Specialist - At Risk Students

Position Type:

Professional/Specialist - At-Risk Students

Date Posted:

4/28/2025

Location:

University High

Job Title: Specialist - At-Risk Students

Wage/Hour Status: Exempt / At-Will

Reports To: Principal

Pay Grade/Days: 102/212 Days

Dept./School: Campus

Date Revised: July 2020

Primary Purpose:

Plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive program of guidance to school assigned, including counseling services. Recognize and work with at risk, grade level, drop out, and/or drop out recovery population. Provide a proactive developmental guidance program to encourage all students to maximize personal growth and development.

Qualifications:

Education/Certification:

Master’s degree in Education Administration Preferred

Special Knowledge/Skills:

Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and career development

Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills

Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior

Knowledge of District, State, (TEA), and Federal policy and procedures

Knowledge of At Risk, PEIMS, and graduation requirements

Knowledge of resources available for At Risk students and ability to facilitate those

Ability to interact calmly and professionally with those in at risk and/or crisis situations

Ability to maintain accurate and complete records as required by law, district policy, and administrative regulations

Ability to adhere to and enforce school rules, administrative regulations, and board policy

Experience:

Three years teaching experience

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

Work closely, acting as liaison, with principals, counselors, teachers, registrars, attendance, truancy, community education, probation officers, court system, students, parents, and special programs in an effort to identify, track, prevent, recover, or discourage potential dropouts, students who are at risk of failing, or students wishing to maintain and/or accelerate their education toward continuation and/or completion.

Develop long- and short-range plans with individual students and school personnel which are student/situation specific and designed to address academic, personal, and attendance needs in order to encourage maximum academic achievement and reduce dropout potential and/or rates.

Meet with parents, students, and staff (individually or collectively) in session/conferences to collaborate, plan, record, and implement, long- and short-term instructional/personal goals, behavior plans, options, objectives, and strategies designed to encourage, maintain, recover and/or accelerate academic achievement.

Monitor long- and short-range individualized, teacher, student, staff, credit (promotion/graduation) directed plans for instructional programs, educational options, student needs, and school data/records.

Coordinate academic achievement by way of traditional and/or nontraditional educational options by providing academic achievement direction, options, assistance, and documentation to students, parents, schools, district, and community.

Coordinate appropriate compensatory, intensive, remediation, or accelerated instructional services for students/staff.

Provide behavior support and work with teachers to develop, implement, and monitor Behavior Intervention Plans in an effort to maintain classroom management in an effort to meet the needs of all students, including the at-risk/struggling learner.

Serve as a resource/contact person for the district, students, and staff in order to promote and coordinate academic achievement, dropout prevention and recovery by providing access, coordination, and linkage to in-school, district wide, and outside community resources in order to assist and encourage students and their families to participate more fully and successfully while in school, upon a return to school, and/or when pursuing nontraditional continuation/completion.

Schedule, attend parent/teacher/principal/counselor conferences in order to follow student academic progress, discipline, absences, parent concerns, staff requests, and probationary terms.

Evaluate, record, and monitor student performance, attendance, and discipline (every 3 weeks) in order to share, modify, and update strategies/files/data as needed for academic achievement.

Provide required data/forms/information to schools/staff/PEIMS/District.

Facilitate the enrollment schedules of At Risk students.

Assist in identifying, proctoring, and reporting At Risk and/or dropout population data.

When applicable and possible, schedule, proctor, and assess the academic ability of students in relationship to the expectations of the General Education Exam and report to parent, guardian or other appropriate person/staff upon request and/or need.

Keep abreast of high school graduation requirements, registration/withdraw regulations, Leaver Codes, Credit Restoration, Mandatory Attendance Laws, Job Corps, Dual Credit, Home School and Special Testing Modifications.

Establish, arrange, encourage, and maintain open lines of communication with students, parents, and staff by utilizing in-person, letter, fax, and telephone contacts in order to locate, recover, and/or redirect students toward academic achievement.

Be responsible for receiving and maintaining specific state, school, district, and student materials/data pertaining to at risk/dropout information.

Take the precautions necessary to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.

Assist in the requests/selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials.

Demonstrate respect for and adherence to confidentiality laws.

Attend and participate in faculty/district meetings as appropriate.

Participate in appropriate in-service and professional growth activities.

Establish and maintain a professional relationship with all colleagues, students, parents, and community services/contact.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Maintain emotional control under stress. Frequent extended days. Administrative office environment, high pressure, fast pace, multiple deadlines and people intensive.

Note: This is not necessarily an exhaustive or all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions or working conditions associated with the job. This job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. The school district may add to, modify or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable.

Non Discrimination Statement

The Waco Independent School District is an equal opportunity educational provider and employer who does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information or non-proficiency in English language skills in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and school board policy not to discriminate in such a manner.

For information about your rights or complaints regarding compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX, please email or contact Waco ISD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at or Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Support at . For information or complaints regarding compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI and Title VII, as amended, contact the Waco ISD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at . For information or complaints regarding compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, contact Waco ISD Special Education Executive Director at or write to P.O. Box 27, Waco, TX, 76703.