High School Counselor - Iowa

School Summary

Iowa Connections Academy (IACA) is a tuition-free, full-time virtual public school for students in grades K-12 throughout Iowa. The school operates in partnership with the CAM Community School District in Anita, IA. IACA is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, an accrediting division of AdvancED.

Working from your home in Iowa or a hybrid with our main office in Anita, Iowa, the School Counselor will virtually assist students and parents/learning coaches with course selection, scheduling, and be a key point of contact for student concerns spanning multiple subject areas as well as non-academic issues. The School Counselor will become an expert on course and credit requirements and will collaborate with stakeholders to establish and implement counseling processes for IACA students.

• Advise students and families on academics, career planning, and graduation.
• Stay current on all high school graduation requirements, including special requirements such as completion of a CPR course, and communicate this information to the Director of Student Services and other school administrators.
• Assist students and parents with the school course selection process, according to specific state credit and graduation requirements along with student needs and interests. Help students develop a Four-Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements.
• Provide guidance to students on withdrawing from courses, changing schedules, and seeking support, while ensuring the school’s course selection and withdrawal policies are adhered to.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a K-12 comprehensive postsecondary exploration and planning annual framework.
• Help students research and understand their post-secondary career and educational options.
• Review student transcripts and enter credits into the online transcript system.
• Follow procedures to ensure Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up to date.
• Work with Administrative Assistants to obtain school records from previous schools and forward them when appropriate.
• Develop and refine referral processes and services for students and families related to social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.
• Collaborate with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources.
• Participate in developing crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST).
• Collaborate with the broader Student Services Team to develop and implement practices that accurately identify students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”; act as a main point of contact for these students and families, communicating and supporting them regularly.
• Maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for each assigned student.
• Partner with IACA Administrative Assistants to implement standard operating procedures and secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students.
• Support families through the school withdrawal process, including data collection regarding withdrawal.
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well‑being per law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards; stay abreast of all state regulations regarding incident reporting and documentation.
• Assist teachers when students enroll mid‑semester to ensure integration into coursework and proper handling of previous grades, credits, and evaluations.
• Review and monitor that curriculum offerings meet state requirements.
• Implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT preparation, NCAA preparative and planning support, and college entrance preparation.
• Assist in planning for the administration of all Annual Yearly Progress testing, including PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
• Support student preparation of applications for postsecondary and vocational education.
• Educate students and parents about college admissions requirements and financial aid.
• Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members.
• Assume teaching and grading duties as assigned.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to plan and implement high…