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Director of College Success

Employer
Downtown College Prep
Location
San Jose, CA, United States
Salary
Competitive

Job Details

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:

The Director of College Success is responsible for leading the effort to increase DCP's six-year college completion rate through the development and implementation of a broad array of college readiness strategies and services targeted at students, families, and teachers. The Director of College Success will manage a growing team and will work closely with the Chief Academic Officer and school leadership. Building on dynamic partnerships with university and non-profit institutions, the Director of College Success will aim to improve upon our nationally recognized program and continue to meet the needs of low-income first-generation college graduates.

DCP primarily serves low-income, Latino students who will be first-generation college graduates. 40% of our students come from families with less than a high school education and 94% qualify for the federal meals program.

Responsibilities:

Vision
  • Plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive college matriculation and alumni support program that will fulfill DCP's mission and increase the number of DCP students enrolling in competitive colleges and universities
  • Develop system to track and report relevant college readiness, application and matriculation data as appropriate to increase organization's awareness of challenges and opportunities associated with mission and to share results with general funding and educational community
  • Use research and best practices to inform and develop college readiness and college guidance programs for first-generation college students
  • Foster ongoing sharing of best practices and professional development among College Success staff at all DCP campuses
  • Ensure that each DCP campus demonstrates a strong college-bound culture throughout its programs and curriculum
  • Develop partnerships with external non-profit, university and educational technology leaders to increase capacity to serve varied stakeholders
  • Secure additional private philanthropy to support DCP's commitment to college completion

Program Development
  • Develop programs and systems to support DCP students, families, and alumni in college application, enrollment, and graduation
  • Develop system with appropriate professional development to ensure that all teachers can serve as effective College Coaches to their students
  • Monitor each campus' progress towards student completion of A-G requirements
  • Lead the design and manage the implementation of a 5th through 12th grade Advisory program with clear benchmarks and an evaluation structure to assess its effectiveness
  • Increase DCP's College Financial Aid programming to ensure that families can engage the most appropriate college option for their student and family
  • Develop and implement a system for parent education to ensure that families are an integral part of the college-going process.
  • Work with school Administrators and College Success staff to ensure that all DCP students are participating in a wide-range of college-related activities throughout the year
  • Work with College Success staff and site administrators to develop relationships with and opportunities for current students at community colleges
  • Develop programming to meet needs of AB540 students and their families
  • Identify partnerships with local community colleges to increase early college/dual enrollment opportunities for our high school students.

Management, Coaching, and Support
  • Collaborate with organization's leadership to ensure that all DCP leaders understand the college application, matriculation, and graduation process so that all policies lead students' toward college success
  • Build the capacity of College Success staff through coaching and mentoring
  • Regularly meet with site leadership to provide reports and feedback about campus' progress toward fulfillment of mission
  • Lead implementation and training of relevant data tracking tools
  • Assist with the hiring and training of appropriate College Success staff
  • Work with College Success staff to expand students' access to outside enrichment such as internships and summer institutes

Professional Development
  • Keep current in college admission policies, eligibility, UC requirements, NCAA, etc., through participation in seminars and conferences, especially as they relate to first-generation college student success
  • Increase DCP's visibility and understanding of the mission with appropriate colleges and community organizations
  • Establish and maintain relationships with college admissions professionals
  • Serve as an ambassador for DCP's mission within the broader community
  • Participate in professional organizations such as WACAC, NACAC, the College Board and ACT
  • Visit college and university campuses each year to learn about campus-specific opportunities for DCP students
  • Share relevant best practices, research and policy information with appropriate DCP stakeholders
Requirements:
  • Deep knowledge of and experience in college access and admissions
  • Passionate about supporting first-generation college students and their families
  • Strong ability to develop and execute a vision involving multiple stakeholders and outcomes
  • Strategic planning and strategic design skills including the ability to collect, use and respond to programmatic data.
  • Collaborative, creative thinker who is driven by results
  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in education or a related field preferred
  • Minimum of 4 years' experience in college guidance counseling or college admissions field
  • Experience managing and supervising a team.
  • Experience working with families in an urban middle or high school setting
  • Strong analytical and communication skills
  • Fluent 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 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.

FLSA: Exempt

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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