9th Grade Success & Data Coach, Philadelphia Academies

Posted by Philadelphia Academies on June 13, 2023

Are you interested in supporting Assistant Principals and teacher teams in using data effectively to help ninth graders be successful? Are you a problem-solver who is strong at building relationships and passionate about increasing outcomes for Philadelphia students? Are you open to refining your skills in the areas of data analysis, leadership coaching, and professional development? Philadelphia Academies, Inc. is looking for a dedicated professional to partner with school leaders to increase 9th Grade On-Track rates in order to improve long-term student success.

Who We Are: Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI), was established in 1969 to address the dropout crisis plaguing Philadelphia schools through a Career Academy Model which has since been replicated nationally by over 8,000 schools. Today our programming focuses on Workforce Development Initiatives, Teacher & School Leader Support, and real-world Career Experiences. These efforts are designed to focus on generating post-secondary opportunities better suited to achieving our mission of improving outcomes for Philadelphia’s young people.

Position: 9th Grade Success & Data Coach (Full-Time)

The 9th Grade Success & Data Coach is responsible for providing coaching and technical assistance to 4 5 partner schools in our 9th Grade Success Network, a growing network of soon-to-be 20 School District of Philadelphia high schools committed to supporting ninth graders and increasing 9th Grade On-Track rates. School District of Philadelphia students who are On-Track at the end of ninth grade are twice as likely to graduate high school on-time. PAI invests in school leaders and teachers to build their capacity to support the transition to high school for young people and increase ninth grade success. When we invest in ninth graders, we ensure that our city’s young people have the support they need to thrive and eventually graduate high school, which unlocks significant access to post-secondary opportunities and better long-term outcomes.

The 9th Grade Success & Data Coach supports a portion of our 9th Grade Success Network schools with data utilization and intervention planning strategies, as well as implementing continuous improvement practices and evaluation efforts. The 9th Grade Success & Data Coach works as part of the 9th Grade Success Network team and reports to the Director of Data Supports and Evaluation.

Effective October 29, 2021 Philadelphia Academies, Inc. requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized and/or approved COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. The ideal candidate for this position will have experience working in public schools and facilitating teacher meetings or professional development sessions; have familiarity with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) framework; have experience with Microsoft Excel, tracking and monitoring systems, and data-driven decision making; and have strong written and interpersonal communications skills. This is an excellent opportunity for a passionate professional who is interested in expanding their skill base while supporting school leaders through coaching and technical assistance in the areas of easing the transition to high school, keeping students on-track for graduation, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Duties and Responsibilities Include:
• Coach 9th Grade Assistant Principals at 4-5 high schools in the School District of Philadelphia via weekly coaching meetings centered on data utilization, effective team meetings, protocols, intervention tracking and monitoring systems, building distributed leadership, and continuous improvement methods in order to increase 9th Grade On-Track and Firmly On-Track rates at assigned schools
• Guide school leaders in looking at data dashboards and analyzing trend data in order to impact their thinking and planning; help leaders translate and communicate relevant data trends to their teams in a succinct way
• Attend all assigned schools’ weekly 9th Grade Team meetings and offer support, suggestions, and coaching during and/or after meetings
• Assist with planning and executing school-level professional development sessions on topics including the Transition to High School & 9th Grade On-Track 101, Building an Effective Intervention Strategy, Developmental Relationships, Exploring Equitable Grading Practices, and Root Cause Analysis
• Assist with planning and executing Network-level Community of Practice meetings for school leaders and teachers, including the two-day Summer Summit and one-day Winter Retreat for the 9th Grade Success Network schools
• Lead quarterly data review and practice reflection meetings with assigned schools’ Assistant Principal and/or Principal
• Collect “best practices” from schools for Network-wide sharing and help assigned schools integrate best practices from other schools
• Engage school leaders in regular reflection, practice analysis, and planning
• Document and track school progress toward their goals, including writing in-depth quarterly reports for the project funder and other key stakeholders
• Collaborate with partners from the School District of Philadelphia and University of Chicago’s To&Through Project in order to advance adaptation of data tools and best practices for 9th graders across the School District of Philadelphia
• Participation in all PAI “Signature Events” and fundraisers, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Additional Qualifications and Required Skills:
• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Master’s Degree in related field strongly preferred
• Coaching and/or professional development experience
• Classroom or teaching experience in public high schools
• Experience working with teachers and/or administrators to achieve specific goals
• Familiarity with Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) and providing interventions for young people
• Passion for racial equity and commitment to applying an equity lens to your work
• Strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability for public speaking, as well as leading/facilitating meetings or trainings
• Organization and time management
• Strong interpersonal communication and relationship building skills
• Ability to analyze and respond to problems and communicate potential solutions in an approachable way
• Able to work well both independently and in a team, with strong collaboration skills
• Experience with Continuous Improvement methodologies is a bonus
• Access to reliable transportation or a high comfort level using Philadelphia Public Transit a must, as well as comfortability in visiting School District of Philadelphia schools in-person on a regular basis.

Salary Range: $55,000-$65,000, with full benefits package including but not limited to Health, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off and 401K.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Cheryl Lafferty, Senior Program Director:
[email protected].

Candidates who make it to the final round will be asked for three professional references.

NOTE: Applicants MUST submit a cover letter to be considered.

Please, NO phone calls and NO walk-ins.