ED PARA,EX ED,NC,NON-TITLE I

Orange County Public Schools; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Public Schools is seeking a paraprofessional to provide instructional and developmental support to students with special needs under direct supervision. You will assist teachers, help with daily living skills, and aid in classroom activities in an educational setting.

The role requires a high school diploma or GED, at least two years working with school-age children, and completion of ESE training within 45 days.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; supplemented by at least two years working with school-age children.
• Experience with exceptional needs children and demonstrated stress management skills.
• Ability to fulfill dexterity and physical requirements of the work.
• Successful completion of ESE Training within 45 days of hire.
• Willingness to complete additional HRS training.

Responsibilities

• Provide instructional, vocational and developmental assistance to mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students, as prescribed by the supervising teacher.
• Assist students as they arrive on buses and transfer them from wheelchairs to desks or mats as needed.
• Assist students with gross and fine motor activities and daily living skills as appropriate.
• Monitor, observe and chart student behavior; document changes and events.
• Reinforce classroom rules and support the learning environment.
• Assist in preparing lesson plans, behavior modification plans, and materials; input learning activities.
• Maintain accurate records of student activities and complete forms and reports.
• Supervise learning activities, circulate in classrooms, and provide learning support.
• May monitor hallways, lunchroom, restrooms and bus duty; escort students to activity areas.
• May assist in labs and translate lesson plans for better understanding.

Job description

Salary Schedule

Candidates that have taken the Para Assessment with a passing score, or have an Associate’s degree or 60 completed semester credits, may be eligible for a higher hourly rate in a certified position, evidence must be provided.

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

• 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.

Marginal Functions

• Performs related duties as directed.

Minimum Training And Experience

High school diploma or GED; supplemented by 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; ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work, and effectively attend to special needs; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Additional HRS training preferred.

All new hires to this position must successfully complete the ESE Training within 45 days of date of hire.

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.

10/01/2025