Job Description

GENERAL SUMMARY
Saginaw Public Schools Attendance Improvement Paraprofessional are responsible for providing intervention to students who exhibit attendance concerns under the supervision of building principals, working cooperatively with school staff, and other agencies to effectively intervene and redirect youth towards positive school attendance and towards a healthy lifestyle.

DISTRICT-WIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The School District of the City of Saginaw, in partnership with parents, students, businesses and the community, are committed to and responsible for ensuring the highest level of academic achievement and career planning for all students, the highest performing organizational structure at all levels, and a safe and effective learning environment for all students.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

1. Knowledge of intervention programs or strategies effective to improve attendance.
2. Knowledge of anger management strategies and programs
3. Knowledge of trends in city-wide youth-related programs and agencies
4. Knowledge of assessment techniques
5. Excellent communication skills
6. Skilled in de-escalation techniques
7. Skilled in problem solving
8. Skilled in data analysis and developing strategies to curtail truancy.
9. Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with teachers, administrators, and staff
10. Ability to prepare and communicate/present reports effectively
11. Ability to acquire knowledge on new technologies to solve quality problems
12. Ability to work independently
13. Ability to build and maintain a positive working relationship with law enforcement and other support agencies
14. Ability to respond calmly and quickly in emergency situations
15. Ability to work in a multi-cultural, urban setting and develop a rapport with students, staff, parents and the school community

Physical Demands � While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand and/or walk, may be required to lift up to 50 lbs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Interpret and enforce state attendance laws
2. Informs and applies District Attendance policies.
3. Educate and re-educate parents and students about applicable laws
4. Develop a working relationship with each Principal, Students and parents and support and direct their efforts in to improve attendance/truancy.
5. Communicate regularly with parents, students and staff to establish positive relationships through cooperative and innovative approaches to solve truancy issues
6. Assist the building administrator in developing an action plan with the parents/guardians and the student to address the causes of excessive absenteeism and encourage the student to remain in school.
7. Confer with student and parents on daily absences. Determines excused, unexcused, medical absences, which includes deciding if good cause exits to excuse absence and tardiness.
8. Reviews attendance data to identify students who are excessively absent or tardy.
9. Collaborate with school staff to develop interventions for students who are habitually absent/tardy and develop individualized service plans to improve attendance. Create and share with staff members and principals.
10. Makes referrals to other internal professional staff members as needed. (i.e. Social Worker, School Counselor, Behavior Interventionist).
11. Makes referrals to other community agencies as needed. (i.e. DHS, Family Counseling, Partners with Schools.)
12. Assist with implementing attendance prevention program and recommends strategies to support and improve regular school attendance (i.e. Incentives, peer groups, recognition).
13. Perform other duties as assigned per funding source guidelines.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

1. High school graduate or equivalent
2. A minimum of 60 semester hours of credit at an accredited college or university (or) pass the ETS Educational Paraprofessional Assessment as required by the MDE.
3. Previous successful experience with data collection, entry, database management and reporting preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS:

1. School environment where there is no physical discomfort due to temperature, dust.
2. Noise level in this environment may be moderate to loud

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
None

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
None

CURRICULA RESPONSIBILITIES:
None

METHOD OF EVALUATION:
Annual per SEIU contract

Preceding data are intended to convey information essential to making fair pay decisions about the job, and are not exhaustive lists of the skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with it.

Starting Pay Range: (Pay is based on education and experience)

$13.90 - $15.07