High School Graduation Coach

Primary Duty

This position is responsible for working to ensure smooth transitions of middle school students to high school and high school students into post-secondary options or work. High School Graduation Coaches will identify youth at risk of dropping out due to academic and/or psycho-social barriers.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Identify at-risk students.
  • Utilize the components of a profile of characteristics of potential dropouts to identify high school students at risk of dropping out.
  • These characteristics include: History of school failure, retention, and/or overage for the grade. Low CRCT scores, reading and/or math achievement. Failure of the GHSGT or EOCT; Special education/disability. Attendance problems/truancy. Behavioral problems, history of suspensions, high-risk peer group. Disengagement from school, low expectations, lack of extracurricular involvement. Family status or risk factors: economically disadvantaged, high mobility, non-native English speakers.
• Generate School Support and Develop Graduation Team(s)
  • In collaboration with a school’s existing leadership, develop a Graduation Team(s) that includes administrators, teachers, advisors, counselors, school social workers, and/or any other relevant service providers.
  • The Graduation Team(s) will help identify at-risk students, assess school and student needs, and develop/coordinate appropriate interventions.
  • Graduation team(s) may utilize existing school-based teams, such as School Leadership, Improvement, and/or Student Support Teams.
• Develop School-wide Support and Interventions
  • Work with faculty and administrators to develop credit recovery and alternative options and to adapt curriculum and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of identified at-risk students.
• Attend, participate in, and redeliver as appropriate all required High school Graduation Coach training provided by the Department of Education.
• Provide training and/or support to middle school and high school teachers on support measures that work with youth identified as at risk of not graduating.
• Provide Direct Service and Case Management
  • Develop and implement individual, small group, and whole school intervention and prevention strategies to increase the likelihood that students will stay in school and graduate.
  • Work with students to develop a graduation and career plan (Peach State Pathways) to include the best program to meet academic and post-secondary goals.
• Develop Transition Programs and Vertical Teams with Middle and High Schools
  • Collaborate with feeder middle school(s) to identify incoming middle school students at risk of high school failure.
  • Conduct quarterly vertical team meetings among middle, and high school faculty and staff to develop action steps to improve individual student and subgroup transition success rates.
  • Collaborate with teachers, counselors, and/or advisors to ensure the continued use of the transition process for 8th graders and freshmen to help students successfully adapt to the rigors of the high school experience.
• Develop Relationships with Parents/Guardians, Community Organizations, and Other Resources
  • Connect individual students and their parents/guardians with community organizations and programs, such as Communities in Schools, Family Connections, Georgia College 411, Early College as well as area technical colleges.
  • Develop or work with local mentoring programs, business, and/or community coaches to connect individual students with mentors.
• Provide support and outreach to parents/guardians of students identified as being at risk of not graduating.
• Assessment and Reporting
  • Track the progress of individual students and subgroups as they progress toward high school.
  • Conduct and analyze ongoing formative and summative evaluation data of program effectiveness.
• Provide and/or submit reports to the Department of Education as scheduled/ requested.

Special Requirements

• Required to attend school meetings, programs, and activities outside the instructional day as mandated by the RCSS contract.
• Some work beyond the school day may be required.