Bedford Public Schools
Invites applications for the position of:
Education Support Professional-3 (ESP)
January - June 2025
Description:
The role of the Education Support Professional-3 (ESP) is to support students in the SAIL program, which serves students on the Autism Spectrum or related disabilities, the Bridge program, which services students with social and emotional disabilities or related disabilities, or the Integrated Preschool which services students ages 3-5 on the Autism Spectrum, social or emotional disabilities or related disabilities. Education Support Professional-3 (ESP) is responsible for supporting the implementation of the Individual Education Program for students by providing direct support in the sub-separate program setting, in the classroom setting, or in small groups. The Education Support Professional-3 (ESP) will provide instruction using a variety of methodologies, including but not limited to, the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, including discrete trial task analysis and naturalistic teaching. The Education Support Professional-3 (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 Education Support Professionals-3 (ESP).
Responsibilities:
Support classroom routines and procedures; reinforce the principles of social interaction programs by modeling positive behavior, e.g., Responsive Classroom, 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:
The physical and environmental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
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