Special Education Life Skills Assistant 24/25 SY

Job Description

TITLE : Intensive Program Instructional Assistant (differentiate per program)

WHO WE ARE :

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a student-focused, innovative educational organization committed to academic excellence.

Our mission is to empower and educate all students to think critically, creatively, and responsibly, to embrace diversity, and to pursue their dreams with a purpose.

We are a family of excellent public schools in which every student has the opportunity to succeed and the power to create their own future.

Led by forward-thinking leadership and our commitment to prioritizing students, racial equity, and authentic engagement with our families, team members, and communities, our staff have diverse opportunities to develop their careers in a challenging but rewarding environment.

We are an organization for people who are passionate about education and who are committed to the Indianapolis community.

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY :

We are looking for skilled staff who have experience assisting a classroom teacher by working one-to-one or with small groups of students to reinforce skills taught in the class.

The person in this position will serve as an extension of the teacher and will be able to perform miscellaneous routine duties under the direction of the teacher that enable the teacher to spend more time on instruction.

WHAT YOU’LL DO :

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Assists the teacher with implementing academic, behavior, and independent skills.

Provides students with program materials and instruction under the direction of the teacher or service provider (i.e. occupational therapist, speech language pathologist).

Supports and implements students' individual education plan (IEP) goals, accommodations, and modifications.

Supports students’ self care and independent living needs as applicable and driven by the individual education plan

Follows a behavior intervention plan and participates in Nonviolent Crisis Prevention training provided by the district.

Maintains and collects data as guided by the Teacher of Record / Teacher of Service.

Records services provided to students on the district approved platform.

Provides classroom instructors with information concerning student progress.

Supports community instruction.

Supports students and collaborates with staff in the general education setting.

Spends the majority of his / her time working directly with students and collaborative work with special education teachers, general education teachers, school leaders, and other experts to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities.

Attends district and building professional development to foster a continuous development mindset.

Adapt to program and schedule changes to best meet the needs of students.

Performs related duties as required.

Day In the Life Overview

On a regular day, as an Elementary / PYC Intensive Program Assistant, you might :

Assist students on / off the school bus and support a transition into / out of school.

Be an extension to the classroom teacher leading small groups, reteaching materials, and / or supporting center rotations.

Support students through their visual schedules, toileting needs, reinforcement plans, and prompting needs.

Assist with communication supports, strategies, and / or devices.

Maintains equipment and supplies as applicable.

Support students individual education plan (IEP) goals, accommodations, and modifications. These may include daily living skills and behavior plans.

Keep data and record services provided to students.

Communicate with the classroom teacher student progress, updates, and concerns.

Support students in the general education setting for academic or special courses.

Monitor and engage with students at lunch and recess.

Support students' sensory needs and follow sensory room procedures. On a regular day, as a Secondary Intensive Program Assistant, you might :

Assist students on / off the school bus and support a transition into / out of school.

Be an extension to the classroom teacher leading small groups, reteaching materials, and / or supporting center rotations.

Support students through their visual schedules, reinforcement plans, and prompting needs.

Assist with communication supports, strategies, and / or devices.

Maintains equipment and supplies as applicable.

Support students individual education plan (IEP) goals, accommodations, and modifications. Which may include daily living skills and behavior plans.

Keep data and record services provided to students.

Communicate with the classroom teacher student progress, updates, and concerns.

Support students in the general education setting for academic or special courses.

Monitor and engage with students at lunch, advisory, breaks time.

Support students' sensory needs and follow sensory room procedures. Lifeskills / ARCHES only : Support around Indianapolis during community based instruction.

Utilize IndyGo and support students with public transportation needs, after bus fare is provided by the district.

WHAT YOU’ll BRING : SKILLS AND MINDSETS

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following :

Growth Mindset. Continuously seeks to improve individual work, demonstrating candor and ability to identify weaknesses. Finds lessons in failures and successes of others.

Proactively seeks and acts on feedback.

Effective Influencer. Inspires others to work towards common goals to meet the needs of urban school students, despite obstacles.

Advocates the importance of the district’s role in serving schools and communicates with internal and external stakeholders.

Strong Collaboration & Cross-Functional Skills. Builds rapport and cooperative relationships with others. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with relevant stakeholders.

Places high priority on team and organizational goals.

Confidentiality. Makes effective decisions regarding sensitive and confidential information. Respects the privacy of others and maintains the confidentiality of information to which he / she is exposed.

Communication Skills. Possesses effective verbal and written communication and should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences.

Strategic Thinking. Identifies challenges and guides teams toward solutions. Creates space for productive debate and alternative perspectives.

Encourages innovation and creativity from the team. Identifies risks and ways to mitigate.

Project Management. Manages projects from end to end, identifying and monitoring project milestones and holding team accountable for achieving results.

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 60 semester hours from an accredited university or a passing score on the Para Pro Praxis Test.

Prior experience in working with computers and various software programs. FLSA CLASSIFICATION :

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK :

Not eligible

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS :

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

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally to work in wet and humid conditions and outside weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The person in this position may be required to :

Participate as a Crisis Team member after being trained in the program for non-violent crisis intervention.

Supports students' physical mobility needs as applicable after being trained by a physical therapist.

Lift at least 50lbs.