College Transition Advisor (Immediate) | KIPP East End High

Company Description

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 54 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 32,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

Counseling services can transform college and career dreams into a reality. Evidence has shown that the lack of access to information and guidance on college admissions and financial aid is a prohibitive barrier for many low-income families. In the absence of good information, many families develop misconceptions about what it takes to get into and graduate from college or vocational schools. By employing a diverse range of outreach efforts – from individualized, one-on-one meetings to large-group workshops and seminars – the KIPP Forward program closes the information divide for KIPP Texas students and families, breaking down the barriers to career success.

The goal of the College Transition Advisor is to help students transition successfully from high school to college or their postsecondary pathway of highest rigor and aims to ensure that all of our students are provided with the necessary information, guidance and coaching needed to reach their post-secondary goals. The College Transition Advisor will work closely with KIPP high school seniors and the college and career counseling team throughout the school year, to ensure KIPPsters have completed all of the necessary and critical tasks through completion of their first semester after high school. This role includes significant student outreach to schedule advising sessions, monitor progress towards goals, and promote enrichment opportunities. Once KIPPsters enroll in their postsecondary program, the College Transition Advisor will provide summer enrollment support and resources for KIPPsters as well as targeted outreach during their first semester of college. The College Transition Advisor will be responsible for collecting data, maintaining a student caseload and preventing summer melt as KIPPsters matriculate to and enroll in their first semester of college.

Duties and Essential Job Functions:
● Oversee the successful transition of high school seniors into college, training, and careers
○ Develop positive, appropriate, meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, and fellow staff members and teachers.
○ Support in building college going culture with students during the fall of senior year through small group pull-
outs and Passion, Purpose and Planning advising.
○ Engage in one-on-one conversations with current KIPP high school seniors about their postsecondary plans
and assist each student with postsecondary enrollment, orientation, financial aid verification (review and
accept awards, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, etc.), and ensure student registration.
○ Planning and execution of College Exposure visits for juniors and seniors.
○ Planning and execution of Parent and Family Education Nights in the fall and spring.
○ Develop and deliver college and career transition lessons to high school seniors during senior seminar class
○ Collect and track matriculation steps and critical forms (financial aid award letters, final high school
transcripts, FERPA forms, DD4, etc.)
● Support a caseload of alumni during the first semester of college
○ Engage in consistent outreach to students and alumni to confirm and verify fall enrollment.
○ One college campus visit per week in the fall semester to check-in on alumni in person.
○ Provide advising and coaching to help alumni navigate the critical challenges often faced by underserved
communities when enrolling into college and training programs.
● Update and maintain the alumni database
○ Track and maintain records of student contact information changes, coaching calls, pulse-checks,
matriculation steps, and verification of enrollments of alumni in college using the Alumni Database
(Salesforce);
○ Assist with data collection for annual report and program evaluation;
You will be successful in this role if you meet the following goals:

● Goal 1: 52% four-year college enrollment for the class of 2025
○ Milestone 1: 100% of seniors who indicated they were uncertain of the pathway on matriculation survey
will have received advising and guidance and have identified a postsecondary pathway by high school
graduation.
○ Milestone 2: 90% of Class of 2025 intending to matriculate to 4/2/CTE will have all
matriculation/enrollment items completed by 6/30"

● Goal 2: 100% outreach to Class of 2024 w/intent to matric will be confirmed in ADB by 9/30
● Goal 3: 100% of Class of 2024 alumni verified as enrolled in the Fall 2024 will have an enrollment update by 2/15
● Goal 4: Support the facilitation of 1-2 family education events between the Fall and Spring semesters
● Goal 5: Host two college exposure visits for Classes of 2025 and 2026 by May 31st

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:
● Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
● Professional development course provided by the KIPP Foundation, and other college and career readiness
partners, is essential
● Prior experience working with college students and helping them achieve academic success, primarily first-
generation, minority, and low-income students
● Strong active listening (i.e. seeks to understand the needs and motivations of students.) and coaching skills
● Demonstrates knowledge of and respect for the cultures of the community served
● Demonstrates a growth mindset with the ability to inquire and be open to feedback
● Outstanding project management skills, with an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously
and meet agreed upon deadlines in a fast-paced environment
● Proven ability to collaborate and build relationships with stakeholders across functional and organizational lines

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
● Articulate, professional demeanor with strong self-confidence and initiative
● Good interpersonal skills; Ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students,
alumni, corporate partners, vendors and admissions personnel
● Proficient knowledge of college admissions and persistence
● Proficient knowledge of the financial aid processes
● Proficiency in using online databases to track student data
● Proven written and verbal communication skills
● Strong organizational and planning skills
● Comfortable using data dashboards
● Demonstrates a high proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, and has previous experience utilizing a
database, i.e. Salesforce
● Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones
● Strong command in using the internet and social media websites

Required Licensure/Certification/Specialized Training:
● Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones
● Strong command in using the internet and social media websites

Physical Requirements:
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.

• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a cell phone, copy machine
and computer printer.
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Must be able to lift and carry or otherwise move up to 20 pounds occasionally.

Work Environment:
● August through September 30th
○ College Campuses
○ SSP offices
○ High School as requested
● October through June 30th
○ High School 3 days per week
○ SSP office 1 day per week
○ College Campus 1 day per week (fall only)

Work Environment:
● August through September 30th
○ College Campuses
○ SSP offices
○ High School as requested
● October through June 30th
○ High School 3 days per week
○ SSP office 1 day per week
○ College Campus 1 day per week (fall only)

Travel Requirements:
● Able to travel to KIPP campuses, local college/university campuses and other career/training campuses as
needed.

Additional Information

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. 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.

Compensation & Benefits 

The starting salary for this role is varies by region. You can find all salary scales located HERE. 

As a full time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans, including:

• Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.
• Paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with varying coverage for employees and their families, inclusive of virtual physician visits. High deductible health plan with HSA also offered.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Participates in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
• 457 Roth retirement plan option with KIPP matching contribution up to $1,200 a year. 403b plans also supported.
• KIPP also offers the following employee-paid benefits: legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance and disability insurance.
• Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA.

Additional Compensation Elements

The Teacher Career Pathway (TCP) at KIPP Texas celebrates individual teacher impact with students, peers, and the school community, and rewards this impact with up to $15,000 in additional annual compensation. KIPP Texas Public Schools is a TEA Teacher Incentive Allotment approved district! Eligible and qualifying teachers can earn up to an additional $32,000 a year.