What are the responsibilities and job description for the College Persistence Counselor 2025 position at Ewing Marion Kauffman School?
Kauffman School
Ewing Marion Kauffman School - Kansas City, Missouri
Job Details
Job ID:4998786Application Deadline:Posted until filled
Posted:Feb 17, 2025
Starting Date:Immediately
Job Description
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Ewing Marion Kauffman School is a free, public charter school serving more than 1,200 students in 5th through 12th grades. Focused on student achievement and strong character, the school’s mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school serves a student population of which 87% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% identify as students of color. Students are accepted by a lottery that prioritizes the six highest-need zip codes within the district. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, 100% of students in each graduating class earned at least one acceptance to a college or university – we believe this provides true choice and opportunity as students pursue post-secondary goals. More than 70% of our students identify as first in their families to attend college.
The Kauffman School seeks results-driven and culturally responsive educators to join its team – we anchor ourselves around four guiding principles about what it means to be culturally responsive educators and create a school with strong student and staff culture:
- Belief and Connection: We show belief in every student through setting and holding them to high expectations while building relationships. We build connections and relationships with each student side by side by providing excellent rigorous content in order to value the individual child. We do not allow differences in identity or our personal biases to cause us to lower expectations because we know that when supported, our students can achieve.
- Clear is Kind: We show care through direct and clear communication of our high expectations rather than allowing them to ‘slip through the cracks’ by assuming they will know how to meet our standards without telling them. We also know that one of our roles is preparing our children for a world as college students/graduates that might play by different “rules” than they have previously experienced and it is our job to help them understand how to navigate, challenge the norms of, and dismantle that world.
- Intent and Impact: All of our actions are executed with the purpose and intent to empower every student to reach their full potential. We also believe that as educators, we are called to assess the impact of our actions and adjust course if they are not meeting the intent. Positive intent cannot mean we ignore the impact of actions and we believe continually assessing and reassessing practices to ensure they are effective is a critical reflection process to ensure we are being culturally responsive.
- Cultural Context Critical Thinking: We approach rigorous learning as an activity that is responsive to students’ cultural contexts and pushes them to think critically. We seek opportunities for them to engage with and respond to the world around them - both in their immediate lives and in their broader society - while being pushed intellectually at all times.
The Kauffman School is seeking a highly effective College Persistence Counselor (CPC). The CPC will create and employ strategic structures to support EMKS alumni enrolled in postsecondary programs. The CPC will work with our scholars and their families beginning in the spring of their senior year, as they prepare for the transition to young adulthood and their chosen post-secondary program. The CPC will stay in touch with enrolled and unenrolled alumni, track their progress, and offer academic support, career guidance, and other support as needed. This includes visiting students at college campuses and arranging meetings to fit the needs of alumni and their families. The ideal candidate will possess an extensive knowledge of higher education, student support services, and financial aid processes as well as the skills necessary to help students be successful in college. The Persistence Counselor will report directly to the Director of College Access & Success.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Senior Matriculation Process
- Support with the senior matriculation process by:
- Tracking student data and materials to ensure smooth and efficient matriculation
- Managing key matriculation deadlines across the Spring and Summer to prevent ‘Summer Melt’
- Provide 1-on-1 counseling with students to establish matriculation and success plans, connect on campus, manage logistics, and prepare emotionally for transition to postsecondary programs
- Meet with families of seniors to support family management of logistics, emotions, etc. in facilitating the matriculation process
- Occasionally, write lessons, co-teach, or lead teach the Senior Seminar class during the spring of the senior year
Strategic Support (Academic, Emotional/Social, Financial) for Alumni
- Provide cycle of support:
- 1) Identify highest-leverage need(s) for individual students;
- 2) Create next steps for student to address need, often via on-campus support;
- 3) As needed, facilitate introductions to on-campus support;
- 4) Implement accountability system to check that student is utilizing support (often with on-campus partners);
- 5) Assess efficacy of intervention;
- 6) Repeat.
- Contact each alumnus on caseload via phone, email, or in person in predetermined frequency to progress monitor and to build relationships
- Conduct face-to-face meetings with high priority alumni in predetermined frequency
- Assist students with application process for summer opportunities, internships, intended major, and graduate school
- Support and connect students with career exploration and placement to secure employment six months after college graduation
- Implement and execute data-driven approach to alumni support (Identifying caseload trends, prioritizing students based on needs, creating strategies to support students and drive metrics )
- Proactively build relationships with Academic Advisors, Academic Success Programs, Opportunity Programs, Financial Aid Officers, and Deans at various colleges to loop students into support services at their schools
College/University Relationship Development
- Develop and maintain relationships with campus officials to build positive relationships and understanding of EMKS and your EMKS alumni
- Build strategic partnerships with key players on campus to connect to our alumni and our college access department
- Leverage connections on campuses to support post-secondary matriculation and continued alumni persistence towards graduation
- Foster formal relationship and arrangements with universities in order to partner in the acceptance and success of students
- Support the college process during strategic times as determined by the Director of College Access & Success
Data Management & Strategic Planning
- Research & identify bright spots and gaps in current alumni in college re: course load, non-cognitive skills, academic skills, socio-emotional skills, etc. and make recommendations to Director of College Access and the high school leadership team on changes to the Kauffman School’s programming for 5th through 12th grade students to better prepare students to persist in postsecondary pathways
- Utilizing recent and current literature in college access/persistence and by learning from other high-performing charter schools and CBOs, identify best practices to implement with alumni in college and make recommendations to Director of College Access and the high school leadership team on changes to the Kauffman School’s programming for 5th through 12th grade students to better prepare students to persist in college
- Track students’ academic progress, financial aid, current contact information, and degree completion
- Maintain College Access & Success data systems by updating student data and progress weekly for accurate reporting for all goals and metrics
- Conduct quarterly strategic planning to drive towards quarterly metrics
Event Planning and Other Responsibilities
- Co-plan and execute calendar-year of alumni rituals and traditions
- Support with planning social, academic, and networking events for alumni
- Attend college access team meetings and lean in to support students at strategic times
- Attend and support in leading college access events to build relationships with students/families
Building School Culture:
- Believe deeply in the mission of the Kauffman School and that all children can meet high academic expectations
- Implement school-wide behavior management system consistently with all students
- Embrace feedback and constructive criticism in the spirit of constant improvement
- Demonstrate maturity, humility, professionalism, confidence, and a strong work ethic inside and outside the classroom
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree required
- At least three years of relevant experience working with urban students
- At least two years of relevant experience coaching and mentoring students on college application, matriculation and persistence
- Preferred: experience teaching in an urban high school and/or multicultural admissions experience
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Able to build positive relationships with students, families and colleagues
- Commitment to and complete belief in the Kauffman School’s mission to create college graduates as well as in the school’s organizational success
- Personality should project enthusiasm, professionalism and a high level of credibilityA
- Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures
- Ability to take feedback well and implement changes immediately
- Commitment to getting the job done right and willingness to do whatever it takes to create and maintain an orderly, effective school organization
- Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills with students, parents, colleagues and community members
- Must have a strong personal value system that encompasses high integrity, honesty, a solid work ethic, high professional standards and strong moral character
- Ability to effectively navigate through and around constant roadblocks that first generation college students encounter on a daily basis
- Ability to “be your own team” as this position requires independent travel between EMKS and college campuses – must be able to work with degrees of autonomy, but also able to navigate many levels of accountability
- Demonstrate resilience and grit to problem solve on-the-ground and to advocate for and to implement systems-level changes to mitigate challenges to college persistence and graduation
- Strong togetherness/organizational skills and ability to juggle multiple deadlines for self and caseload of students
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with relevant experience and anticipated duties and responsibilities, including comprehensive health benefits
TO APPLY
Interested applicants should complete a formal application through the Kauffman School Careers page at http://www.kauffmanschool.org/.
The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.
Positions Available:1
Job Requirements
- Citizenship, residency or work visa required
Contact Information
Margo Sinclair , Talent Recruiter
Ewing Marion Kauffman School
Email: msinclair@kauffmanschool.org
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