Acceleration Academies is passionate about improving student outcomes. We provide two capabilities that drive student success. Our dropout recovery and student re-engagement program (Acceleration Academies), is an innovative education partner helping young adults overcome real-life challenges to earn their high school diploma tuition-free through partnerships with state or local school districts across the country. Our technology platform (Incite®) enables data-driven teaching and learning. These offerings are both rooted in our belief that every student deserves access to the best instruction, tools and resources possible.

Position Title: Academy Director
Reports to: State/Regional Leadership
Location: Carolina Shores Acceleration Academy

District: South Carolina Public Charter School District

Job Description
The District Director serves as the leader of their designated district and maintains primary local responsibility for carrying out the organization’s mission, including (1) establishing expectations, providing support and managing accountability for all site-based instructional and non-instructional staff, (2) ensuring equity in programming for the academies’ diverse learners, (3) establishing connections within the broader community to expand services for Graduation Candidates (GCs),(4) managing all program operations to ensure fiscal sustainability and legal compliance, and (5) leveraging available resources to increase enrollment and improve Graduation Candidates outcomes, ensuring overall program success.

Job Requirements
Education: Master’s Degree preferred (Bachelor’s required), in Education or a closely related field.
Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience (preferably in Educational Administration/Leadership) including 3+ years of direct supervisory experience
Background Check required

Core Competencies
The following core competencies define what the organization requires of its employees to succeed and how we expect overall goals to be accomplished each and every day.

• Communication & Interpersonal Skills
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Caring & Inclusiveness
• Flexibility & Adaptability
• Honesty, Integrity & Reliability
• Results-Orientation

Role-Specific Competencies
These competencies are specific to an Academy Leadership position.

• Performance Evaluation & Coaching
• Information Management & Data Analysis
• Strategic Analysis & Problem Solving
• Leadership & People Management
• Commitment & Motivation

Job Responsibilities

Enrollment

• Lead new GC enrollment through recruitment and engagement efforts
• Lead the implementation of GC Orientation
• Lead Friday Fidelity Forum Meetings focused on data review and collaboration
• Support the Career Life Coach in the development of Graduation Candidate individual learning pathways and individual support plans to gauge individual Graduation Candidate progress

Retention

• Train and lead staff in the use of the Retention Cycle Protocol
• Create and maintain a positive school culture and lead the instructional and/or operational vision of the Acceleration Academy program
• Advocate and support site-level incentive programs
• Use technology and Learning Management Systems to track Graduation Candidate progress, assign interventions, and support course completion as determined in individual graduation candidate learning pathways

Academics

• Complete all required data formulation for all AA reports, including local, state, and federal compliance of all ESE and ELL programs
• Lead the staff in the collection and analysis of data for instructional decision-making
• Lead the staff in the documentation and tracking of GC progress, the assignment of academic interventions to support on time course completions as determined by the Personalized Learning Plans for GCs
• Maintain all required documentation for graduation including course completion, GPA, and standardized testing requirements
• Ensure compliance for all ESE and ESOL individualized learning plans
• Implement weekly workshops that focus on non-academic topics

Advocacy

• Lead and manage staff, keeping them strongly connected to the mission of Acceleration Academies
• Act as the primary point of contact between the Academy and the District as well as the Academy and community organizations
• Oversee positive relationship building and collaboration among staff, Graduation Candidates, and their families
• Facilitate communications with community organizations to support the removal of non-academic barriers for GCs (health, social services, mental health, law enforcement)
• Create schedules for employees to ensure adequate and effective staffing at all sites
• Provide ongoing feedback and support in the growth and development of all staff members connected to goals and milestones
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Additional/Preferred Qualifications

• Educational Leadership endorsement in the state of South Carolina
• Bilingual (Spanish)
• Proficient understanding of ESE (Exceptional Student Education), ELL (English Language Learner), and behavior intervention practices
• Experience working in a non-traditional school setting and/or with youth who may be considered at-risk

• Demonstrates a commitment and passion for supporting high school aged youth, who have disengaged from a traditional school setting, by creating opportunities for academic and personal breakthroughs
• Experience reviewing transcripts and general understanding of graduation requirements
• Experience providing supports, interventions, and counseling services with high school aged youth

• Demonstrates a strong understanding of and comfort with the use of technology in an educational setting.
• Experience with any of the following: project-based learning, instructional coaching, portfolio assessment, a competency-based education model, cooperative learning, integration of technology and cross-disciplinary learning, alternative assessments and integrating school to career experiences into the curriculum

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to touch, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Work Environment and Work Demands

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is consistent with that of a collaborative school environment.

Acceleration Academies is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. It is understood that other related duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform all aspects of the position, described above satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.