Assistant Director of Student Services

Job Title

Provide leadership, training, and support for a high-quality counseling, college, and career program that prepares all students, including sub-groups, to meet or exceed proficiency levels of local, state, and national assessments. This position seeks to bolster the counselor and college and career program making it integral to the district's academic program and preparing students for success post-graduation.

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide direct leadership for the school counselor program and college and career readiness program for PK-12 and oversight of school social work program, future ready and behavioral health services, and collaborate with and actively support the efforts of other teams, offices, and organizations to optimize how the district meets the needs of each child.
• Provide strategic vision and technical support for district-wide school counseling and college and career programs, as defined within the district's Chapter 339 plan and reported publicly on the PA Future Ready Index.
• Collaborate with community partners to enhance and support school based behavioral health services, school counseling, school social workers within the multi-tiered systems and support.
• Ensure appropriate learning opportunities and related artifacts for both staff and students that align with PDE's College and Career Measures as measured by the PA Future Ready Index.
• Sustain and broaden community partnerships related to college and career readiness, engage staff at all levels to obtain input on decisions that impact their work to promote alignment to SDoL objectives and to meet the state mandated Comprehensive School Counseling plan goals.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of professional development related to the scope of responsibility.
• Lead the implementation, continuous improvement, and evaluation of the school counseling program in alignment with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model to ensure a comprehensive data-informed programming that promotes equitable access, student achievement, college and career readiness, and social-emotional development.
• Manage the budget and resources in order to provide the necessary time, resources, materials, and technology to achieve assigned goals and objectives.
• Ensure the district is in compliance with state and federal requirements, Board Policy, District regulations, best practices, and ethical standards that apply to areas of responsibility.
• Coordinate district compliance with Pennsylvania Act 1 and Act 158, which includes: graduation planning for students experiencing educational instability and ensuring compliance with PA state graduation requirements for all students.
• Oversees the coordination of crisis response support efforts for students, staff, families and the overall school community.
• Provide collaborative leadership in the identification, development, implementation, and evaluation of grants aligned with student services priorities.
• Make data-informed recommendations and decisions in developing student services programs, policies, and procedures.
• Prepare reports, presentations and resources for district leadership, the Board of School Directors, and external agencies while maintaining oversight of graduation and other data needed for PDE reporting.
• Design and facilitate professional learning opportunities promote best practices in student mental health, trauma-informed approaches, crisis response, attendance improvement, and student engagement for counselors, social workers, administrators, and other staff.

Required
- Preferred

Experience
- Minimum of five years of successful experience in school counseling, school social work, student services, behavioral health, or a related educational leadership role.

Education
- Master's Degree in School Counseling, Social Work or other related field

Licenses/Certifications
- Valid Pennsylvania School Counseling Certification or School Social Worker Valid Administrative certificate

Additional Skills/Notes
- Familiar with the American School Counselors Association's model that ties the work of counselors with raising student's academic achievement

Ability to support a positive and caring culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with all levels of District management, School Board, Federal/State/Local agencies, families, and the community.

Ability to establish effective working relationships with District staff and contractors.

- Experience with MTSS, behavioral health systems, school-community partnerships, and program development preferred.

The School District of Lancaster provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex/gender, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual…