that are administrative in nature, e.g., scheduling, timekeeping, etc. Within the scope of the Paraprofessional – Behavior, individual will interface with internal and external contacts as it pertains to meeting the needs of student educational programming.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Classroom Environment, Student Engagement and Commitment to Learning:

a. Assists the teacher in the implementation of behavioral intervention strategies and academic and/or vocational instruction to students individually or in small groups to implement student Individual Educational Plan; assists the Teacher, the team, and Behavior Specialist with the development and implementation of Behavior Intervention Plan, supervises students during classroom activity; provides differentiated instructional support in integrated settings in accordance with state and federal regulations and Oak Hill School philosophies and practices.

b. Creates and maintains a supportive learning environment and models appropriate behaviors to assist students in developing appropriate social skills.

c. Safely assists students into and out of school transportation, transporting students to and from school as needed.

1. Supporting planning for Active Learning:

d. Assists the teacher and clinical staff in planning of behavioral techniques and activities that are aligned with standards and Oak Hill School philosophies and practice.

e. Supports planning of behavior strategies and instruction to cognitively engage students in the content.

f. Assists the teacher in selecting appropriate behavioral strategies and assessment strategies to monitor student progress.

1. Supports Instruction for Active Learning:

g. Assists the teacher with ongoing observation and assessment, records behavior patterns and assists in developing appropriate techniques to reinforce positive behaviors; documents daily progress towards annual goals/objectives; assists in the development of a variety of instructional materials; operates a variety of instructional media, office machines and equipment; files, types, duplicates materials as needed. All assessments, observations, and recordings requirements must be completed daily.

h. Modifies materials and implements instructional and behavior management strategies for students under the direct supervision of a Special Education teacher.

i. Assists the teacher with implementing a specialized curriculum and behavior interventions; organizes instructional and other materials including state of the art technology and augmentative devices.

j. Assists students as needed in learning self-care techniques, including toileting and personal cleanliness; assist in diapering, toileting, feeding, dressing and other self-help skills; assists in responsibility for procedures related to physical and medical needs, lifting, and transferring students as needed.

1. Professional Responsibilities and Assistant Teacher 2 Leadership:

k. Maintain V-endorsement and other specialized knowledge that will support the development of student progress; and other duties as assigned.

l. Engages in continuous professional development and professional learning opportunities to impact instruction and student learning.

m. Works with colleagues, students, and families to develop and sustain a positive school climate that supports student learning.

TARGET OUTCOMES/MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• Positive learning environment
• Students are taking intellectual risks and are encouraged to respectfully challenge ideas.
• Creates opportunities for students to set high goals and take responsibility for their own learning.
• Students are encouraged to independently utilize proactive strategies and take responsibilities for their actions.
• Increase student engaged learning and reduced behavioral incidents
• Increase in students’ independence and their Active Engagement in the Learning Process
• Plans for and anticipates challenges and considers multiple ways of how to address students’ needs in advance; designs and delivers opportunities to allow and encourage students to identify their own learning needs; plans to include students in developing criteria for monitoring their own success.
• Opportunities for students to work collaboratively and generate their own questions and problem-solving strategies.
• Implements instruction that supports and challenges students to identify various ways to approach learning tasks that will be effective for them and will result in quality work.
• Culture of support and accountability
• Support and assistance to colleagues in gathering, synthesizing, and evaluating data to adapt planning and instructional practices that support professional growth and student learning
• Collaborates with colleagues to deepen the learning community’s awareness of the moral and ethical demands of professional practice

IMPACT ON ORGANIZATION

Paraprofessional – Behavior support model classrooms that set the standard in providing education and lifelong learning opportunities that enhance independence and quality of life for students with disabilities.

CRITICAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS AND WORKFLOW INTERDEPENDENCIES

• Works directly with students as a team member, understanding the interdependency of all roles within the educational team including parents and stakeholders.
• Demonstrates flexibility and willingness to interact cooperatively and effectively within the interdisciplinary team.

COMPLEXITY

• Ability to contribute thoughts and ideas in a positive and actionable way.
• Uses many techniques to gain and hold students’ attention; knows students’ strengths/weaknesses and can explain student needs as identified by the IEP.
• Addresses student’s emotional and physical behaviors identified in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

We support equality for and advancement of all people, based on their qualifications and actions alone, without regard to color, gender, age, religion, national origin or disability.

Our company is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to total.rewards@oakhillct.org. We will make every effort to accommodate your needs in accordance with applicable laws and our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.