Guidance Counselor

Description 2009-2010 School Year

Company Summary
Connections Academy, a “school without walls”, is an innovative public virtual educational program serving K-12 students throughout various states in a non-classroom-based environment. A learning team, consisting of Parent/Learning Coach, a Certified Teacher and educational specialists, work collaboratively with students using a standards-based hybrid curriculum that includes both online and offline options. This is a unique opportunity to be part of an exciting new public schooling model that creates alternative teaching and learning options for students, parents and teachers by leveraging the latest technologies, capitalizing on recent policy initiatives and embracing a cutting edge approach to education. 92% of all CA employees rated the company an A or B on the annual employee satisfaction survey.

Connections Academy operates one school in Pennsylvania under contract to the Commonwealth Connections Academy Charter School (CCA). CCA is a public cyber charter school authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The school serves students in grades K12 from anywhere in Pennsylvania. CCA is nationally accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-regional Accreditation (CITA) and the Middle States Association. 92.8% of all CA parents rated the program an “A” or “B” for the 2008-2009 school year.

Position Summary and Responsibilities
Working from our office in Harrisburg or Lehighton, Pennsylvania, the Guidance Counselor will virtually assist students and parents/learning coaches with course selection, scheduling and will be the initial point of contact for student concerns that span multiple subject areas as well as non-academic issues. The Guidance Counselor will become an expert on course and credit requirements and will work with the Manager of Counseling Services to establish counseling processes for high school students.

The Guidance Counselor will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation.
• Keep abreast of all high school graduation requirements, including special requirements such as community service, and communicate this information to the High School Coordinator and to the principal.
• Assist students and parents with the secondary school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests. An integral part of this process is assisting students and parents to develop a Four Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements.
• Advise students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules, seeking support as needed, while ensuring that the school's course selection and drop policies are adhered to.
• Review student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system.
• Follow procedures to ensure that Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up-to-date.
• Work with the administrative assistants to obtain school records from the student's previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate.
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues.
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources.
• Coordinate a team of high school teachers to help identify students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”. Act as the main point of contact for these students and families, communicating regularly with them.
• Oversee and maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for each student.
• Implement efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students.
• Support families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal.
• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST).
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards. Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation.
• Assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately.
• Communicate with the Curriculum Team to ensure that curriculum offerings meet state requirements.
• Implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, and college entrance preparation.
• Understand the requirements for and assist the principal to facilitate the administration of all high school testing, including exit exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
• Help students to research and understand their post-secondary career and educational options.
• Assist with student preparation of applications for college and jobs.
• 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 necessary including teaching middle school elective courses.

Coordinate high school graduation ceremonies.

Other duties as assigned.

Requirements • Pennsylvania teacher certification in a secondary content area or grade level
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• High degree of flexibility
• Team player with demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on occasion for marketing and state testing events (may require occasional overnight travel)

www.connectionsacademy.com