Director of Student Success and Pathways

Description

The Director of Student Success & Pathways is a senior school leader responsible for developing and leading Rooted School Indianapolis' comprehensive student support and postsecondary pathways strategy.

Reporting to the Associate Head of School, the Director will oversee and coordinate key areas including special education, multilingual learner/ELL services, postsecondary advising, work-based learning, student support systems, and community and family partnerships.

The Director will play a central role in building systems that support students earlier in their educational journey and establish a coherent pathway from elementary school through high school, postsecondary education, credentials, apprenticeships, and employment.

The ideal candidate is a strong systems leader who can manage multiple areas of work, supervise and develop staff, build strong external partnerships, ensure compliance, and translate Rooted's vision into effective programs and measurable student outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Student Success & Support Systems

• Develop and lead a comprehensive K–12 student success strategy that addresses students' academic, social-emotional, behavioral, attendance, family, and postsecondary needs.
• Partner with school leaders to strengthen Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and ensure students receive timely interventions and supports.
• Develop systems for identifying students who may be off track and coordinating appropriate interventions.
• Use attendance, academic, behavioral, postsecondary, and other student data to identify needs and monitor progress.
• Ensure student support systems are coordinated across departments rather than operating as separate programs.
• Support the development of a strong transition experience for students moving between elementary, middle school, high school, and postsecondary pathways.

Special Education & Section 504

• Provide leadership and oversight for Rooted's special education program and services.
• Supervise or coordinate with special education staff, contractors, and service providers.
• Ensure students with disabilities receive high-quality services aligned to their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Support compliance with IDEA, Indiana Article 7, Section 504, and other applicable federal and state requirements.
• Monitor special education service delivery, timelines, documentation, staffing, and student outcomes.
• Partner with academic leaders to ensure students with disabilities have access to rigorous, inclusive instruction and appropriate interventions.

Multilingual Learner / ELL Services

• Oversee programming and supports for English Learners and multilingual students.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state requirements related to identification, service delivery, assessment, family communication, and documentation.
• Support staff in implementing effective instructional and intervention strategies for multilingual learners.
• Coordinate translation, interpretation, and family communication supports as needed.
• Monitor student progress and ensure multilingual learners have equitable access to academic, career, and postsecondary opportunities.

Postsecondary Success

• Lead and supervise Rooted's postsecondary team and strategy.
• Develop a coherent postsecondary advising model beginning in middle school and continuing through graduation and beyond.
• Ensure students have individualized plans that connect their academic experience to college, credentials, apprenticeships, military, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities.
• Oversee college and career advising, FAFSA completion, applications, enrollment, scholarship support, financial aid navigation, and transition planning.
• Strengthen systems for helping students earn industry-recognized credentials and credentials of value while enrolled at Rooted.
• Develop systems for tracking graduates and supporting postsecondary persistence, credential completion, re-enrollment after stop-out, apprenticeship completion, job placement, and career advancement.
• Build strong partnerships with colleges, universities, training providers, credential programs, and apprenticeship organizations.

Work-Based Learning & Career Pathways

• Lead Rooted's work-based learning strategy across grades 6–12.
• Build a developmental sequence of career awareness, career exploration, career preparation, and work-based learning opportunities beginning in middle school.
• Oversee internships, job shadowing, employer visits, career exposure, mentorship, project-based learning, and other work-based learning opportunities.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with employers and industry organizations aligned to high-demand and high-wage career sectors.
• Ensure students have equitable access to meaningful work-based learning experiences.
• Establish systems for tracking student participation, hours, employer feedback, credentials, placements, and outcomes.
• Work with academic leaders to integrate career-connected learning into students' educational experiences.

Family & Community Supports

• Help develop a comprehensive student and family support model that recognizes the relationship between student success, family stability, health, wellness, and economic mobility.
• Build partnerships with community-based organizations and service providers that can address barriers impacting students and families.
• Coordinate access to resources such as healthcare, mental and behavioral health services, mentoring, basic needs assistance, workforce development, adult education, financial education, and other wraparound supports.
• Establish clear referral and follow-up systems to ensure students and families are successfully connected to resources.
• Partner with family engagement staff and school leaders to strengthen family participation and communication.

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise, coach, and develop staff across assigned areas, which may include:
• Postsecondary and college/career staff
• Special education leadership or coordination staff
• Multilingual learner/ELL staff
• Counselors
• Student success or intervention staff
• Family and community resource staff
• Establish clear goals, expectations, accountability systems, and professional development for team members.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and cross-functional collaboration.
• Build a strong culture of accountability, service, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop sustainable systems that allow programs to scale as Rooted grows.

Data, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Develop measurable goals and key performance indicators for student success, postsecondary, special populations, and work-based learning.
• Regularly analyze student and program data and report progress to the Associate Heads of School and Executive Director.
• Maintain accurate documentation and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, grant, authorizer, and school requirements.
• Support grant implementation, reporting, and program evaluation related to assigned areas.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and recommend changes based on outcomes, student and family feedback, and best practices.

Requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in education, educational leadership, counseling, social work, special education, or a related field.
• Experience working in a charter school, startup school, school expansion, turnaround, or entrepreneurial education environment.
• Experience launching a new grade level or school program.
• Experience working across grades 6–12.
• Experience directly supervising special education, multilingual learner, counseling, postsecondary, or work-based learning staff.
• Knowledge of Indiana graduation requirements, work-based learning requirements, Credentials of Value, dual credit, special education requirements, and multilingual learner requirements.
• Experience developing wraparound supports for students and families.
• Experience supporting students beyond high school through postsecondary persistence, credential completion, re-enrollment, apprenticeship, or employment.
• Indiana teaching, school counseling, special education, or administrative license preferred but not required unless necessary for assigned responsibilities.