Company Description

Pharos Academy Charter School is a K-12 urban public education institution that prepares Bronx students for success in college and the innovation economy.

Job Description

College Access Counselor Vision

The High School College Access Counselor is responsible for ensuring students graduate on time from high school by providing comprehensive guidance, mentoring, outreach, and support services. Using intrusive advising and a data-driven approach, the High School College Access Counselors will take a proactive approach and try to anticipate issues and roadblocks that can prevent scholars from being successful. It is the expectation that the College Access Counselor monitors, tracks, communicates, and creates action plans around cohort performance. College Access Counselors manage a caseload of approximately 120 students to monitor the progress towards high school completion and college access.
Key Responsibilities

1. Scholar Academic Success
   • Uses all relevant data to identify student who are at-risk of falling behind or dropping out of high school. Meet with at-risk scholars and create individualized success plans (Quarterly).
   • Monitors students' grades and attendance weekly through student information system and reports data to advisors and parents. Constantly assessing student progress (Attendance, Behavior, Grades and communicating results to your manager, families, and students.
   • Implements appropriate preventative measures and interventions for students and families to ensure student success.
   • Communicate regularly with Advisors and grade teams as needed to meet the needs of the students in their grade.
   • Create lists of students for standardized testing (number of students who need to re-take Regents, etc.) in a timely manner and disseminate results to families as needed
   • In consult with Special Education and AIS staff, facilitate the placement of academically struggling students in academic support programs
2. 4-Year Graduation Monitoring & Support
   • Tracks the progress of individual and subpopulations of students as they progress toward graduation.
   • Create and maintain the academic programs (Students Schedules) for the students in their cohorts in full compliance with New York State graduation requirements and that are aligned with the student’s interests and learning profile. This includes the updating of student records each semester.
   • Ensure school adheres to the Academic Policy guidelines at all times and routinely audits students’ grades, credits, and programs.
3. Family Engagement
   • Assist in coordinating the High School parent teacher (student- led) conferences.
   • Ensure progress reports are updated and mailed/ electronically sent to all families.
   • Communicate regularly with parent(s)/guardian(s), to discuss academic progress, programs, obstacles and needed efforts by students and parents; should include face-to-face contact, phone, email, semester newsletter, and other as needed communication opportunities.
4. College & Career Counseling
   • Counsel each student through a combination of individual and small group meetings around academics, school attendance, behavior, post-secondary, and workforce opportunities.
   • Work with admin & College/Career team to identify postsecondary plan for students.
   • Work with team to coordinate college/university trips & partnerships.
   • Assist students filling out application forms for school, financial aid and jobs.
   • Write recommendations on behalf of students for colleges, technical schools, scholarships, special awards and military service.
   • Prepare student transcripts for schools, employers, etc.
   • Send out applications, transcripts and recommendations to schools and agencies.

Key Outcomes

1. 90% of students on caseload meet yearly credit accumulation goals (10 credits).
2. 100% of all at-risk students have comprehensive plans with wrap-around services.
3. 100% of all SPED and ESL students have comprehensive plans with wrap-around services.
4. 90% of parents, when surveyed, agree or strongly agree that they were sufficiently informed about their child’s progress throughout the school year.
5. 90% of students, when surveyed, agree or strongly agree that they understand the requirements to graduate from high school.

The College Access Counselor Qualities:

1. Be relentless and a barrier-remover.
2. Be data-driven with a laser focus on sub-populations.
3. Be relentlessly committed to the mission of preparing every student for college and post-secondary success.
4. Be a culture carrier and work well with parents and teacher advisors.

Qualifications

1. Bachelor's Degree in School Counseling, or related pathway, from an accredited college or university.
2. Experience working in a post-secondary role as a college advisor, or extensive experience in college & career counseling required.
3. Certified as a NYS School Counselor, or working towards certification preferred.
4. Bilingual (Spanish) speaker required

 Starting Salary Range: $80,000 - $$90,000, commensurate with experience.

Additional Information

Pharos Academy is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all teachers and staff members. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.