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Director of Graduation & Post-Secondary Success

New York, New York, United States

Reports to: Senior Director for High School + Chief Schools Officer
Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm + occasional additional responsibilities outlined by the CSO
Compensation: $106,000-$120,000 (We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other. We take into consideration qualifications, credentials, years of experience, and one's impact on behalf of the organization - internal and external equity is taken seriously. East Harlem Scholars Academies also offers a comprehensive benefits package.)
FLSA Status: Exempt 

Who We Are

Founded in 1958 as a children’s reading group, East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP) has grown into a dynamic multi-site after-school program for students in traditional public schools and a network of public charter schools dedicated to dramatically increasing the college graduation rate in East Harlem. We believe that all young people deserve access to an excellent education without having to leave their community. East Harlem is a vibrant neighborhood that has long faced systemic educational inequities, and we work in close partnership with students and families to help them unlock their limitless potential. Our schools and programs provide rigorous, engaging academics combined with holistic support, ensuring that students develop the critical thinking skills, confidence, and knowledge necessary to excel in college and beyond.

At EHTP, we strive to be an agent of change in the fight for racial equity, recognizing that education is a powerful tool for transformation. Through a rigorous, student-centered curriculum, we prepare our scholars to challenge the status quo, think critically, and become leaders who shape a more just world. Our commitment to anti-racism is woven into every aspect of our work—from our instructional practices and professional development to our organizational policies and community engagement. As educators and staff, we continually examine our own biases and identities, ensuring that our classrooms and programs are spaces of inclusion, empowerment, and academic excellence. Read our racial equity statement here.

The Opportunity

The Director of Graduation and Post-Secondary Success is a founding role at East Harlem Scholars Academy and will provide strategic leadership in ensuring students successfully graduate and transition into post-secondary pathways, including college, career, and other opportunities. This role involves overseeing a team of counselors and staff who support students in academic planning, college and career readiness, and post-secondary success. The Director will collaborate with school leadership, external partners, and families to build robust systems that track student progress and provide targeted interventions to ensure long-term student achievement in high school and beyond. The Director will have the chance to be at the forefront and ground level of building our high school success program as we grow and evolve over the next few years.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to support students in meeting graduation requirements and successfully transitioning to post-secondary opportunities.
  • Supervise and support team counselors, ensuring effective guidance, mentorship, and professional development.
  • Oversee data tracking systems to monitor student progress towards graduation, college applications, financial aid completion, matriculation, and career readiness benchmarks.
  • Collaborate with academic leaders, teachers, and student support staff to create intervention plans for at-risk students to improve retention and graduation rates.
  • Establish partnerships with colleges, universities, employers, and community organizations to expand post-secondary opportunities for students.
  • Provide leadership in designing and implementing college and career readiness programming, including workshops, college visits, and career exploration.
  • Develop family engagement strategies to ensure parents and guardians are informed and involved in the post-secondary planning process.
  • Analyze and report on key performance indicators related to graduation rates, college enrollment, matriculation, and career placements to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
  • Stay informed about best practices in post-secondary success and continuously refine strategies to align with evolving student needs and educational trends.

What You’ll Accomplish

Manage Program Vision, Implementation & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Sit on the network leadership team for high school success and achievement and the teaching & learning team.
  • Act as a thought partner to network leadership to synthesize the vision for effective high school counseling, college and career readiness/access, and matriculation success. Including but not limited to: college & career going culture, summer programs, college readiness high school coursework, matriculation, and successful high school graduation)
  • Lead and execute the high school graduation and post-secondary strategy leading to a high school graduation rate of 90%+ and college acceptance rate of 85%+.
  • Lead efforts to educate students and families about the college process,  financial aid process, scholarships, and college affordability.
  • Create resources and programming to assist low-income students in navigating the unique challenges they may face in graduation and the college/career application and matriculation process.
  • ​​Partner with high school leaders, instructional teams, and counselors to integrate college access into academic and extracurricular programming.
  • Represent the organization in regional and national forums on college access and readiness.

Strategic Leadership

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive high school graduation, college access, and post-secondary success strategy that aligns with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
  • Promote a college-going culture by creating programs, initiatives, and resources that inspire students to pursue higher education.
  • Serve as the primary expert on college access, staying informed about trends, research, and best practices in post-secondary preparation.
  • Manage school-based counselors and advisors to provide targeted support for students, including academic planning, college selection, application assistance, and matriculation planning.

Team Management 

  • Supervise and support any team members responsible for high school counseling and college/career access fostering collaboration and professional growth.
  • Conduct weekly observations and team meetings with team to improve implementation of high school/college access initiatives
  • Hold team accountable for meeting KPIs as it relates to high school graduation, college access, and matriculation
  • Build capacity of all members of the counseling team to ensure that they are implementing information based on best practice and current realities of high school graduation and post-secondary access.
  • Design and lead professional development sessions focused on high school student success.
  • Work with assistant principals and principals to ensure that work is held sacred for the counseling team while ensuring their continued connection to the overall school community.

Case Management 

  • Along with the counselors, manage small caseload (approx 10-12) students to support with the continuity of the program

Data and Accountability

  • Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to high school graduation, college access, applications, admissions, and college matriculation.
  • Analyze data to identify trends, gaps, and areas for improvement and adjust strategies accordingly.
  • Develop reports and presentations to communicate progress and impact to stakeholders.

Leader of Key Growth Initiatives 

As a founding role, this person will be responsible for helping build and support the following (with the consolation and approval of the CSO) over the next few academic years:

  • A high school counseling strategy that ensures that our students meet our 90%+ graduation target.
  • A college going culture starting in 9th grade that reinforces that we want 90%+ of our students accepted and matriculated into college.
  • A summer program that includes internships and pre-college that supports our students exposure to different environments and careers
  • A college/career access strategy that prepares students to apply for college using their academic profile (e.g. GPA, letters of recommendation, etc).
  • A post-secondary strategy that ensures that students are supported through the college/career process and matriculation
  • A financial aid/scholarship strategy that ensures that 90%+ of students matriculating to college spend no more than $5,000 per year to attend college

Manage Curriculum Implementation

  • Guide the selection, adaptation, and implementation of college ready curricula - especially our senior college readiness class.
  • Develop and refine instructional materials to ensure that it meets the needs of our students
  • Work with network leadership and consultants to ensure quality unit plans, assessments, and lesson plans are high quality for teachers/counselors
  • Ensure the integration of culturally responsive teaching materials to reflect and affirm students' identities and experiences.
  • Build high quality  assessments that support curriculum implementation

Year One Priorities 

  • Develop a strategy that ensures that 90%+ of are on track to graduate within four by improving our graduation counseling
  • Develop a scope and sequence for a college readiness class that begins in 11th grade that ensures that 90%+ of our students are ready to apply for college/career.
  • Engage stakeholders (students, caregivers, etc.) in their understanding of high school graduation requirements - especially the importance of GPA

What Qualifies You

Please note that no one meets 100% of the desired qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to still apply.

  • Education: A Bachelor’s Degree Required; Master’s Degree (preferred but not required)
  • At least 3 years of working on a daily basis in a school setting and knows the ebbs and flows of the school year
  • At least 3 years of leadership experience, including coaching and managing others to results.
  • Deep knowledge of the NYS high school graduation requirements, CUNY/SUNY System, and specific NYS financial aid
  • Strong knowledge of competitive scholarship requirements (e.g. Posse Scholars)
  • Experience in data-driven decision making and ability to make plans and adjust based on data
  • Expertise in building and using college tracking programs (e.g. naviance)
  • A strong believer in anti-racism education, culturally responsive teaching, and trauma-informed practices.
  • Experience implementing restorative justice and social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives
  • A strategic thinker who can manage network-wide initiatives, schedules, and resources effectively.
  • Ability to navigate challenges with flexibility, resilience, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
  • Demonstrates timeliness, accountability, and ethical leadership in all responsibilities.
  • Maintains a growth mindset, embracing feedback and continuous improvement.

Who You Are & What You Do

We seek directors who:

  • Have strong strategic thinking and project management skills.
  • Have exceptional coaching and leadership abilities.
  • Have expertise in data analysis and using data to inform decisions.
  • Can build Strong relationship-building skills with families, students, and external partners.
  • Have the ability to design and execute impactful equity-driven programming.
  • Has knowledge of the college/career landscape and can build relationships with organizations that will open doors for our students.
  • See themselves as a member of the school community and willing to support in all efforts to ensure that our students are meeting the academic, school culture, and socio-emotional expectations.
  • Are empathetic of the needs of high school students and willing to do “whatever it takes” to meet their needs
  • Work with network leadership to build the vision of the program
  • Willing to work closely and collaboratively with our school leadership team

We seek directors that:

  • Are reflective and open to feedback and willing to learn from mistakes quickly.
  • Are emotionally aware and intelligent and do the work to grow their emotional awareness and intelligence. 
  • Have strong personal organization and project management skills to ensure that all stakeholders can meet their potential.
  • Are committed to anti-racism and seek outs and leans into feedback related to commitment to anti-racism and proactively build their mindsets.
  • Set high expectations for themselves and the people they work with.
  • Have strong results in their current or past role and are “on fire” about closing gaps between excellence and the current reality if things are off-track.
  • Can engage in conversations with stakeholders that creates clarity, builds consensus, and ultimately leads change.
  • Can build productive relationships with stakeholders around lines of difference.
  • Monitors performance of results, ensures that things are trending in the right direction and uses those results to align coaching and development.
  • Leads effective team meetings with a variety of stakeholders that lead to transformational change.
  • Have a “whatever it takes” attitude and is a strong team player.
  • Has the willingness to deal with the ambiguity of a founding role and willingness to take full responsibility and ownership

Thank you in advance for completing an application.

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