LTS Educational Support Professional (ESP-3) Anticipated Job ID 1353

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

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

Bedford Public Schools is seeking an Educational Support Professional (ESP-3) – Long Term Substitute to assist students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in general education settings. The ESP will implement ABA-based strategies, monitor progress, and collaborate with teachers and BCBA supervision.

The role includes small group instruction, data collection, and behavior support across classrooms, lunch, recess, and field trips.

Qualifications

• Associates Degree preferred in psychology, education or related area.
• Experience supporting students with autism spectrum disorders or related needs is desirable.
• Familiarity with ABA-based instruction and data collection is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to students with ASD or related disorders in general education classrooms.
• Assist with small group instruction and implement individualized academic/behavior plans.
• Collect, record, and analyze progress data and share with staff.
• Support routines, de-escalation, and behavior programs in various school settings.

Skills

Data collection

Data analysis

De-escalation strategies

Use of Google tools

Education

Associates Degree in Psychology, Education or related area

Tools

Google Sheets

Job description

Educational Support Professional (ESP-3) – Long Term Substitute

A SAIL 2 ESP is responsible for providing direct support to students who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or related disorders in a general education classroom. The ESP will also be responsible for small group instruction in the general and/or special education classroom setting and 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.

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.
• 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

• 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