Student Support Coach

Start Date: July 2024

Role Type: Full-Time, 12 month

Location: Washington, DC

FLSA Status: Exempt

WHO WE ARE

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We're proud of the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best! We recognize that how we support our students to be successful is just as important as the results we achieve, which pushes us to reflect on questions such as:

• How can we facilitate our students' academic, social, and emotional development?
• How can we support our team members' professional growth and personal ability to do this work long-term?
• How can we engage our students' families as our own?

While this work is hard, it's worth it – we believe in the transformative power of education, the can-do-itness of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from engaging in meaningful work with people we care about and trust!

Here's how we drive results:

• Rigorous academic focus. Our Preppies receive the highest level of academic preparation through standards-based instruction, daily targeted interventions, and meaningful assessments.
• Social-emotional learning. We have always had a dual mission of academic and social-emotional skill development. Our research-based SEL curriculum is integrated into daily instruction, helping students leverage their personal values to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making skills and create a school-wide culture of empathy and reflection.
• Commitment to reflection and refinement. Our results tell us that we are moving in the right direction, but there's further to go to ensure that every student receives a transformative education. As a team, we regularly reflect on our programmatic model to see what's working and where we can get better.

Are you interested in learning more about the DC Prep Way? If so, check out our website to find out more about what we're working towards and how we're doing it.

OVERVIEW

Students need much more than high quality instruction to be successful, which is why DC Prep offers a range of in-house student support services that support our Preppies' behavioral and social emotional growth.

The Student Support Coach is charged with modeling and building a positive, productive and joyful school environment to ensure a high-quality learning experience for all children. The Student Support Coach works in partnership with other members of the leadership team to ensure the proactive and reactive programming connected to school culture and student wellness is strong. This creates the platform from which students can learn and involves leading in a way that models restorative practices with all members of the community, as well as the use of consistent routines, systems and structures to offer students the safety of knowing what to expect each day at school. The Student Support Coach, as a member of the Student Support Team, works to identify students who would benefit from social emotional interventions and plans for and executes those interventions. An effective Student Support Coach is highly data-driven and experienced in delivering quality social-emotional interventions for all students in collaboration with other members of the Student Support Team. They believe in routines and consistency across a school culture to foster safety and connection and they see their role as supporting that culture through effective communication with students, staff and families. Their work with students and families is effective largely because of their strong relationships and commitment to consistent communication across all stakeholders. As a key member of the school leadership team, the Student Support Coach functions on a 12 month schedule and reports to the campus Community Assistant Principal.

WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'LL DO

Few things in life give you more pleasure than helping a child realize their potential for growth and then actually making that growth a reality. You're passionate about the need for students from underserved communities to have access to behavioral and social-emotional support services, the importance of addressing the intersection of race and public education in the U.S., and the transformational power of talented, mission-aligned people working together to advance a goal. You're open to feedback, love working with a team, and bring your best to everything you do. You understand that schools are always changing and you embrace flexibility as it serves students in getting the support they need right when they need them. You look for joy in your day-to-day and want to work with others who do, too!

Does this sound like you? If so, you'll bring these characteristics to the Student Support Coach role and be responsible for:

• Executing on the implementation of student support structures and policies
• Use data to design and execute social emotional learning interventions
• Plan and lead behavioral supports and restorative programming, including individual student processing as a result of office referrals which may involve teachers and families
• Plan and lead individual and group reflection and goal setting meetings with students based on behavioral needs (e.g. facilitate one on one check-ins during detention or community restoration time)
• Conduct student-facing investigations
• Support development of contracts (behavior, attendance, uniform)
• Provide supports for individuals and small groups as needed (mid-year enrollees, retained students, etc.)
• Provide input and consult as a member of the Student Support Team
• Assist with students in acute crisis as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

Educational background and work experience

• Bachelor's degree from a competitive college or university required. Concentration or advanced degree in special education or literacy/ math intervention preferred
• 3 years of lead teaching experience in an urban public school with a record of high student achievement or

• Master's Degree in Behavior Analysis, Applied Behavior Analysis, Education/ Special Education, Psychology or a related field
• or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC)
• or Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)
• or BCBA certification

Skills and characteristics

• Desire and willingness to do "whatever it takes" to support student achievement in traditionally under-served communities
• Passion for connecting with students and families in support of student success
• Extraordinary oral skills to effectively communicate with varied audiences
• Comfort with and ability to write efficiently and effectively as part of a culture where curriculum writing, email communication, and documentation are critical
• Superior analytical skills and sound judgment to make critical decisions autonomously
• Capable of thriving in circumstances involving ambiguity and nuance
• Meticulous organizational ability in order to set priorities, organize workload, handle multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines
• Emotional constancy and extraordinary interpersonal skills to ensure purposeful and professional colleague relationships
• Positive attitude, maturity, and personal stability sufficient for a demanding position
• Deep belief in DC Prep's mission, values and commitment to diversity

WORKING AT DC PREP

DC Prep's faculty and staff are passionate, talented, and uncompromising with a mission to make sure all students succeed at a high level. Every aspect of our organization and program is designed – and continually refined – to ensure that goal. DC Prep students spend approximately 25% more time in school than other DC public school students. DC Prep's supportive, stimulating, and professionally rewarding learning environment continuously develops and motivates high-performing educators. DC Prep's staff and school leadership promote meaningful relationships between faculty and students, enable excellent teaching, and foster professional collaboration. The end result: great outcomes for students.

CAMPUS LEADERSHIP TEAM

DC Prep's organizational structure provides support and expertise that enables the best possible teaching and learning at each DC Prep campus. A central Home Office oversees all non-instructional aspects of education, freeing up school leaders to focus on instruction and culture. With supervision from the Senior Directors, Chief Academic Officer and other members of the Home Office Academic Team, Principals and their leadership teams build unique and close-knit communities at each school site focused on the twin elements of rigorous academics and character education. Members of this team typically include a Principal, Assistant Principals, Student Support Coach and a Special Education Coordinator. Leadership Team members are on duty during regular school hours and on call nights and weekends to handle parent communication, staff after school activities, and/or to complete administrative work.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance; maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; and a 403b retirement plan

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• DC Prep teachers are on duty at their assigned campus Mondays through Fridays from 7:15 am to 4:15 pm and must be prepared to receive students in the classroom at 7:30 am. On Wednesdays, DC Prep staff report until 5:00 for Professional Development.
• Occasionally, staff may be required to report to a different campus for professional development or all network event.
• All DC Prep staff perform clerical duties related to instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, assessments, etc.
• DC Prep staff regularly perform morning, lunch, and afternoon duties as assigned by their principal
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year. This could include: attending staff and student field trips, after school events, family-teacher conferences, home visits, and other events involving parents and students, as needed. This list is not exhaustive. DC Prep will communicate mandatory events outside of school hours with ample notice.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role. All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep's vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time
• Must be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout the classroom, as well as talk, hear, grasp, reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodations
• Ability to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias and playgrounds, to more moderate situations such as classrooms or large group professional settings
• Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment
• Ability to handle potential high stress conditions

JOIN US

Do you believe that Learning Has No Limits? Are you eager to join a supportive, innovative, and collaborative community of educators? Are you committed to growing your strengths as an educator through individualized professional development and coaching? Apply today!

We're an equal opportunity employer and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply.