What are the responsibilities and job description for the HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS ADVISOR position at The Steppingstone Foundation?
Job Type
Full-time
Description
Position Title : High School Success Advisor
Reports To : Director of High School Success
Organization Overview :
Steppingstone prepares students from marginalized communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college through two initiatives, the Steppingstone Scholars Program and the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA). The Steppingstone Scholars Program is a direct-service program in Boston that provides academic, social-emotional, and college-readiness services to students, called Scholars, beginning as early as fifth grade and continuing all the way through college graduation. The Steppingstone Scholars Program consists of five components : Admissions, the Academy, Middle School Success, High School Success, and College Success. NPEA connects the people, practices, and innovations for eliminating barriers to educational access, and college and career success for underserved students.
Position Summary :
Scholar Support Services is made up of Middle School Success, High School Success, and College Success and supports Scholars and their families through college graduation after the intensive Academy summer and school year program. Over 80% of Scholars will be first generation college students and the majority of them come from low income backgrounds. Nationally, college enrollment grew 1.2 percent in fall 2023, the first increase since the pandemic but there was no growth among freshmen 20 years old and younger. Their enrollment remains 5.3 percent below 2019 levels. Boston Public School college enrollment rates were declining just prior to the pandemic and fell sharply for the BPS Classes of 2020 and 2021 with Black and Latino graduates experiencing the steepest declines.
The Advisor will have the primary responsibility of supporting and advising Steppingstone Scholars from 10th to 12th grade through our college and career readiness programming. The Advisor will be a part of a team that helps students develop the skills to successfully navigate high school, supports their postsecondary transition and adjustment, and empowers them to identify and connect their interests to decisions about college and beyond. This multifaceted role blends supporting the academic and social-emotional needs of Scholars through individual advising, as well as through leading, implementing, and contributing to a large number of department-wide events and projects that offer support to larger groups of Scholars and families.
The Advisor will work a Monday-Friday schedule. Some evening and Saturday work is required and work schedules can be adjusted accordingly within that week. Evening work typically ends around 7 : 00 p.m. Evening and Saturday work is occasional and communicated in advance.
The Steppingstone office is hybrid with the expectation that employees will work in the office a minimum of two days per week, with some flexibility around work hours. A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.
The Steppingstone office is accessible by public transit and has very limited parking availability.
Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families. Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February.
Salary Range : $55,000
Start Date : January 2025
Responsibilities : Advising
- Develop meaningful one-on-one relationships with a caseload of Scholars with diverse academic profiles and their families in order to support each Scholar's individual needs, personal growth, and post-secondary success, often referring them to resources and recommending opportunities available on- and off-campus.
- Advise and maintain ongoing contact through emails, texts, phone calls, and virtual or in-person meetings with a caseload of 130 Advisees in order to ensure a smooth transition and adjustment to their next grade level and to provide guidance and assistance around academic progress, financial aid, social-emotional well-being, and career readiness
- Develop and maintain knowledge of resources and opportunities relevant to Scholars in order to ensure their success in school and in the college application and financial aid processes
- Support grade twelve Scholars and their families through the college, financial aid, and scholarship application process
- Collaborate with program staff to identify strategies that support Scholars' academic and social growth
- Offer families resources to support student development
Program Implementation
Required Knowledge and Skills :
Education and Work Experience :
Physical Demands :
To Apply : Please input your resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position, and how you learned about this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Employee Benefits :
Steppingstone Core Values
Power of One
Walk the Walk
Embrace Growth
A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.
The Steppingstone Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or handicap, as defined by law.
Salary Description
55,000 annually
Salary : $55,000
