The School District of Philadelphia
Office of Human Resources
440 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Special Education Classroom Assistant Regular & Bilingual (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese & Russian)

Salary

(10-month)	Minimum	Maximum
	$14,814	$28,981

Summary

0813—Special Education Classroom Assistants In Programs For Students With Severe Disabilities, Regular & Bilingual (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, & Russian)

The Special Education Classroom Assistant assists special education classroom teachers assigned to programs for students with severe disabilities such as autism, severe mental retardation, multiple disabilities and/or physical disabilities.  The Special Education Classroom Assistant assists teachers in the implementation of instructional activities in school and community settings and in individual, small and large group instruction using instructional materials and equipment prescribed by the professional staff.

In addition, the Special Education Classroom Assistant assists the teacher in implementing, reinforcing, and recording appropriate pupil responses in school and community training experiences as established by instructional staff in the area of personal, domestic, academic, recreation, vocational and interpersonal communication/social skills; identifies and records individual pupil behavior according to predetermined program criteria; accompanies students, individually or in small groups, to business or other locations in the community; helps pupils with personal habits and self-care skills which include feeding, dressing, toileting, and grooming; assists teachers with proper positioning of students;  and performs related work as required.

Position Requirements

1.  Education equivalent to the completion of the twelfth school grade;  IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST ATTACH  A COPY OF YOUR DIPLOMA OR GED CERTIFICATE TO YOUR APPLICATION. IF HIGHLY QUALIFIED, PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED LETTER OR PROOF OF AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE AND/OR TRANSCRIPT .

2a.  Completed 6 months experience working with special class children in an educational or mental health services program; IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST PROVIDE DETAILS OF SUCH EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION.

       OR

2b.  Completed 6 semester hours coursework at an accredited college or university in mental health, child care, or education.   IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPT TO YOUR APPLICATION.

FOR BILINGUAL CANDIDATES ONLY

3.  Read, write and speak fluent English and Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese or Russian.

Scope Of The Examination

Written Examination                            Qualifying Only: PASS/FAIL

The written portion of this examination will consists of the NCLB paraprofessional multiple choice examination, which is designed to measure a candidate’s verbal abilities, arithmetic skills, reading comprehension and knowledge of classroom strategies.  Please note: If you have: (a) already been designated Highly Qualified under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, (b) hold an Associate’s Degree or higher from an accredited College or University, or (3) possess a minimum of 60 college credits from the same, you must present proof of these documents with your application, in order to be excused from the Multiple Choice portion of the exam; however, you will still be required to complete an Oral Interview for eligibility  and listing.                                                                                                   

Oral Examination                                      Weight: 100%

All Highly Qualified applicants, who meet the minimum requirements, will be scheduled for an oral interview. The oral portion of the exam will evaluate the candidates’ knowledge in such areas as child growth and development and social problems of children with mild to severe disabilities, as well as the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students and staff. Candidates who do not pass the oral examination will be disqualified from consideration for this position.  Minimum required score:  70.00

Bilingual candidates will be required to take and pass a language proficiency screening in their language specialty.

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance in taking the examination must attach a letter to the application form stating the nature of the disability and the type of examination assistance required.  Medical documentation with respect to the disability claimed and the accommodation requested may be required.

Veterans Preference

The Veterans Preference Act, 51 P.S. § 7101 et seq. provides persons who meet the definition of "soldier" under the Act to receive an additional five points to the passing scores of qualified candidates.  In order to qualify under the definition of "soldier," the individual must have been honorably discharged and either:

1.  have served in any capacity in the armed forces of the United States since July 27, 1953; or

2.  have served during a war or armed conflict prior to July 27, 1953; or

3.  be the widow or widower of a "soldier"; or

4.  be the spouse of a disabled "soldier."

Candidates who wish to assert Veterans’ Preference should attach a copy of their DD214 or their spouse’s DD214 and supporting documents to their application.  Candidates asserting Veterans Preference must present their original DD214 at the time of hiring.  Failure to do so will result in being denied Veterans Preference.  Persons asserting the preference will still be subject to all other conditions of School District employment.

Eligible List And Appointment

The names of those candidates who receive a final score of 70.00 or better in the examination will be placed on an eligible list for the position in score order.  These names will be merged into any existing or subsequent eligible list for the position in score order.  Candidates will be hired for position vacancies in score order from names on the eligible list at the time of hiring.

All candidates appointed from this list must accept training in cpr (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) provided by either the school district or another approved agency.  Employment is contingent on the completion of a cpr training program within 6 months of appointment to this position.

If a certificate is required for this position, all candidates must present the original of the required certificate at the time of hiring.  Failure to present any required documents will result in the candidate being passed over for hiring.

If the hiring of a bilingual candidate best meets the needs of a school or work location, the School District of Philadelphia reserves the right to hire the first such candidate whose name appears on the eligible list established as a result of this examination.  Current School District of Philadelphia needs for bilingual appointments include applicants who read, write and speak fluent English and fluent Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese or Russian.   The hiring of all bilingual candidates will be preceded by the satisfactory completion of a qualifying proficiency examination in the world language.

New employees must show proof of american citizenship or proof of legal residence in the united states as a condition of employment with the school district of Philadelphia.

Application Procedure

Qualified applicants are invited to file applications in the Office of Human Resources—440 N. Broad Street, Suite 222, Second Floor-Portal D, Philadelphia, PA  19130-4015.  APPLICATIONS ARE CONTINUOUS FILING UNTIL THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT ARE MET.  FAX:  215-400-4611.

 

In the event this position is reannounced or put on continuous filing, candidates who wish to retake the examination may file a new application.  However, they will not be allowed to retake the examination until at least 90 days after the date on which they took or had a review of the examination.  (we will use the latest date in calculating the 90 days.)

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance in filling out the application should contact the above office.

Application Deadline

Continuous