Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained

East High School; Sioux City (IA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

East High School in Sioux City, IA seeks a Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained to support students with disabilities in grades K-12. The role emphasizes health, communication, and behavior supports to enable access to instruction in small-group settings and occasional integration with peers.

The position involves collaboration with teachers, CPI-approved de-escalation techniques, and data collection to improve instructional outcomes.

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma; paraeducator certification preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, families and staff.
• Experience or ability to work with children with disabilities in multiple settings.
• Familiarity with behavior supports and data collection practices.

Responsibilities

• Assist students with disabilities in a variety of settings.
• Collaborate with teachers and staff to support instruction.
• Maintain confidentiality of student information and records.
• Assist with health, meals, and self-care activities as needed.
• Use assistive technology and adaptive equipment to support learning.
• Gather and maintain student data and provide feedback to teachers.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

De-escalation

CPI training

Education

High school diploma

Paraeducator certification preferred

Job description

Special Education Instructional Assistant III Self-Contained

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; or


• Associate degree or higher; or


• Obtain voluntary certification through the Board of Educational Examiners(Paraeducator Certification); or


• Successful completion of ACT WorkKeys® (NCRC Assessment).

ACT WorkKeys® Assessment

ACT WorkKeys®is a job skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, developand 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 Informationand 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 IowaWORKSCenters.

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

Job Details

Job ID: 5979027

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Nov 02, 2026 6:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Nov 30, 2026

Position Type: Full-Time 10 Month

Job Categories: Instructional Support > Paraprofessional / IA
Special Education > Mentally Disabled

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 4th Street


• Sioux City, Iowa 51101


• Phone: [phone]


• Email: [e-mail]

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