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College Guidance Counselor

Employer
Downtown College Prep
Location
San Jose, CA, US
Salary
Competitive

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Job Details

College Guidance Counselor

About the Organization

DCP's success with first-generation college students is at the forefront of a national movement for college access and educational equity. The first charter high school in Silicon Valley, Downtown College Prep (DCP) was founded in San Jose in 2000 with the belief that all students, regardless of background and prior academic achievement, can and should be prepared for college success.

Through our singular commitment to college success, we ensure our largely low-income Latino students and families are fully supported in the pursuit of a college degree.

DCP has graduated over 1000 alumni and currently serves 1800 students in grades 5-12 on four campuses and 500 college-aged alumni. In fall of 2018, 93% of the Class of 2018 matriculated to college. 53% of DCP grads have completed college or are on track to complete college in six years compared to 9% of low-income students nationwide. DCP is deeply committed to supporting, measuring and reporting college completion for our graduates, and serving as a replicable national model of college and career readiness for first-generation students.

Our vision is to ensure that more first-generation students have the vision, confidence, and academic skills to succeed in college and beyond, realizing their fullest potential and harnessing their power to become leaders in their field and community.

About the Opportunity

Downtown College Prep is a growing charter management organization and model for college success for low-income, first-generation students. Currently serving four campuses in grades 6-12, DCP aims to create a replicable model of college readiness and completion that can inform best practices on a national scale. DCP is one of a few organizations, nationwide, that has made a commitment to measuring and reporting college completion for its graduates.

Across America, low-income students complete college at the rate of 9% while their affluent peers graduate at the rate of 77%. Since our first graduating class of 2004, 60% of all alumni have completed or are on track to complete their four-year degree. While our results far exceed national trends, we recognize there exists a substantial gap between college completion for low-income students and their more affluent peers.

The College Guidance Counselor will build new systems for engaging the DCP community in our new facility serving 5-12 grade students. The College Guidance Counselor is part of the College Success Team led by the Director of College Success that includes counselors from other DCP sites. The team will also be supported by a second on-site counselor through the Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC) who will be trained by UC Berkeley to support a cohort of students in each grade level. The College Guidance Counselor will also collaborate closely with community partners, teachers, administrators, and families, to develop a comprehensive college success program. The ideal candidate has experience coaching teachers to support the needs first-generation students on their path to college. DCP's advising model relies on teachers to lead a cohort of students in a dedicated class period where students are supported around academic, extracurricular, and college programming.

Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities
  • Help monitor student progress towards A-G course completion
  • Manage Naviance and other online college application tracking systems to help build advising capacity for teachers and administrators
  • Ensure that DCP information is current on college admissions sites such as College Board, ACT, Common Application, FAFSA, etc.
  • Coordinate and host college admission and financial aid representative visits on campus and maintain relationships with representatives through the application process
  • Update school profile submitted to private institutions on an annual basis
  • Plan and coordinate PSAT, ACT, SAT and other college testing on campus
  • Meet all deadlines pertaining to testing, admissions, and other reporting requirements
  • Keep updated and accurate records of college eligibility, scholarships, awards, and other relevant data under the guidance of the Director of College Success


College Success Program Development
  • Collaborate with the College Success Team to develop a comprehensive college success model
  • Develop customized programming and outreach to students across academic profiles, ensuring that DCP is supporting both high performing students and students who are developing a college-going identity to apply and enroll in four-year institutions
  • Manage and coach teacher advisors, volunteers, and interns who support students on their path to college
  • Support 8 th -9 th grade high school programming
  • Develop programming to meet the needs of AB540/undocumented/DREAM students and their families
  • Arrange, promote, and lead college tours for grades 9-11, including overnight trips across California
  • Build teacher capacity to lead their own grade-specific advisory programming and develop strategies to build strong relationships with advisees
  • Use data to inform program development and staff training
  • Plan, execute, and evaluate the Summer Bridge program for incoming 9 th grade students
  • Collaborate with College Success Team to develop and lead teacher professional development across sites throughout the year
  • Attend regular staff meetings and effectively communicate college-related programming, best practices, and progress towards goals
  • Maintain an active and up-to-date College Lab that is regularly accessed by all DCP stakeholders
  • Develop a portfolio system for students to track their academic data, reflections, and other college related material


Student and Family Support
  • Build relationships with students and use effective coaching strategies to address fears and assumptions about their path to college
  • Support students through the college match process, by helping them understand their eligibility, the application process, and college options
  • Support parent, school and community events as needed
  • Be available to meet with families on an as-needed basis
  • Plan and lead the Senior Parent Academy for 12 th grade families and other grade-specific family workshops


Partnerships
  • Build and maintain partnerships and connections with scholarship and college support programs students traditionally apply for (i.e., Students Rising Above, Questbridge, Breakthrough Collaborative etc.
  • Collaborate with the Career Exploration Coordinator around enrichment opportunities for students


Professional Development
  • Keep current on college admission policies, eligibility, UC requirements, NCAA, etc., through participation in seminars and conferences, especially as they relate to first-generation college student success
  • Participate in professional organizations such as WACAC, NACAC, and College Board and ACT
  • Attend professional development opportunities around best practices in alumni counseling
  • Stay connected with local college support programs and events


Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
  • 3+ years of experience required in education, college guidance, college admissions or related field
  • Experience and passion for working with first-generation, low-income students in urban settings
  • Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
  • Collaborative, innovative thinker who is driven by DCP's mission and values
  • Proficient in written and spoken Spanish preferred


Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is continuously required to speak and listen for extended periods. The employee is also required to sit or stand for long periods, and to regularly to walk; use hands or fingers to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is further required to have the physical, mental, and emotional stamina to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position, and the mental acuity to collect, evaluate, and interpret data; to reason; to define problems; to establish facts; to draw valid conclusions; and to make effective judgments and decisions.
Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those in a normal office, building, classroom/school setting which one might encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant. Also, this job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; and nothing in this herein restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Company

About the Organization

DCP's success with first-generation college students is at the forefront of a national movement for college access and educational equity.

The first charter high school in Silicon Valley, Downtown College Prep (DCP) was founded in San Jose in 2000 with the belief that all students, regardless of background and prior academic achievement, can and should be prepared for college success.

Through our singular commitment to college success, we ensure our largely low-income Latino students and families are fully supported in the pursuit of a college degree.

Our vision is to ensure that more first-generation students have the vision, confidence, and academic skills to succeed in college and beyond, realizing their fullest potential and harnessing their power to become leaders in their field and community.

Company info
Website
Telephone
408-271-8120
Location
1400 Parkmoor Ave.
SAN JOSE
CA
95126
US

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