BARNWELL COUNTY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Position Title: Adult Support Person/Shadow

Department: Special Education

Reports to: Principal

FLSA status: Non-EXEMPT

The position is based on funding and will be reviewed annually.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

An Adult Support Person is an individual who provides one on one support to special needs students to help in the development of their academic, social, and behavioral skills. He or she assists the student to better perform at some or all the activities throughout the school day. Adult support Person is able to assist with educating students in a way that provides accommodations that address their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs.

The goal of an Adult Support Person is to increase independence and manage negative behaviors.

As an Adult Support Person to a student means spending a day looking at the world through the eyes of a student. Adult Support Person will involve following a student through his or her school day and capturing insights about how to improve the educational experience for that student and for all our students.

A well-trained shadow will act as an intermediate between the student and the teacher. The Adult Support Person should prompt the student towards the teacher – to listen to him/her during instruction time, to answer questions, and to let them know when his or her work is done. Alternatively, the Adult Support Person can prompt the teacher to do things like choose the child to answer a question when he/she knows the answer, or to repeat an instruction that the student may not have heard.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Other duties may be assigned.

• Meet scholar at school promptly in mornings and ask questions (like a check -in) to make the scholar comfortable
• Assist scholar in all classes and take notes daily in a notebook that describe the scholar behavior in each of his/her classes
• Document on behavior tracking form how the scholar behavior was throughout the day (i.e. Tolerable, disruptive, lethargic, aggressive etc.). The use of an ABC (Antecedent, Behavior and Consequence) chart may also be used to track data from student daily.
• Adult Support Person may be asked to attend certain IEP meetings or provide updated notebook with student data.
• In some cases, the Adult Support Person may be asked to ride the bus with the student depending on the IEP team recommendations.
• And other duties as assigned within the realm of an Adult Support Person.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversees the day to day activities of student(s).

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Associate's degree preferred or related area of discipline with at least three years of experience in the grade span of the school of employment; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions effectively.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

KNOWLEDGE:

Knowledge of the policies, procedures and activities of the school district which pertain to the specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Knowledge of the records, forms and reports which must be prepared and maintained. Knowledge of proper maintenance of equipment, materials, and supplies used in daily activities. Knowledge of effective interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of people. Knowledge of problem solving techniques. Knowledge of a wide variety of instructional methods and materials. Knowledge of Technology. Knowledge of diagnostic procedures for students. Knowledge of counseling techniques. Knowledge and ability to implement de-escalation techniques. Knowledge and ability to implement behavior management techniques. Knowledge of safe practice in classroom and playground activities and health regulations.

SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Ability to work and communicate effectively with individuals and groups from a wide variety of educational and cultural backgrounds. Strong organizational skills. Ability to operate general offices equipment in the performance of daily activities. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize daily activities. Ability to counsel students in adjustment, disciplinary, and academic problems. Ability to select and evaluate instructional methods and materials. Ability to exercise initiative and sound judgment in resolving problems. Ability to monitor and observe student behavior according to approved policies and procedures. Ability to develop rapport and interact effectively with students. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing. Ability to handle emotionally charged situations. Ability to interact and collaborate with staff, students and families in a professional manner. Ability to maintain confidentiality. Ability to work effectively, cooperatively and respectively with staff, parents and community members regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity/national origin, religion, marital status, age, socio-economic status or disability.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Conducts duties primarily indoors with little to no significant exposure to environmental conditions. Requires ability to work under a degree of stress related to duties that require tight deadlines and working with students.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Physical demands are restricted to work requiring occasional lifting/moving of items weighting up to fifty pounds. Occasional local travel is required; no overnight travel is required. Job requires the operation of general office equipment.

TERM OF EMPLOYMENT:

The terms of employment detailed in this job description are based on employment during an entire school year. Conditions of employment are adjusted for all employees or individuals who are hired for less than an entire school year.

EVALUATION:

Performance of this job will be evaluated annually according to Board Policy.

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.