TITLE:                                 STUDENT ADVOCACY SPECIALIST

REPORTS TO:                       PRINCIPALS

JOB GOAL:  To remove barriers to student success by providing individualized advocacy, support, resources, and connections that help students improve academic achievement, attendance, engagement, behavior, graduation rates, and readiness for college, career, and life.

JOB SUMMARY:  The Student Advocacy Specialist serves as a dedicated advocate for students, helping ensure that every student has access to the academic, social-emotional, career, and community resources needed to succeed. This position works collaboratively with students, families, teachers, administrators, counselors, community organizations, and other stakeholders to identify barriers to student success and develop effective support strategies.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advocate for the academic, personal, social-emotional, and career needs of students.
• Build positive, trusting relationships with students and serve as a consistent source of support and guidance.
• Identify barriers that may negatively affect student attendance, engagement, achievement, graduation, or postsecondary success.
• Connect students and families with appropriate school, community, and social-service resources.
• Assist students in developing educational, career, and postsecondary goals.
• Monitor student progress and follow up with students who need additional support.
• Collaborate with teachers, counselors, administrators, families, and community partners to develop individualized support strategies.
• Participate in student support, intervention, and problem-solving meetings.
• Help students understand school policies, available programs, graduation requirements, and opportunities for college and career readiness.
• Support students in accessing academic interventions, tutoring, mentoring, career pathways, internships, work-based learning, and other enrichment opportunities.
• Assist with conflict resolution and help students develop problem-solving, communication, and self-advocacy skills.
• Maintain accurate and confidential documentation regarding student contacts, referrals, interventions, and outcomes.
• Conduct outreach to families and maintain consistent communication regarding student needs and progress.
• Develop partnerships with community agencies and organizations that provide resources and opportunities for students.
• Support initiatives designed to improve student attendance, engagement, retention, graduation, and postsecondary readiness.
• Assist with transition services for students entering new grade levels, programs, schools, or postsecondary opportunities.
• Maintain knowledge of available student services, community resources, educational programs, and career opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the appropriate administrator.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Experience working with students in an educational, youth-development, counseling, or community-based setting.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to establish effective relationships with students, families, staff, and community partners.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound professional judgment.

PREFERRED

• Experience working with at-risk or underserved student populations.
• Experience with student intervention, mentoring, attendance initiatives, or family engagement.
• Knowledge of college and career readiness programs, career pathways, and community resources.
• Experience collaborating with schools, workforce agencies, nonprofit organizations, or other community partners.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Student-centered advocacy, relationship building, communication and active listening, conflict resolution, problem solving, cultural responsiveness, collaboration and teamwork, organization and case management, resource coordination and professional judgement and confidentiality

PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED BY ADMINISTRATION.

EVALUTAION:        ANNUALLY