Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained

West Middle School; Sioux City (IA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

West Middle School in Sioux City, IA seeks an Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained to support students with disabilities in K-12 settings. The role emphasizes health, communication, and behavior supports for effective instruction in small group settings and occasional integration with peers.

The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma, experience with children, and preferably a paraeducator certification.

Qualifications

• High school diploma and experience with children required; paraeducator certification preferred.
• Strong communication skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to collect and analyze student data and report findings to teachers.

Responsibilities

• Assist students with disabilities in various settings to access instruction.
• Support health, communication, and behavior needs of students.
• Assist with tasks in small group or inclusive classrooms.
• Use assistive technology and adaptive equipment as needed for student learning.
• Maintain confidentiality of student information and records.

Skills

Communication

Classroom management

Data collection

Technology literacy

Education

High School Diploma

Paraeducator Certification (preferred)

Job description

Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained

Sioux City Community School District West Middle School - Sioux City, Iowa Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in SIOUX CITY COMM SCHOOL DIST , and TeachIowa, Iowa's Marketplace for education jobs

Job Details

Job ID: 5936557

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Sep 22, 2026 5:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Oct 5, 2026

Job Description

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Special Education Classroom Instructional Assistant III provides assistance and motivation to students with disabilities. This position will provide assistance with health, communication, and behavior supports needed to allow our students to effectively access instruction in a variety of settings in grades K-12. This position will support students primarily in a small group special education setting and will support students in opportunities to integrate with peers during parts of the school day.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Work effectively with children having disabilities and special needs within a variety of settings. May work with one student or a small group of students in a general education or special education environment.

Communicate and work effectively with special education and classroom teachers, co-workers.

Practice professional, legal, and ethical conduct toward students, parents, and co-workers.

Motivate and assist student(s) to build independence, develop interpersonal and social skills, learn actively, and self-advocate.

Use assistive technology, computers, and adaptive equipment providing special care or physical assistance required for the student to function in school and learn effectively.

Gather and maintain accurate data regarding the student, including academic, behavioral, and/or health information, as needed, and providing feedback to the teacher to improve instruction for the student.

Understand and appreciate diversity in children’s skill and abilities, cultural heritage, lifestyles, values systems, and human rights.

Maintain confidentiality with student information and student records.

Implement prevention, response, and safety intervention as outlined in multiple Behavior Intervention Plans.

Implement supports and services as outlined in Individual Health Plans. This may include toileting, assisting with meals, and other self-care activities for multiple students.

Utilize de-escalation strategies and appropriate restraint and seclusion strategies as trained in Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI).

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, education and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Minimum education include a high school graduate and previous experience working with children. A paraeducator certification is preferred.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Must possess the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of individuals and groups from all levels of the organization. Individual must have effective listening skills.

ANALYTICAL and REASONING SKILLS

Ability to gather, collate, and/or classify data. Ability to work with a variety of data. Problem solving is required to identify issues and create action plans.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

May be required to lift up to 50 pounds frequently. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee may work inside or outside. The environment is usually fast paced with a great deal of movement throughout the day. Individuals must be able to engage in physical activity associated with active supervision of students. The employee will also be required to participate in CPI training and be able to effectively demonstrate competency in physical skill components.

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Must be able to use the computer, process electronic requests. Must be able to learn different communication devices from pictures/symbols to individual student augmentative communication devices. Able to retrieve and print information from various computer programs when needed.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

Will perform other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent or designee, necessary and appropriate to achievement of the program and/or District goals and objectives.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act prior to starting, you must have one of the following:

• Two years of study at an institution of higher education;
• Associate degree or higher;
• Obtain voluntary certification through the Board of Educational Examiners(Paraeducator Certification);
• Successful completion of ACT WorkKeys® (NCRC Assessment).

ACT WorkKeys® Assessment

ACT WorkKeys® is a job skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop and retain a high-performance workforce. This series of tests measures foundational and soft skills and offers specialized assessments to target institutional needs.

Successful completion of ACT WorkKeys® assessments in Applied Mathematics, Locating Information and Reading for Information can lead to earning ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), a portable credential earned by more than 2.3million people across the United States. If you are interested in taking the NCRC assessments, you may schedule a time at one of the Iowa WORKS Centers.

For more information, please contact Iowa Work Force Development at 712-233-9030. The calendar of testing times and locations is available on the Skilled Iowa website: https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/assess-and-improve-my-skills

Non-Discrimination Statement

The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW. The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices.

The District is required by Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs, activities, or employment. Inquiries or grievances under Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to the Compliance Coordinator, at 627 4 th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, [phone], [e-mail]. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the District may be referred to the Compliance Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. Please see District board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All employers submitting a job opening for posting on the Teach Iowa system will not discriminate in hiring on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, marital status, or status as a veteran. A bona fide religious institution may choose to exercise the allowances in Iowa Code section 216.6.(6)d. Employers may have additional developed specific equal employment opportunity policies and procedures; please check with employers.

Job Requirements

• High School/Trade School degree preferred.
• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

• Stefanie Verros
• 627 4 th Street
• Sioux City, Iowa 51101
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]