Educational Support Professional Sail 1 Program (ESP-4) (301082) Job ID 1354

Bedford Public Schools; West Bedford (MA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedford Public Schools is seeking an Educational Support Professional for the Sail 1 Program (ESP-4). The ESP will support students diagnosed with ASD in a sub-separate classroom using ABA-based instruction and data collection under supervision of BCBA and Special Education staff.

Five days of additional specialized training before the start of school are provided. Applicants should have an Associates degree in psychology or education and can contribute to social-emotional learning and behavior

Qualifications

• Associates Degree preferred in Psychology, Education or related area.
• Experience or ability to implement ABA-based strategies and data collection.
• Ability to engage with students with ASD in sub-separate settings.

Responsibilities

• Support classroom routines and reinforce social interaction programs (PBIS, SEL).
• Provide supervision and student support in all school environments (recess, lunch, arrival, dismissal, field trips).
• Offer small group or individual instructional support aligned with IEP goals.
• Prepare for classes by reviewing targets and success criteria with teachers.
• Contribute to data collection and progress monitoring of student plans.

Skills

Data collection

De-escalation strategies

Behavioral support

Collaboration with staff

Instructional support

Education

Associates Degree in Psychology or Education

Tools

Google Sheets

Job description

Educational Support Professional Sail 1 Program (ESP-4) (301082) Job ID 1354 JobID: 1354

• Position Type: Education Support Professionals/ ESP-4
• Date Posted: 9/22/2026

Bedford Public Schools

Invites applications for the position of:

Educational Support Professional

Sail 1 Program (ESP-4)

Description

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.

N/A for ESP-2s, ESP-3s, and ESP-4s: Assist teacher(s) with such tasks as basic data entry, word processing, printing, and copying, as necessary.

N/A for ESP-1s: 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,

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

The physical and environmental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Able to move with students from one school environment to another.

Physical agility and strength, with proper safety protocols.

Additional Information

Associates 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