Job Title: Truancy Prevention Program Manager

Reports To: Programs Director

Organization:  Access Youth is a non-profit organization that is committed to increasing graduation rates by addressing the top reasons students are pushed out of school -- unexcused absences and behaviors that lead to suspension. 

Our mission is to keep vulnerable youth in school and out of the justice system through mediation, restorative justice and positive youth development. 

Truancy Prevention Program

The Truancy Prevention Program is designed to provide students with the motivation, support, and resources they need to improve their attendance and school achievement. Incorporating key principles of restorative justice and mediation as well as evidence-based approaches such as Check and Connect (which is endorsed by the Department of Education for its track record of positively impacting student truancy rates), the Truancy Prevention Program’s one-on-one interventions for 9th and 10th graders attending under-resourced schools is proven to reduce chronic absenteeism.

The goal of the program is to increase attendance and prevent chronic truancy to improve educational outcomes for students attending under-resourced schools.  AYI currently serves 275-300 students annually through this program.

The Truancy Prevention Program connects to graduation by:

• Reducing the percentage of youth who avoid truancy
• Reducing the percentage of youth who avoid court referral
• Increasing the percentage of youth who improve their attendance rate

Key performance measures for the Truancy Prevention Program are number of days absent compared to their peers and (ISA) in-seat-attendance rates.

Position Overview: Each Truancy Prevention Program Manager develops, delivers, and manages the school-based Truancy Prevention Program at a Washington, DC middle school. Delivery is accomplished by addressing attendance-related issues, including truancy, through mediation-based student conferences, coaching, the use of incentives, and life skills instruction.

Qualifications:

• Experience in truancy and/or dropout prevention programming
• Experience working in an urban school setting
• Experience in program design, management, and evaluation
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work with a diverse student and adult population
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting to assist in making informed programmatic decisions
• Knowledge and familiarity with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook

Values:

1. Equity:
2. Adaptability:
3. Teamwork:
4. Professionalism:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Each position is full-time and based in a Washington, DC public middle school.
2. Receive referrals, conduct intake, and schedule attendance support meetings and mediations
3. Schedule one-on-one meetings with the student and his or her family to start building a relationship and to determine student's immediate needs.
4. Receive referrals, conduct intake, and schedule attendance support meetings and mediation.
5. Work with students on an ongoing basis to monitor their compliance with all attendance plans
6. Build trust, rapport, and communication with students and families in the program
7. Work with school attendance team to integrate our programming with their requirements
8. Conduct attendance support meetings with students using proven mediation skills and principles
9. Make referrals to other school- or community-based services, when appropriate
10. Track and maintain case information, data, and case management database
11. Conduct evaluations and track evaluation results
12. Complete monthly, quarterly and annual program reporting
13. Ensure effective program management, implementation, evaluation and outcome delivery.
14. Create and sustain collegial relationships with principals, counselors, and other school personnel as Access Youth’s primary on-site representative
15. Serve as an articulate spokesperson for all program activities & Access Youth programs
16. Assist COO and Executive Director to develop and improve existing activities and service management systems
17. Collaborate with program organizational colleagues

Relationship Building: After students are referred to us, they are assigned to the Program Manager based upon their specific issue (truancy or behavior). Program Managers schedule one-on-one meetings with the student and his or her family to start building a relationship and to determine student's immediate needs, so that the Program Manager can offer appropriate, targeted, and specific interventions for that student.

Goal Setting: Program Managers assist students with developing action plans to improve their classroom achievement as well as their attendance or behavior (depending on student’s issue). Additionally, Program Managers conduct mediation sessions for truant students and among students engaged in common behavior offenses. They guide students through the process of resolving their issue, and help them develop mediation agreements that include both short-term and long-term academic and personal goals.

Progress Monitoring: Program Managers monitor student progress in adhering to their mediation agreement and achieving their goals through regularly scheduled group and one-on-one meetings. Program Managers also connect students to other school resources to help students meet their stated academic goals. Finally, Program Managers also have the opportunity to build rapport with students and their families by identifying additional supports needed and connecting students to those critical resources outside of the school building.