GEAR UP Advisor for Chelan High School
Company:
Lake Chelan School District
Job Description:
The Lake Chelan School District has an immediate opening for a 1.0 FTE WA State GEAR UP Advisor. This role will be
Monday through Friday at Chelan High School. Salary starts at beginning teacher salary rate.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a competitive federal program
that provides six- and seven-year grants to increase the number of students prepared to enter and succeed in
postsecondary education. GEAR UP’s three objectives are:
1. Increase academic performance and preparation for postsecondary education.
2. Increase high school graduation and postsecondary participation rates.
3. Increase students’ and their families’ knowledge of postsecondary options, preparation, and finances.
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree or higher. It may substitute for an AA degree or something similar with at least two years of relevant experience.
• Previous experience working with similar populations, including low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented and underserved students and families.
• Ability to develop positive and supportive relationships with all students and families.
• Working knowledge of high school graduation requirements, postsecondary options, financial aid, and school culture.
• Ability to lead and implement a new program while integrating existing programs and building relationships with supporting programs and staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively through all modes of communication and in various situations with students, families, and other strategic partners.
• Demonstrate an open and responsive attitude toward meeting the diverse needs of students and families and believe all students can achieve their aspirations.
• Ability to manage details, complex guidance, and data collection and reporting.
• FBI, Washington State Patrol and Sexual Misconduct background clearance.
Desired Skill Set
• Reflects the diversity of the community and has shared lived experiences.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of data collection procedures and general clerical duties.
• Ability to work calmly and flexibly in challenging situations.
• Demonstrates effective student supervision procedures and behavior management.
• Knowledge of school policies, including Special Education, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and school law to understand students’ rights and responsibilities.
• Demonstrate willingness and persistence in helping students reach their goals.
• Ability and willingness to advocate and assist students at risk of not graduating to stay in school.
GEAR UP Administration:
• In collaboration with district and building administration, counselors, and staff, develop an annual GEAR UP work plan and budget that will support GEAR UP-eligible students in meeting the career and college readiness indicators.
• Collaborate with building and district business office staff to ensure timely and accurate expenditure submissions for reimbursement. When applicable, collaborate with other district GEAR UP staff to ensure efficient resource use.
• Collect and maintain required student, family, and staff activity and participation records, including agendas, sign-in sheets, and expenditure records. Includes entering participation data in the GEAR UP Portal.
• Participate in planned GEAR UP activities throughout the year, including overnight travel and summer programs.
• Participate in GEAR UP-sponsored meetings and professional development opportunities.
• Promote GEAR UP-sponsored professional development to staff.
• Provide an annual GEAR UP orientation to all students and families to promote GEAR UP activities.
• Provide an annual GEAR UP orientation for staff to promote GEAR UP activities and train staff on in-kind match requirements and documentation.
• Create and maintain a GEAR UP event calendar to ensure work plan completion.
• Compile, analyze, and utilize data to best support students meeting GEAR UP benchmarks.
• Complete monthly, quarterly, and annual GEAR UP program evaluation documentation.
School Building/District Collaboration Support:
• Develop relationships and collaborate with school personnel to create a GEAR UP team to support implementing GEAR UP activities and improve the college-going culture.
• Collaborate with advisory teachers to provide GEAR UP resources to students.
• Work with school counselor(s) to provide students and families with appropriate and timely college planning and preparation support, including information on course requirements, admissions, and financial aid.
Student Support Services:
• Create and maintain positive relationships with students and families.
• Enhance student academic self-efficacy by offering ongoing support and encouragement.
• Advocate for additional support to meet the needs of students.
• Promote participation in personal and social skill-building opportunities within the school and community.
• Model and support knowledge and practice of effective communication, self-advocacy, leadership, and action planning skills with the student.
Provide individual support to students to ensure they graduate on time and are prepared to enter their chosen postsecondary program or institution.
• Monitor and advise individual students on progress toward graduation.
• Build intrinsic motivation in students to focus on a graduation plan.
• Secure supplemental academic services for students.
• Monitor student progress related to assessments, HSBP, and culminating projects.
• Support student understanding of graduation requirements and the meaningful connection of a graduation plan with a high school and beyond plan.
• Inform students/families of alternative programs to earn additional credits.
• Help students identify opportunities for quality culminating projects in the school and community.
• Guide students/families in gaining access to supplemental academic services.
• Organize and attend graduation plan reviews with students, parents, and staff.
Provide information and resources to students and families on the benefits of postsecondary education.
• Collaborate with teams of educators, counselors, parents, students, and community leaders to identify gaps in school and community services and leverage resources to meet those needs and family access.
• Inform students/families of available student support (i.e., tutoring) within the school and community.
• Coordinate, schedule, and chaperone meaningful postsecondary institution campus visits for students and families.
• Encourage parent and community involvement.
• Connect families and students with appropriate school and community resources.
• Facilitate communications between community resources and the school.
• Facilitate regular communications with parents as to student status.
• Assist the school counselor in maintaining ongoing contact with individual families regarding student progress.
• Organize and work with students and families in community events such as evening computer lab, career planning, and/or capacity-building sessions such as literacy.
• Inform students/families of identified community resources to address the safety and socio-economic needs of the family.
Support students to ensure they have access to college and career research and planning tools such as WOIS, Career Cruising, Big Future, Career Bridge, and similar resources.
• Assist students in accessing career information to build graduation and beyond plan.
• It may include visits and presentations by postsecondary programs and institutions, career and postsecondary education and training program researchers, college fairs, and career fairs.
Mentor and advise students and families on academic success, postsecondary readiness skills, and post-high school planning.
• Co-facilitate a group coaching program with a school counselor.
• Facilitate a mentoring program.
• Provide student support services and case management.
• Connect with students consistently and regularly to encourage and assist in graduation planning objectives.
• Assist the student with goal setting, including helping them identify and communicate their interests to create appropriate goals.
• Manage a community mentors’ program.
• Collaborate with administrators and counselors to facilitate freshman transition programs.
Support tutoring and homework assistance programs to ensure access to qualified teachers and tutors.
• Advocate for and support student participation in tutoring or supplemental support for academic success.
• Assist students in scheduling before and afterschool academic assistance from instructors.
• Collaborate with instructors to schedule students needing academic support to tutoring opportunities.
• Follow up with instructors to ensure identified students continue receiving supplemental services such as tutoring if needed.
• Assist teachers and counselors in support of prevention programs such as AVID.
• Identify, research, and document partially completed coursework.
Implement school-wide dropout prevention programs and interventions.
• Collaborate with the school counselor to identify and coordinate with outside agencies that can come to campus to work with students needing support.
• Analyze data to identify students at risk of dropping out or not graduating on time.
• Monitor attendance, grades, and progress.
• Assist the counselor in reviewing data to identify students needing support.
• Assist counselor in tracking progress data on identified students.
• Screen student attendance and behavior data to identify students at risk of dropping out.
• Screen student assessment results to identify students at risk of not graduating or who are not ready for postsecondary education.
• Participate in student assistance team meetings.
• Utilize student assistance team meeting data to identify students needing additional support services.
• Coordinate data collection in support of dropout early warning system efforts.
• Solicit referrals of “at-risk” students from teachers.
• Assist the school counselor and other evaluation specialists in designing and administering ongoing dropout prevention and intervention program evaluations.
• Screen student progress reports for counselors and administrators to identify students at risk of not graduating.
Eligible Benefits:
• Medical, dental, and vision
• Time off (sick, personal leave)
• WA State Retirement
• Professional Development
Position is open until filled.
Apply online at the district website: www.chelanschools.org.
For questions about the position, please contact Jamie Pancho, HS Principal, at panchoj@chelanschools.org or Terry Sanders, MS Principal, at sanderst@chelanschools.org or call 509-682-4061
For questions about applying, please contact Human Resources at hr@chelanschools.org or 509-682-3515
The Lake Chelan School District complies with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate in any programs or activities onthe-basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability,
or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
TITLE IX COORDINATOR / CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR: Human Resources Director, Jenann Ross; 509-682-3515; rossj@chelanschools.org
SECTION 504 / ADA COORDINATOR: Director of Student Services and Inclusion, Kirk Marshlain; 509-682-7744; marshlain@chelanschools.org
Lake Chelan School District, PO Box 369, Chelan, WA 98816
Contact:
Jamie Pancho
Phone: (509) 682-3515