College Academic Counselor

Overview

ABOUT ASPIRE

Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving TK-12 scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998—in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through—Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation.

Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.

The College Academic Counselor oversees the delivery of all academic counseling services in assigned secondary school(s). The Counselor implements a comprehensive school counseling program based on analysis of student data that addresses academic needs for all students through advocacy and collaboration to promote student success, provides preventive services, and responds to identified student needs. The Counselor collaborates with SEL Counselors, educators and Site Leadership to support student post-secondary achievement in congruence with students’ SEL needs.

The College Academic Counselor trains The College Advisors in the delivery of guidance curriculum, develops individual student plans and provides school-wide system support.

• Include family activities and programming (e.g., family workshops) to deliver academic, early college, college, and career counseling services across all grades.
• Collaborate with school and regional leaders to support articulation and coherence of student programming to deliver systematic support towards post-secondary goals.
• Arrange for school-wide opportunities for students and families to visit with college admission, scholarship program, and other community partnership program representatives through visits to the high school, college/career fairs, field trips, and/or college tours.
• Support and counsel students and families to find post-secondary pathways and enrichment opportunities authentic to their identities.
• Provide additional academic, college and career support for students in special population groups, such as undocumented students, transition plans for students with IEPs and 504 plans, multilingual learners, etc., in collaboration with various stakeholders.
• Monitor all student academic performance and assist the school administration with appropriate interventions, including support prior to course failure, as well as credit recovery and graduation plans.
• Attend IEP, 504, attendance, MTSS and SST meetings to present graduation pathways, requirements, credit progress, credit recovery needs, in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Communicate student progress and/or intervention plans to students and families.
• Coordinate, educate, and counsel students on dual-enrollment including applications and enrollment process in college courses.
• Support administration as needed with scheduling students in courses, monitoring the UC course list, standardized testing, and planning credit recovery and summer school.
• Prepare and deliver college, career, and academic advising workshops.
• Prepare and interpret student data to inform differentiated programming.

• Demonstrate knowledge of and support the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements including antiracism, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.
• Minimum work days are 196 days; additional days up to 212 may be required and will be paid via stipend.

Competencies

• Up-to-date knowledge of current state and federal laws governing counseling and adherence to those laws.
• Up-to-date knowledge of post-secondary program admissions and financial aid…