Instructional Paraprofessional (SPED)

St. Landry Parish School Board; Opelousas (LA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Landry Parish School Board is seeking an instructional paraprofessional to assist teachers with classroom activities and individualized student support.

The role includes small-group instruction, grading support, and coordination with substitutes to ensure smooth classroom operation. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, formal paraprofessional qualification, and First Aid/CPR certification within 60 days.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or its equivalent required.
• Must be Highly Qualified by means of: Paraprofessional Exam OR 48 semester credit hours with 6 hours in Math and 9 hours in English/Reading (3 in English Composition) OR Associate degree from accredited institution.
• Must possess effective written and oral self-expressive skills.
• Satisfactory completion of Red Cross First Aid Course including CPR within 60 days of employment.

Responsibilities

• Assist the teacher in devising strategies for reinforcing material based on individual students' needs.
• Guide independent study, enrichment, and remedial work as assigned by the teacher.
• Serve as chief information resource to substitutes in absence of the regular teacher.
• Perform routine classroom tasks with small groups or individuals under supervision.
• Confer with the classroom teacher regarding student assignments or disciplinary issues.
• Assist with course instruction, grading, behavior monitoring, distributing/collecting materials, and maintaining classroom neatness.
• Support staff with duties such as playground duty and escorting students to/from cafeteria, gym, library, etc.
• May perform noncomplex health procedures per Louisiana law as described.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills

Effective written and oral skills

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Paraprofessional qualifications (e.g., exam or 48 credit hours with Math/English)

First Aid/CPR certification (Red Cross)

Job description

Job Goal:

To assist the teacher with teaching related activities necessary for the efficient operation of the classroom. Instructional paraprofessionals make work with individual students or work with students in groups. Class assignments may vary from year to year or during the school year, depending on student needs.

Qualifications (minimum education, licensure, skills, and/or experience):

• High School Diploma or its equivalent
• Must be Highly Qualified by means of:
  • Passing score on the Paraprofessional Exam OR
  • 48 semester credit hours with 6 hours in Math and 9 hours in English/Reading (3 of which must be in English Composition) OR
  • Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science degree from a state-approved or regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Must possess effective written and oral self-expressive skills.
• Satisfactory completion of Red Cross First Aid Course including CPR within 60 days of employment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist the teacher in devising special strategies for reinforcing material or skills based on an understanding of individual students, their needs, interests and abilities.
• Guide independent study, enrichment work, and remedial work set up and assigned to by the teacher.
• Serve as chief source of information and help to any substitute teacher assigned in the absence of the regular teacher.
• Perform routine classroom tasks with small groups and/or individual students under the planning and direction of the teacher.
• Confer with the classroom teacher regarding major decisions relative to the students' assignments or problems of a disciplinary nature.
• Assist the classroom teacher specifically in activities related to the course of instruction; in grading students' activities related to the course of instruction; in monitoring behaviors; in distributing and collecting instructional materials; and in maintaining neatness in the classroom.
• Assist the teaching staff with duties such as playground duty, escorting students to and from the cafeteria, gymnasium, library, vocational training area, bathroom, etc.
• The instructional paraprofessional may perform non-complex medical procedures as outlined in Louisiana R.S. 17:436 (INCLUDED WITH JOB DESCRIPTION) or any other provision of state or federal law.
• Perform other job related duties as assigned.

Instructional support staff (i.e., instructional specialists, paraprofessionals, and coaches) shall be expected to perform the following duties, along with the completion of corresponding documents, forms, and reports.

Self-Evaluation

• Complete a self-evaluation and document the results on appropriate written forms.

Professional Growth Plan

• Develop a Professional Growth Plan in collaboration with the evaluation.

Supervision

• Supervise students as needed when students are on campus.
• Supervise students prior to school and/or drop-off, when assigned.
• Supervise students in the classroom, if needed
• Supervise students as needed between classes, during recess/intermission, during lunch, assemblies.
• Supervise students after school and/or pick-up, when assigned.

Instructional Components

• Fulfill duties traditionally expected of those in the counseling profession.
• Accept and discharge assignments.
• Practice and model punctuality.
• Collaborate with colleagues and departments.
• Adhere to federal, state, system, and school policies and regulations.
• Conduct conferences as needed. Maintain positive and timely interaction with parents relative to the performance or conduct of students assigned to the counselor.
• Follow recommendations made by school administrators and district staff.
• Take part in the continuing in-service program of the schools.

School Support Activities

• Provide for the care and proper usage of school property. Maintain current inventory of items assigned to position.
• Attend meetings generally associated with the instruction of students.
• Attend faculty, staff, and department meetings.
• Attend ILT meeting if applicable.
• Attend training sessions.
• Attend IEP/IAP meetings, upon request.
• Attend parent-teacher conferences, upon request
• Attend back-to-school and open-house events.
• Attend graduation.
• Attend student discipline meetings/hearings, upon request.
• Attend school board/committee meetings, upon request.
• If requested, be responsible for a reasonable amount of co-curricular and other duties beyond the regular school day as determined by the building principal.
• Attend/work concessions/gates at athletic events within school year.
• Attend all meetings and functions of those activities, clubs, or groups of which the employee is a sponsor/coach.

Physical Demands:

This position requires bending, crouching, pushing, pulling, and carrying in excess of fifty (50) pounds for the purpose of handling and assisting students.

Terms of Employment:

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel (Bulletin 130).

Note: This job description is subject to change at any time. While this job description reflects delegation of essential duties and responsibilities, it does not exclude or restrict management's right to assign or reassign tasks, duties, or responsibilities to this job at any time.

LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 17:436

• 436. Performing noncomplex health procedures; definitions; conditions; restrictions; safety equipment,

materials, and supplies

1. As used in this Section, the term "noncomplex health procedure" shall mean a task which is

safely performed according to exact directions, with no need to alter the standard procedure, and which

yields predictable results. It shall include the following:

1. (1) Modified activities of daily living which require special instruction such as toileting/diapering,

bowel/bladder training, toilet training, oral/dental hygiene, lifting/positioning, and oral feeding.

(2) Health maintenance procedures such as postural drainage, percussion, tracheostomy

suctioning, and gastrostomy feeding and monitoring of these procedures.

(3) Screenings such as growth, vital signs, hearing, vision, and scoliosis.

1. No city or parish school board shall require any employee other than a registered nurse, licensed

medical physician, or an appropriate licensed health professional to perform noncomplex health

procedures until all the following conditions have been met:

(1) A registered nurse or a licensed medical physician and, when appropriate, another licensed

health professional employed by a city or parish school board, has assessed the health status of the specific child in his specific educational setting and has determined that, according to the legal standards of the respective licensed health professional performing such procedure, the procedure can be safely performed, the results are predictable, and the procedure can be delegated to someone other than a licensed health professional following documented training.

(2) The registered nurse or the licensed medical physician and, when appropriate, another licensed

health professional shall train, in his or her area of expertise, at least two such employees to perform

noncomplex health procedures on the specific child in his educational setting. The employees shall be

given not less than four hours of training in the area of noncomplex health procedures.

(3)(a) Following the training provided for in Paragraph (2), no noncomplex health procedure,

except screenings and activities of daily living such as toileting/diapering, toilet training, oral/dental

hygiene, oral feeding, lifting, and positioning may be performed unless prescribed in writing by a

physician licensed to practice medicine in the state of Louisiana or an adjacent state.

(b) The employee, other than the registered nurse, licensed medical physician, or appropriate

licensed health professional shall be required to complete, under the direct supervision or coordination of a registered nurse, a minimum of three satisfactory demonstrations. Upon satisfactory completion of these noncomplex health procedures, the registered nurse, licensed medical physician, or appropriate licensed health professional and the trainee shall sign a standard form indicating that the trainee has attained the prescribed level of competency. A copy of this form shall be kept on file by the school system.

(4) Individuals who are required to perform noncomplex health procedures and have been trained

according to the provisions of this Section, may not decline to perform such service at the time indicated

except as exempted for reasons as noted by the licensed medical physician or registered nurse. The

reasons for such exemption shall be documented and certified by the licensed medical physician or a

registered nurse within seventy-two hours.

(5) Any employee shall have the right to request that another school board employee be present

while he or she is performing noncomplex health procedures for a student, to serve as a witness to the

procedure. After making such a request, the employee shall not be required to perform noncomplex health procedures without such a witness.

1. For the purposes of this Section, "employee" means any appropriate member of the education staff.
2. Each city and parish school board shall provide the necessary safety equipment, materials, and supplies to each employee who performs noncomplex health procedures as provided in this Section. Such

safety equipment, materials, and supplies shall include but shall not be limited to gloves, anti-bacterial

soaps and wipes, paper towels, and masks.

1. Notwithstanding any provision of law or any rule, regulation, or policy to the contrary, no employee other than a registered nurse, licensed medical physician, an appropriate licensed health

professional, or hired and trained unlicensed nursing personnel or unlicensed assistive personnel as

defined by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing shall be required to perform a tracheostomy suctioning

procedure on any child in an educational setting. However, nothing in this Section shall prohibit an

employee who volunteers to perform such procedure and who complies with the training and

demonstration requirements as provided in Paragraphs (B)(2) and (3) of this Section from being allowed

to perform such procedure on a child in an educational setting.

1. For purposes of this Section, "appropriate licensed health professional" shall include a licensed

practical nurse.

Acts 1991, No. 760, §1, eff. July 19, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 469, §1; Acts 1995, No. 752, §1; Acts1997, No. 804, §1; Acts 2008, No. 802, §1; Acts 2009, No. 414, §1.