Arizona 9th Grade Success Coach

Role

Your role stands at the center of the fight to change the odds for historically underserved students. As a key member of Stand's coaching team at a moment of tremendous need and opportunity, you will work in partnership with school-based leaders to develop and operate effective 9th Grade Success Teams to review data on 9th Grade performance and design and monitor the effective implementation of supports that lift their on-time graduation rates. The Center for High School Success (CHSS) has embraced the body of research from the University of Chicago that found that students who finished 9th Grade On-Track were 3 times more likely to graduate from high school. CHSS developed a Roadmap for Student Success that includes practices, tools, and coaching to transform the research into effective practice. Through your strategic leadership, you'll take CHSS's impact to new heights. This position reports to the Southwest CHSS Regional Director and is based in the Phoenix, AZ metro area.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with high schools in Arizona to develop processes, structures, and tools for maximizing 9th Grade On Track Rates.
• Build partnerships with identified school principals and 9th Grade Teams to improve 9th Grade On Track rates through analyzing attendance, course performance, and behavior data.
• Coach 9th Grade Success Team Leads to build their capacity to successfully perform their role in leading change; effectively facilitating meetings, data analysis, and problem-solving; and creating conditions that support overall student success.
• Maintain ongoing communication with school leaders and select school staff, record, and document contacts and progress.
• Support school-based 9th Grade Success Team Leads by establishing team roles, norms, and protocols that organize the team for success and allow for the routinization of best practices.
• Use the CHSS research and change theories to guide school-based coaching and the development and implementation of systems for monitoring and addressing student progress and supports.
• Support schools in implementing tools and systems for documenting process and outcome measures, including but not limited to notes, objectives, and outcomes of 9th Grade Success meetings.
• Support schools by developing a tiered system of supports and interventions for students at-risk of missing their 9th Grade On Track benchmarks.
• Ensure that team meetings are set up with clear connections to team goals and objectives; ensure meeting agendas have clear accountability structures identifying responsible parties and timelines – for what, to whom, and by when.
• Establish regular meeting schedules with partner school principals.
• In collaboration with partner principals, establish 9th Grade Success Team goals and benchmarks, and determine the specific data, data sources, and inquiry/intervention cycles that will be employed to support progress monitoring and evaluation.
• Participate in regularly scheduled 9th Grade Success Coach trainings and supervision with the CHSS team and the national director.
• Provide regular and as-needed reports on implementation and progress toward 9th Grade Success goals and benchmarks.
• Conduct ongoing needs assessment to help identify structural or resource gaps, and to inform resource allocation and or funding strategy.
• Identify and co-facilitate cross-functional collaboration with other school teams whose work intersects.
• Co-facilitate professional learning around 9th Grade Success for partner schools and more broadly as part of CHSS' professional development offerings.
• Support partner schools by organizing 9th Grade Success events in recognition of students', teachers', and families' efforts toward improving student outcomes; and
• Organize quarterly network collaboratives of partner schools for learning, practice sharing, and engagement.

Required Qualifications

• Passionate and unwavering belief that all children can and must graduate from high school.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in school improvement, preferably at the high school level.
• A commitment to self-reflection, examination of identity, and role in systems of oppression and challenging inequities.
• Proven ability to build relationships with and communicate effectively with people at different levels of an organizational hierarchy.
• Experience coaching, evaluating, and supervising teams.
• Proven ability to manage for results.
• Proven ability to analyze and synthesize data to help define challenges, set goals, measure progress, and solve problems.
• Innovative and entrepreneurial with a record of generating innovative ideas to solve sticky challenges.
• Strong facilitation skills and demonstrated knowledge of adult learning principles.
• Eagerness to participate in ongoing professional development and team and self-evaluation.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills and ability to effectively prioritize multiple tasks, manage a calendar, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to respond with flexibility to demands and requirements, and adjust to ambiguous circumstances and change.
• Valid driver's license, an acceptable driving record, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to travel within the state of Arizona and out of state travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Principal or assistant principal experience, preferably at the high school level.
• Master's in education or related field.

Starting salary: $77,588 annually. Higher placement may be offered based on relevant job-related experience. Generous benefits. Stand for Children consists of two separate entities. Stand for Children, Inc., a grassroots membership organization, is exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and Stand for Children Leadership Center, a leadership development organization, is exempt under section 501(c)(3) Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center are committed to ensuring equal opportunity for employment, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels included, valued, and empowered to do their best work. Our work focuses on communities that have historically faced systemic barriers. We squarely focus on hiring staff with skills and qualifications necessary to be successful and actively seek team members whose experiences and perspectives demonstrate a commitment to and alignment with the communities we serve, helping us build stronger connections and drive meaningful impact.