AmeriCorps Student Success Program

2023-2024 Elementary Job Description

Job Title: AmeriCorps Student Success Coordinator

Reports to: Principal or other designated on-site supervisor as well as Director of the AmeriCorps Student Success Program

AmeriCorps is a national organization modeled after the Peace Corps that involves opportunities for American citizens to contribute to the betterment of their community through working in schools and with non-profit organizations. The AmeriCorps Student Success Program is funded through the nationwide AmeriCorps organization and the Utah State Commission on Volunteers and offers the opportunity to provide valuable service to schools and students in their community while gaining experience and skills.

Job Overview:

AmeriCorps Student Success Coordinators (also called “AmeriCorps Members”) set up tutoring and mentoring programs in their assigned elementary school and recruit, train and schedule volunteers to work one-on-one with struggling students in literacy or other areas in grades K-6. They work with counselors, administrators and teachers to determine which students could benefit from the program and discuss the needs of each student enrolled in the program in an ongoing manner. In addition to providing tutoring and mentoring themselves, AmeriCorps Members bring in community volunteers to provide everything from college and career awareness events to regular tutoring and mentoring. 

Member Responsibilities:

Overall AmeriCorps Member Responsibility: Provide one-on-one support to increase the success of struggling students. Serve a caseload of 30-60 students (caseload size is based on whether the member serves full or part time). 

Members can do both the tutoring and mentoring responsibilities laid out below OR can do just the tutoring responsibilities or just the mentoring responsibilities, as needed by the school.

Member Tutoring Responsibilities (for members running the Partners in Dyad literacy tutoring program):

• Provide one-on-one tutoring in person and/or online for struggling readers (typically readers on yellow based on their Acadience scores) using the Partners in Dyad literacy tutoring curriculum provided by the Utah State Board of Education.

• Recruit and train volunteers to assist with one-on-one tutoring. Volunteer tutors can be older students trained as tutors as well as adults from the community. 

• Keep careful records of sessions completed and progress made.

Member Mentoring Responsibilities (can be done in conjunction with the tutoring program or members can focus solely on mentoring by serving in one or more of the following ways):

• Track individual student attendance and provide support through checking in/out daily to decrease the number of absences

• Track and assist remote learners

• Lead small reading groups and help with other literacy-focused activities

• Provide or arrange for one-on-one tutoring in any needed subject

• Help match students and families with community resources for food insecurity, housing insecurity, clothing needs, mental health, and other issues that may be affecting the student’s ability to do well in school

• Assist with home visits as needed

• Help students set and achieve weekly goals to help them take ownership of their academic and behavioral progress

Other AmeriCorps Requirements for all Members:

• Use AmeriCorps tracking system to track intervention time, activities, and Acadience test scores for all students on their caseload.

• Recruit, train and supervise community volunteers and/or older students to expand the number of students who can receive one-on-one support.

• Attend a 2-day pre-service orientation and training in August, a state-wide conference in March, and 3-4 online in-service training sessions for all AmeriCorps Members.

• Participate in weekly professional development and training assignments and discussions as well as monthly collaboration group meetings about such topics as motivating students, recruiting volunteers, etc. and provide them with the opportunity to learn from AmeriCorps members serving at other schools.

• Organize and participate in community service projects on 9/11 Patriot Day and Martin Luther King Day (hours involved are part of the community service hours).

• Complete a minimum of 10 (full time), 7 (reduced full time), 5 (part time) community service hours to aid the community with needs beyond their regular tutoring program responsibilities (based on a Principal-approved plan)

• Complete hours under the site supervisor’s supervision and record on time sheet prior to the 5th of each month.

• Meet all other requirements of the contractual agreement (explained and signed at pre-service orientation). 

Benefits: 

Members have the chance to learn about the education system and about reading intervention through first-hand experience and develop excellent management, organization, and volunteer recruitment and supervision skills as they work hand in hand with professional educators to manage a meaningful and effective tutoring program in a school.

Over the course of their 10-12 month term of service, members receive a living allowance of $22,000 if they are full-time (1700 hours), $16,000 if they are reduced full-time (1200 hours), or $12,000 if they are part-time (900 hours). This living allowance is paid out in equal monthly installments.

At the end of each honorably completed service year, members receive an education award that can be used for tuition, fees and books at any accredited post-secondary institution or towards payment of student loans ($6,895 for 1700 hours, $4,826.50 for 1200 hours, or $3,447.50 for 900 hours). Members over the age of 55 can transfer their education award to a child or grandchild. 

A health insurance subsidy and child care assistance is available for full-time members. All members qualify for forbearance of payments on current student loans.

Members receive support and encouragement as well as check-in’s and site visits from AmeriCorps staff during their term of service and ongoing access to the nationwide AmeriCorps Alumni Network that can help them with networking, employment and mentorship. 

Each member can serve for up to 4 terms and can receive the equivalent of up to two full time education awards.

Information on the AmeriCorps Positions Types:

To complete the minimum number of service hours required, members should be able to commit to the following schedules:

• Full-time (1700 hours): 8.5 hours each school day of direct service at the school plus approximately 3 additional hours per week for Community Service and Member Development activities. Approximately 45 hours/week during a regular 5-day school week. (*This position is recommended for schools and members who plan to serve through the summer so that the hours can be further spread out and the # hours/day is more manageable.)

• Reduced Full-time (1200 hours): 6 hours each school day of direct service at the school plus approximately 2 hours/week for Community Service and Member Development activities. Approximately 32 hours/week during a regular 5-day school week.

• Part-time (900 hours): 4.5 hours each school day of direct service at the school and approximately 1.5 additional hours/week for Community Service and Member Development activities. Approximately 24 hours/week during a regular 5-day school week. 

Member Requirements:

• Member should have experience working with children or youth and it is ideal if they have an interest in pursuing a career in education, social work or another related field.

• Member must be a high school graduate and a citizen of the United States.

• If serving in a Title I school, member must meet “highly qualified” requirements as determined by the state/district.

• Member must produce these documents prior to enrollment: U.S. birth certificate or passport, driver’s license, social security card, high school graduation verification.

• Member must submit to and pass an FBI background check/Sex offender check conducted prior to hire.