Special Education Paraprofessional (full-time)- Indianapolis Metropolitan High School

This position pays $16-19 per hour and includes full benefits (below):
The Special Education Paraprofessional serves as a member of the instructional team at the Indianapolis Metropolitan High School and will be a member of a school community with an educational model that complements the acclaimed barrier removal work Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana does at The Excel Centers, Nurse-Family Partnership, and other award-winning programs.  The Special Education Paraprofessional assists as directed by certified staff in the effort to support all academic and/or behavioral support for students with disabilities in classes ranging from grades 9-12 in a “best fit” environment for teenagers with significant barriers to education.  With our core values of Professional, Unstoppable, Motivated, Accountable, and Supportive, the school priorities include:

• High rigor, high support instruction to close academic gaps and prepare students for post-secondary opportunities.
• Trauma-informed social-emotional learning.
• Student and family empowerment through coordination with a robust student services team of coaches, counselors, and more.

Example Duties and Activities

• Assists in successfully maintaining students with special needs in an integrated setting, as determined by the IEP/504/ESL team(s).
• Works to deliver differentiated instruction through co-teaching models, including whole group instruction and small group to reinforce learning of materials or skills introduced and outlined in the course.
• Assists students in completing make-up assignments and remediation from teacher-led classes using materials provided by teachers.
• Provides students the opportunity to excel in credit attainment; this includes communicating progress to students, guardians, and other adults, providing assistance in reading, note-taking, and study strategies, and creating remediation plans for students who are struggling.
• Fosters a structured and supportive classroom environment that is consistent with school agreements, is trauma-informed, and provides students with frequent feedback to support their social-emotional development.
• Tracks, maintains, and reports on relevant data to set improvement and/or achievement goals and to drive future evaluation and feedback.   Ensures student information system is accurate and up-to-date.  Collects, records, and sends student assignments to appropriate destinations.
• Provides supervision of students in school-wide settings, including hallways, cafeteria, and arrival and dismissal.
• Participates in student recruitment and outreach efforts for students looking for a best-fit school.
• Performs clerical, supervision, and instructional duties as assigned by the special education team, including tracking service minutes and progress monitoring.
• Builds relationships with students and their webs of support.  Communicates strengths and areas for improvement frequently and uses restorative approaches to resolve conflict.
• Collaborates with colleagues to refer and connect students to wraparound services including Family Empowerment Coaching for internal and community resources, Social-Emotional Learning, Special Education, and more.

Required Competencies

• Degree and Credential Requirements – High school diploma required.
• Tutoring Expertise – Has a good grasp of a variety of subjects with an ability to explain concepts easily to assist,  ideally high school-age students in a high poverty, racially diverse setting, in achieving expected competencies in core academic skills.  Creates, adapts, and delivers instructional materials to break up learning into steps.
• Student Engagement – Takes a strengths-based, student-centered approach to developing relationships at all levels while establishing appropriate boundaries. Adept at delivering feedback that is constructive and unbiased. Creates and maintains a safe environment for open discussions.
• Results-Oriented – Is compelled to recognize what results are important and what steps need to be taken to achieve set goals or targets.  Adept at effectively prioritizing multiple priorities.
• Communication Skills – Articulates thoughts and expresses ideas effectively using oral, written, visual, and non-verbal communication skills, as well as listening skills to comprehend customers’ needs. Delivers information in person, in writing, and in a digital world.
• Teamwork – Works well with others and makes valued contributions to the outputs of others in order to assist the team or project to achieve the required outputs.
• Diversity Awareness – Works with diverse populations including people who have experienced barriers to their education.

Other Requirements

Background Screening – All candidates must pass a pre-employment background check.

Benefits: Full-time employees may participate in a comprehensive benefits program that includes:

• Continuing education and leadership development as well as tuition reimbursement
• Comprehensive health plan
• Pay continuance during school breaks (spring, summer and fall)
• Paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Life, dental and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability plans
• Nationally recognized preventive health and wellness program
• Section 125 pre-tax health spending account, dependent care spending account, and premiums
• Retirement plan with generous match or contribution into Teachers’ Retirement Fund for eligible employees