Manager, Connected Schools DC+XQ

Position Overview

The mission of the Office of School Improvement and Supports (OSIS) is to ensure we support our schools and our students to succeed and to meet the Goals of our Strategic Plan. The Office works to dramatically accelerate the number of excellent schools through school transformation, including design, partnerships, Connected Schools, and Comprehensive School Planning (CSP). The Office develops, aligns, and delivers high-quality supports to ensure students, particularly students furthest away from opportunity, are in school, able to engage in rigorous learning, and have a joyous educational environment. The Office ensures our schools have excellent leaders, educators, and staff who are prepared to meet the diverse needs of the young people we serve.

Divisions/Teams

School Improvement

• School Performance: Promotes data-driven decision-making through a cycle of continuous improvement to develop, implement, and monitor the comprehensive school plan designed to move schools toward a consistent standard of excellence.
• Design: Designs innovative school models that transform learning for our students furthest from opportunity and supports District workstreams to be more grounded in community voice by anchoring in data, community engagement and understanding, and elevating and integrating student voice.
• Connected Schools: Supports schools in implementing the DCPS Connected Schools Model. Connected Schools take a whole child, whole school, whole community approach by making schools spaces that support not only a student’s academic development, but also the student and family’s overall wellbeing through access to resources related to health, employment, housing, and more.
• Equity Strategy and Programing: Supports DCPS’ equity priority by ensuring systemically underserved students are provided with opportunities, skills, and engagements that support their success, and that DCPS staff and stakeholders are centering equity as a central lens and practice.

Student Supports

• School Mental Health: Ensures that students' behavioral and social-emotional needs are met to increase access to the curriculum.
• Student Placement: Ensures that schools have the necessary supports to address the needs of the whole child and create the conditions where all students are ready to learn.
• Student Health Services: Ensures that all students are healthy and are supported with the appropriate services and accommodations to support their wellness and continued learning.

Learning and Development Sciences

• The Learning and Development Sciences Division(LDS) is charged with supporting the district’s transformation to becoming a whole child-centered, anti-racist school system—DCPS Becoming. Grounded in science and powered by lived experiences, the district’s approach is a long-term vision that counts on each district and school staff member knowing the science of learning and development and applying this research to their own work. Charged with building the capacity of district and school staff, as well as integrating a whole-child and anti-racist lens into the district’s key priorities, the LDS Division will leverage the experiences of school leaders and staff to translate the research into systems, tools, and practices.

• SEL and School Culture: Ensures that schools have the resources to provide a safe and supportive learning environment where all students are able to thrive academically and socially

IMPACT: IMPACT is DCPS’ Evaluation and Feedback System for School-Based Personnel.

• IMPACT Operations: Supports the daily implementation of both Staff and School Leader IMPACT. The team ensures IMPACT policy is followed with fidelity, manages a helpline where staff can reach out with questions, handles IMPACT appeals, and fulfills all IMPACT data analysis requests.

• IMPACT Align: Ensures all evaluators have the tools they need to accurately and consistently apply the DCPS classroom observation rubric (the Essential Practices) when evaluating teacher practice. Provides tools for teachers to support excellent performance with respect to the Essential Practices.

• IMPACT Design: Gathers and responds to feedback from DCPS leadership and staff and uses this feedback to consider possible IMPACT design changes for the future. The team also liaises with other states, districts, education groups, and researchers to learn from the best practices and lessons learned in the field of staff and school leader evaluation.

DC Public Schools recently launched a partnership with XQ, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience to empower all graduates to succeed in life. XQ supports schools and districts across the country to work with their communities to translate bold ideas into action and create more rigorous and equitable schools. Made possible by XQ’s partnership facilitated by DC Public Education Fund, all DCPS high schools will have the opportunity to engage in a design journey with their communities.

The Connected Schools work is grounded in the belief that an increase in services and resources alone is not enough to affect lasting change. Instead, DCPS must look at how all stakeholders—DC agencies, partners, community members, and more—work together in new ways that fundamentally break down silos and keep students and communities at the center of our work. To accomplish this ambitious goal, the Manger, Connected Schools DC+ XQ is a pivotal leader in each school site, charged with critical responsibilities to set this model up for lasting success. The Manager will (1) serve as a key strategic leader within the assigned school site, (2) oversee school level systems-building to coordinate and streamline service provision, (3) facilitate robust partnerships to implement programming critical to Connected Schools priorities, (4) ensure regular and ongoing data reporting and analysis that is critical for data-driven impact, and (5) lead and support family and community engagement strategies and events for the school. This role will work directly with partner organizations, school leaders, district leaders, government agencies, and other external stakeholders.

The Manager, Connected Schools DC+XQ will manage and oversee the implementation of the DCPS Connected Schools Model at a single DCPS school site. The incumbent will manage work under the Connected Schools initiatve to radically shift the way schools, DC agencies, and communities work together in order to fully and authentically integrate academics, social services, and student and family engagement. The Connected Schools Model is intended to create community hubs within schools and is DCPS’s version of a full-service community school.The Connected School Manager position is a 12-month, school-based role. The Manager is based full-time at the assigned school location.

This position is a safety-sensitive position. As a result, throughout employment this position will be subject to the Employee Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.

The Manager, Connected Schools DC+XQ will report to the Principal.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

• Leads and manages the implementation of the DCPS Connected Schools Model at the assigned school site by serving as member of school leadership team and actively participating on various school teams.

• Facilitates relationships between and among school staff, partners, families, the community, and DCPS central office administration to incorporate a wide range of perspectives in the development and implementation of the DCPS Connected Schools Model and overall school goals.

• Leads and/or enhances existing community and family engagement practices to support and bolster involvement and connectivity; and helps to foster a broad sense of school community.

• Leads and/or enhances communication with community stakeholders, DC agencies, and external partners, raising awareness around the DCPS Connected Schools Model and an overall alignment of resources and opportunities.

• Facilitates an annual school-based needs assessment and asset mapping process; and collaborates with school staff to prioritize student, family, and community needs based on results.

• Develops annual Connected Schools goals and strategies, as part of the school’s existing Comprehensive School Plan, focusing on identified student and family assets, needs, and risk factors.

• Assesses, onboards, and manages multiple school partners aimed at providing academic and/or personal supports for students and families to ensure a coordinated, high-quality delivery of services.

• Builds streamlined systems and strategies to facilitate robust resource connection to meet students' and families’ academic, emotional, and physical needs.

• Serves as a trusted liaison to community and government services; and strategically connects and coordinates resources within the school.

• Serves as lead, alongside the principal, in data-driven decision making for Connected Schools programming, working with school and central office colleagues to assess attendance, behavior, and academic data with frequency.

• Gathers student and family data for ongoing programmatic evaluations and to report on the implementation of the school’s Connected Schools strategies and their impact on school-wide goals.

• Facilitates quarterly partnership data deep dive meetings that provide a global view of school partner trends in the building.

• Leads planning and execution of multiple school-based events in collaboration with the school leadership team, partners, and the community (e.g., Back to School Night, Open Houses, literacy nights, attendance incentive parties, resource fairs, etc.).
  

Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• 4-6 years of relevant work experience preferred
• Previous exposure to or experience in the education sector a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain trusting, collaborative relationships with various stakeholders.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information concisely and to inspire multiple stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead and manage multiple complex projects across distinct priorities.
• Demonstrated experience in using data management systems and in using data analysis to inform strategic planning and decision-making.
• Proven track record in taking initiative to lead new work.
• Proven experience developing and evaluating programs and partnerships.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, including ability to lead without authority.
• Experience working with, or for, DCPS is preferred, preferably in the community to be served.

DCPS Values

• STUDENTS FIRST: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.
• COURAGE: We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success.
• EQUITY: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.
• EXCELLENCE: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.
• TEAMWORK: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.
• JOY: We enjoy our collective work and will enthusiastically celebrate our success and each other.