Postsecondary Persistence and Retention Advisor (Immediate)

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

Counseling services can transform college and career dreams into a reality. Evidence has shown that the lack of access to information and guidance on college admissions and financial aid is a prohibitive barrier for many low-income families. In the absence of good information, many families develop misconceptions about what it takes to get into and graduate from college or vocational schools. By employing a diverse range of outreach efforts – from individualized, one-on-one meetings to large-group workshops and seminars – the KIPP Forward program closes the information divide for KIPP Texas students and families, breaking down the barriers to career success.

The Postsecondary Persistence and Retention Advisor is a grant-funded three-year position that will be responsible for ensuring that KIPP Texas - Houston alumni attending four-year universities in Houston receive the guidance and support needed to successfully attain their degree and/or certification and begin their career. This role requires significant student outreach to alumni at targeted colleges in the Houston area. The Postsecondary Persistence and Retention Advisor will also be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with local colleges and universities. They will collaborate with other KIPP Forward teams, including the KIPP high school college counseling team, to foster a postsecondary and career readiness culture throughout our KIPP schools. The position is funded for school year 2024-2025 through school year 2026-2027 and will end on June 30, 2027

Duties and Essential Job Functions:

• Serve as an advisor for a caseload of KIPP Texas alumni enrolled or intending to enroll in postsecondary education
  • Develop positive, appropriate, meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, and fellow KIPP staff members and teachers. Introduce KIPP and KIPP Forward programming to college administration and collaborate with advisors, college persistence programs and leadership staff to support alumni progress.
  • Assist each student with postsecondary enrollment or transfer, orientation, financial aid verification (review and accept awards, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, etc.), and ensure student registration.
  • Collect critical data from alumni (enrollment verification, transcripts, and degree completion) and monitor alumni progress toward degree/certification attainment.
  • Advise students on college and career pathways and help students develop success skills, such as self-advocacy, problem-solving, interviewing, networking, etc.;
  • Coach alumni to connect with on-campus support services (i.e. tutoring center, Mathematics and Writing labs, writing center, counseling center, career center, etc.) and foster self-advocacy;
  • Offer individualized counseling around social and emotional issues associated with college/vocational and career readiness;
  • Collaborate with KIPP Texas Forward High School Team to ensure all graduating seniors complete college/vocational training matriculation steps, including but not limited to submit housing deposits (when applicable), attend orientation, and register for classes.
• Update and Maintain the Alumni database
  • Track and maintain records of student contact information changes, advising meetings, pulse-checks, benchmarks and verification of enrollments of alumni in college using the Alumni Database (Salesforce);
  • Assist with data collection for annual report and program evaluation;
  • Prepare marketing, publicity materials and reports as needed;
• Collaborate with the team and other stakeholders to support student postsecondary success
  • Collaborate with contacts at local colleges and universities in order to connect alumni with college support services and maintain a record of support services and contact information.
  • Collaborate with the High School Team to arrange college visits and opportunities for HS alumni to connect with alumni in college.
  • Support the Regional Director of Persistence with defining success and building a strategy to visit alumni on the college campuses.
  • Collaborate with the Regional Director of Persistence to develop an effective early alert system and intervention plan for alumni at risk of stopping out

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
• Professional development courses provided by the KIPP Foundation, and other college and career readiness partners, are essential.
• Prior experience working with college students and helping them achieve academic success, primarily first-generation, minority, and low-income students
• Strong active listening (i.e. seeks to understand the needs and motivations of students.) and coaching skills
• Demonstrates knowledge of and respect for the cultures of the community served
• Demonstrates a growth mindset with the ability to inquire and be open to feedback
• Outstanding project management skills, with an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet agreed upon deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to collaborate and build relationships with stakeholders across functional and organizational lines.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience with college enrollment, retention, degree attainment and financial aid processes.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Articulate, professional demeanor with strong self-confidence and initiative
• Good interpersonal skills; Ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students, alumni, corporate partners, vendors and admissions personnel
• Proficient knowledge of college admissions processes
• Proficient knowledge of the financial aid processes
• Proficiency in using online databases to track student data
• Proven written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Comfortable using data dashboards
• Demonstrates a high proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, and has previous experience utilizing a database, i.e. Salesforce
• Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones
• Strong command in using the internet and social media websites

Required Licensure/Certification/Specialized Training

• Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones
• Strong command in using the internet and social media websites

Physical Requirements

• Able to work evenings, holidays and weekends as necessary
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer.
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Must be able to lift and carry or otherwise move up to 20 pounds occasionally

Work Environment

• Able to work evenings, holidays and weekends as necessary
• School Environment

Travel Requirements

• Able to travel to local college partner campuses

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance, and disability plans.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Travel Requirements

• Able to travel to KIPP campuses, local college/university campuses and other career/training campuses as needed.
• Able to travel for home visits with alumni and families as necessary