Educational Support Professional Sail 1 Program (ESP-3) Job ID 1317

Bedford Public Schools; United States; On-site; USD 38,820 - 47,720; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development

Specialized training before start

Job summary

Bedford Public Schools seeks an Education Support Professional to assist students in a Sail 1 Program (ESP-3). The role involves implementing ABA-based instruction, data collection, and de-escalation strategies in a sub-separate classroom under supervision.

Five days of specialized training are provided before the school year starts. Responsibilities include supporting routines, supervising students, and collaborating with teachers to meet IEP goals.

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree in Psychology, Education or related area preferred.
• Experience supporting students with ASD or related disorders is a plus.
• Knowledge of ABA principles and data collection methods.

Responsibilities

• Support classroom routines and reinforce behavioral programs per school expectations.
• Provide supervision and/or student support in all school environments (recess, lunch, arrival, dismissal, field trips).
• Provide small group or individual instructional support aligned with student goals and IEPs.
• Consult with teachers to understand targets, success criteria, and classroom expectations.
• Support academic and behavioral data collection and progress monitoring.

Skills

Behavior support

Data collection

Google Sheets

De-escalation techniques

Collaboration

Education

Associate’s Degree in Psychology, Education or related area

Tools

Word processing

Data entry

Google tools

Job description

Education Support Professional Sail 1 Program (ESP-3) Job ID 1317

• Position Type: Education Support Professionals/ ESP-3
• Date Posted: 7/21/2026

Bedford Public Schools

Educational Support Professional

Sail 1 Program (ESP-3)

A SAIL 1 ESP is responsible for providing direct support to students who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or related disorders in a sub‑separate classroom, implementing individualized academic and behavior programs. The ESP will provide instruction using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis including discrete trial task analysis and naturalistic teaching. The ESP will be trained to utilize de‑escalation strategies and to take data on academic and behavioral support plans. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a certified Special Education Teacher supervises the ongoing training and support of all ESPs.

Note: Five days of additional specialized training before the start of school is provided to ESPs serving SAIL 1 students.

Responsibilities

• Support classroom routines and procedures; reinforce the principles of social interaction programs by modeling positive behavior, e.g., Responsive Classroom, RULER, PBIS and assist with providing behavioral support to students in accordance with school expectations.
• Provide supervision and/or student support services in all environments of the school for activities including but not limited to recess, lunch, arrival, dismissal and field trips, as scheduled, and escorting students to designated areas throughout the building (activities, fire and crisis drills) with guidance from teaching/counseling/administrative staff.
• Provide small group or individual instructional support with guidance from teaching/counseling staff aligned with student goals, benchmarks, individualized education plans, and/or related behavior plans.
• Consult with teachers in preparation for daily classes to become familiar with the learning targets, success criteria, and other classroom expectations.
• Support academic programs (reteaching, reinforcing, reviewing, assessing, scribing, note‑taking, data collection); and behavioral programs (data collection, cueing, providing motor breaks, implement behavior plans).
• Provide regular feedback to the teaching/counseling staff on the progress and challenges experienced by assigned students in addressing their goals.
• Work in conjunction with the classroom teacher to support learning experiences in the classroom, focusing first on identified priority students and then for the broader group of students. The goal is to be actively engaged in the learning environment, providing support for learners.
• Support implementation of behavior intervention plans and social skill facilitation across various school settings.
• Support crisis intervention as needed in a culturally responsive manner, including verbal de‑escalation/processing of events with students and staff and the application of physical intervention methods to reduce risk of injury to students or staff as assigned/trained.
• Adapt to varying needs of students.
• Perform other job‑related tasks or duties at the discretion of administrators.
• Assist teacher(s) with basic data entry, word processing, printing, and copying, as necessary (not applicable for ESP‑2s and ESP‑3s).
• Monitor and maintain accurate data and records for progress monitoring of student plans such as IEP goals and individual support plans and share the information with teaching/counseling staff (not applicable for ESP‑1s).

Must possess the ability to

• Integrate into the classroom setting when appropriate, working under the direction of administrative/teaching/counseling staff to support student engagement and learning.
• Collect, record, and analyze data across multiple data points.
• Record data collected into spreadsheets and provide graphs to visually display student progress with multiple data points using Google tools.
• Adapt and acquire new skills and knowledge and use them consistently to support student engagement with learning activities, behavior interventions, social interactions, and the school day.
• Maintain flexibility in day‑to‑day priorities set to reflect changing student needs.
• Work in multiple classrooms or environments during the school day.
• Maintain the high level of confidentiality and professionalism expected of the teaching staff.
• Anticipate and effectively address unforeseen events associated with working with large groups of children.
• Maintain positive relations with students, parents, staff and the public.

Specialty Area

• Passion for working with children/students.
• Knowledge of child growth and development.
• Knowledge of basic learning strategies.
• Knowledge of social emotional learning (SEL).
• Knowledge of proper de‑escalation strategies and restraint protocols.
• Ability to work with diverse learning styles.
• Ability to collaborate and participate as a member of a teaching team.

Physical and Environmental Demands

• Able to move with students from one school environment to another.
• Physical agility and strength, with proper safety protocols.

Additional Information

Associate’s Degree in Psychology, Education or related area preferred.

An ESP is considered to be an Instructional Aide as defined in General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 38.

Salary/Benefits

In accordance with the Bedford Education Support Professional Contract. $28.18/hour to $34.64/hour; Annualized for 184 work days at 6.75 hours/day, $35,006 to $43,028. Benefits are outlined at Benefits | Bedford Public Schools (bedfordps.org).

Bedford Public Schools are committed to hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse staff. We are relentless in our efforts to bolster equity, in both academic and work spaces, by fostering a culture of belonging and ensuring our diverse employees and students have equitable access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive — personally, professionally, and academically.

School Committee Approved: August 8, 2024