
Job Analysis
George Key School
Placentia, CA
My team and I partnered with George Key School to conduct a job analysis for the position of Special Education Teacher’s Aide. To gain a clear understanding of the position, we conducted external research, structured interviews, and on-site observations, allowing us to pinpoint the essential knowledge, skills, abilities, and duties needed for effective performance. Using these insights, we developed tailored selection test recommendations to enhance the school’s hiring process and ensure stronger alignment between candidate qualifications and job requirements.
What is a Job Analysis?
A job analysis is a structured method used to collect and assess detailed information about a particular role, including its duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, and working conditions. When done thoroughly, it helps organizations identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for someone to succeed in the position. This information also plays a key role in guiding various HR functions, such as recruitment, performance reviews, training and development and compensation planning. It ensures consistency and fairness in hiring practices by aligning job expectations with candidate qualifications. Ultimately, job analysis supports better decision-making and contributes to overall organizational effectiveness.


Background
George Key School which is a part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District, was established in 1972 and serves special education students from kindergarten to age 22. The school’s mission is to help students reach their full potential through a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes communication, independence, and life skills in a safe, nurturing, and collaborative environment. The school offers specialized instruction for students with emotional and cognitive disabilities.Teacher’s aides play an essential role in guiding students and fostering the development of key life skills throughout their educational journey.
Information Gathering
To gather information about the teacher’s aide position, we utilized various sources such as O*NET, the George Key School website, and EdJoin, an online platform for educational job postings. These resources provided a foundational understanding of the role and helped us identify key knowledge gaps. To gain deeper, job-specific insights, we conducted structured interviews and direct observations with current teacher’s aides. The data collected from these methods informed the development of task statements, KSAs, and recommended selection tools for the position.

Task and KSA Statements
Task Statements
My team and I developed a total of 35 task statements after conducting interviews with job incumbents and observing the role of teacher’s aides. Each statement explains what the task involves, why it is important, and how it is carried out. Once finalized, we organized the tasks into five categories:
1. Safety-related
2. In-class Activities
3. Out-of-class Activities
4. Documentation
5. Miscellaneous
Task Statements Ratings
My team and I created a rating chart for the incumbents and supervisor to evaluate each task statement based on frequency and importance.
Frequency of task performed was rated using a 5-point Likert scale, 1 as ("never") and 5 as ("continuously").
Importance of task was also rated using a 5-point Likert Scale 1 as ("not important) and 5 as ("critical). We then calculated average scores for frequency and importance and applied a cutoff method to determine which task statements would be excluded.
KSA Statements
After analyzing the task statements, my team and I developed 24 KSAs statements essential for successful job performance. These were aligned with the role’s demands to ensure they accurately reflected job requirements. To provide clarity, the KSAs were grouped into four key behavioral dimensions:
1. Policies and Procedures
2. Physical Ability
3. Interpersonal Interactions
4. Mental and Emotional Capabilities
KSA Statements Ratings
The incumbents and supervisor rated each KSA on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (“not important”) to 5 (“critical”), based on its importance to the role.
The incumbents and supverisor also indicated whether each KSA was acquired prior to or during the job. This helped us determine which KSAs are essential for hiring and which can be learned on the job.
Task-KSA Linkages
Following the completion of all KSA ratings, my team and I developed task-KSA linkages to ensure the relevance of each KSA to the role’s job tasks. We created a task-KSA matrix that paired every KSA with each task statement, resulting in 840 total linkages. This step helped confirm the importance of each KSA to job performance and guided our recommendations for appropriate selection tools. Due to time limitations, the linkages were divided among the incumbents and the supervisor, although it would have been preferable for all participants to evaluate the entire set.
Selection Test Reccomendations
Reflection
What I Learned:
This job analysis project was one of the proudest accomplishments of my graduate studies. I learned how to conduct a job analysis from start to finish, including gathering data through observations, interviews, and job resources. Through this process, I identified the key KSAs and task statements essential for success in the Special Education Teacher’s Aide role. Based on these findings, I recommended appropriate selection tools to help the organization identify the most qualified candidates. This experience deepened my understanding of how research-based practices can directly support effective hiring and organizational success.
Future Considerations:
To strengthen the generalizability of the findings, future job analyses should include input from teacher’s aides across multiple classrooms. Adding data collection methods like daily journals or activity logs can provide deeper insight into the role’s day-to-day responsibilities and challenges. Following up with the school to assess the effectiveness of the proposed selection tools would also be valuable for ongoing improvement. Involving additional stakeholders, such as special education teachers and administrative staff, could offer a more comprehensive understanding of the role’s requirements.