KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:                    Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Specialist

Job Title Code:             01574

Salary Grade:              S604 $42,833 - $66,817

Department:                Career and Technical Education

Reports To:                 Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE)

FLSA Status:               Exempt

Date Prepared:            March 30, 2015

PURPOSE OF JOB: The Jobs for America’s Graduates-Missouri (JAG-M) Specialist is responsible for ensuring that high school students who are at risk of failing to successfully transition into the workplace, achieve expected outcomes, including graduation and placement into postsecondary education, the workforce and/or the military will successfully overcome these barriers.  To achieve the expected outcomes, the Specialist will provide youth with employability and life survival skills through classroom instruction of core competencies, guidance/counseling, academic remediation, work-based learning experiences, summer activities, post-secondary, and career advisement and a twelve-month follow up after graduation. This position is a full-time, year-round position dedicated 100 percent to the implementation of the JAG Program model.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND REPONSIBILITIES:

1. Establish a positive and on-going supportive relationship with students, families, school administrators and faculty to support students in the JAG-M program.
2. Collaborate with school counselors, advisors, community resources, and teachers to implement the JAG-M curriculum and to consistently build support for academic success, career exploration, goal setting, leadership development, college planning, personal counseling, either directly or through linkages in the community to assist in overcoming barriers to graduation and/or success in the workplace.
3. Analyze student data and barriers and confer with school administration to identify and develop a pool of qualified students in need of intensive academic support such as tutoring, extended learning, mentoring, and counseling. 
4. Deliver the JAG-M curriculum for the targeted students; ensure they receive competency in the 37 core competencies through classroom instruction, in a variety of ways including Project Based Learning, as well as 87 total competencies.
5. Administer testing including pre-/post-tests to students in the JAG-M classroom and document results in the data management system.
6. Monitor basic skills improvements: provide academic support and remediation including; access to tutoring, study skills, credit recovery to show gains as students’ progress toward graduation.
7. Develop, implement and update monthly individualized development plan (IDP) with all students on the program roster.
8. Monitor the attendance, credits needed for graduation.
9. Serve as a student advocate when collaborating with school staff in developing intervention plans for struggling students and assist in implementing/ interventions as appropriate.
10. Advocate for the program and create an employer marketing plan to develop a pool of effective community support resources by working with employers, parents, civic groups, and community leaders to build awareness of and support for this unique program; develop service learning projects, create a pool of classroom speakers, participate in public relations activities, and speak to community groups.
11. Conduct parent/family outreach and education activities to the JAG-M students to strengthen family/school partnerships and facilitate career exploration, college selection and financial planning.
12. Build appreciation for teamwork among students, sense of belonging and commitment to service learning among JAG-M students by organizing and serving as advisor to the Career Association; create opportunities through hands-on activities, guest speakers and workshops; and organize civic and social development opportunities.
13. Provide appropriate support services to JAG-M participants for 12 months after high school graduation to facilitate successful transition to postsecondary education, employment and/or military. If students are non-graduates, specialists will provide support services to students to ensure attainment of High School diploma or GED during the follow up period.
14. Comply with all documentation requirements for JAG-M in a timely manner including student contacts and activities, employer and community organization contacts; develop and maintain a well-organized filing and retrieval system for the JAG-M classes. 
15. Provide opportunities for student activity and engagement throughout the summer, documenting all activities.
16. Participate in regional, and state-wide meetings, and LEA staff development activities   within the building and district as appropriate.
17. Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:  None

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At a minimum, JAG-M Specialist must have a Bachelor’s Degree; In addition, the JAG-M Specialist shall have:
• Current Missouri Teaching Certificate or equivalent combination of training, education, and experience including a Missouri Substitute Teaching Certificate.  FAC's Cert is applicable; Sub Cert acceptable
• Three years’ experience in Secondary and/or Post-Secondary education setting.
• Skills in human relations, leadership, supervision, and motivational techniques.
• Ability and interest to work 12 months per year.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities.
• Ability to establish appropriate boundaries while developing and nurturing supportive relationships with students.
• Ability to educate a variety of constituencies and interested parties about the program by developing ongoing relationships and making formal presentations.
• Ability to develop curriculum, projects and/or other educational opportunities consistent with the goals of the JAG-M.
• Working knowledge of basic computer applications such as word processing, Excel, and electronic data tracking, using.
• Ability to communicate effectively both oral and written.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s Degree

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This job requires that the employee be able to: sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, use hands, fingers, reach with hands and fingers; bend, stoop, lift objects of at least ten pounds.  Job requires the employee occasionally to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.  Visual ability requires mono and color vision, close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Length of work year: 12 Month (7.5 hours per day/5 days per week)

Benefits:           Health and Dental Insurance are provided.  KCPS Defined Benefit Pension plan – mandatory 8.5% contribution (increasing to 9% on 1/1/16) is required from employee and matched by KCPS; Voluntary retirement savings plans are also available.