Description
St. Pius X- St. Matthias Academic is seeking a full-time Director of Student Support Services. Located in Downey, California, PMA offers a Catholic university experience for teenagers. We believe that a college education is a right rather than a privilege. Our mission is to provide all students opportunities to grow in faith, learn without limits, and live with a purpose. Serving as Director of Student Support Services at PMA requires a commitment to students, excellence, and a relentless drive to achieve extraordinary results.
The Director of Student Support Services, under the supervision and leadership of the principal, is responsible for the development, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of a comprehensive student support services program. The Director of Student Support Services serves as a member of the administrative leadership team, the counselling team, and the admissions team, and collaborates with all relevant stakeholders to successfully implement the school’s educational plan.
The Director of Student Services should be able to:
- Promote a positive, caring climate for learning.
- Deal sensitively and fairly with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Communicate effectively with students, parents, and staff.
- Supervision and Controls over the Work: Works under the general supervision of the principal and supports carrying out the guidance and direction of the School President. Utilizes the strategic plan, diocesan goals, policy, and the approved school improvement plan to guide both personal leadership and the work of the school staff. Annual evaluation will be based upon performance of the job description, goals, and objectives specific to the school or position.
Administrative Leadership Team Member Major Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students and staff: Develops and sustains focus on a shared mission and clear vision for improvement of learning and teaching. Engages stakeholders in the essential conversations for ongoing improvement. Facilitates collaborative processes with stakeholders leading toward continuous improvement. Creates opportunities for shared leadership within the school.
2. Providing for school safety: Effectively engages the entire community to develop a more nuanced/expanded understanding of what it means to be safe. Provides for the physical, intellectual, and emotional safety for effective teaching and learning to take place.
3. Partnering with the school community to promote student learning: Understands the greater community and works to establish a genuine partnership model between home and school. Aligns school and community efforts and values as a work in progress that must be nurtured, sustained, and monitored, and can influence others to adopt the same understanding. Community engagement decisions are made that result in improved teaching and learning.
4. Leadership and Governance:
a. Consistently demonstrates high moral, ethical, and professional standards of performance and personal integrity, which includes addressing problems and issues in an open, honest, and timely manner. Ensures proper conduct, which goes beyond the practice of avoiding what is wrong and instead focuses on choosing to do what is right. Serves as a champion for the school, avoiding actual or perceived behavior personally or among the staff that may cast a negative impression on the school.
b. Models and promotes trust, enthusiasm, rapport, respect, and openness among faculty, staff, students, and members of the community. Celebrates successes and recognizes the achievements of others.
c. Creates a professional environment by assuring that personal and staff interactions with others in the school, community, and board are conducted with utmost respect and professionalism.
d. Honors the ideas of others even when in disagreement with those ideas. Works collaboratively to resolve disagreements and seek mutually respectful solutions.
e. Actively participates in meetings, workshops, and conferences that involve decisions affecting the diocese and/or the school. Advocates for the school’s needs by providing input to the decision-making process of the diocese. Respects, supports, and implements decisions once made, and acts to ensure that staff are equally supportive.
f. Participates in school academic, athletic, and co-curricular activities to supervise and advocate for the school.
5. Summer Program
Assists in planning, implementing, and overseeing the summer programs.
Responsibilities include the following:
To create, market, and oversee the entire summer school curriculum.
To retain and evaluate the services of appropriate staff and teachers to organize and run the program
Communicates schedule with parents and summer school students.
To work with the business manager to develop a budget and to ensure the profitability of the program in collaboration with the President and Principal.
To prepare appropriate summary reports for the school, the President, and the advisory board.
To perform other duties as assigned by the Principal.
To support the school and its leadership.
6. When needed, teaches at least 1 course
Director of Student Services Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Manages the intake of all STEP, IEP, and 504 Plans and translates, when appropriate, the IEP or 504 document onto the school’s Support Team Educational Plan.
Serves as the school’s STEP Program Coordinator
Conducts all meetings required to ensure proper implementation and review of the plan. Ensures all members of a STEP Plan are present at each meeting and takes updates on the plan.
Monitors the progress of STEP plans throughout students’ high school careers
Collaborates with local school districts to provide additional resources when possible
Coordinates & ensures the proper execution of minor adjustments within STEP plans when necessary
Collaborates with the Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs in planning effective teacher development programs that improve teacher outcomes and student learning with a focus on embracing the needs of all types of learners.
Leads whole group and individual faculty professional development focused on targeting learning needs
Provides data to administration and faculty regarding the systematic assessment of student progress and learning outcomes to promote improvement and development of student programs/progress. Uses data outcomes to review and recommend changes to maintain the relevance of programs and to meet student and community needs.
Testing Coordinator: Responsible for coordinating the program and calendar, in collaboration with Counselors and Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs, of all standardized testing for students including scheduling test dates, registering students, arranging for special “prep” sessions, administering the tests, and providing pre- and post-test counseling including but not limited to: STAR, PSAT, SAT, AP, PLACEMENT Exams.
Orders an appropriate number of information brochures and exams to accommodate the needs of students as follows:
Instructs faculty on the administration of standardized tests to be administered during the school year.
Distributes test results to students and to the registrar for inclusion on the students’ transcripts.
Supports the Theology Department Chair with ARK testing
Ensures the accurate permanent records from Collegeboard and HSPT/STAR of students’ testing and academic work in the registrar’s file.
Responsible for investigation of, correspondence with, and implementation of applicable Federal and State programs at the site level (e.g., Title I, No Child Left Behind, etc.).
Conducts data analyses to identify key trends in school and students’ performance data to drive continuous improvements to student achievement
Develops the extensive summary reports on students’ progress on standardized testing for the school community as appropriate.
Represents the school at relevant state and national conferences and workshops.
Serves as a member of the Accreditation Team and assists with the implementation of the WCEA recommendations.
Coordinate with Counselors, Parent Support Services (such as Parent University, College Nights, etc.)
Serves as the point person or liaison for the school’s outsourced social-emotional services
Requirements
Qualifications
- Master’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Education Specialist Instruction Credential
- At least three years of experience teaching in special education classes and/or inclusion at the high school level
- One year of formal training, internship, or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment is preferred
- Sensitivity to and understanding of diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of high school students.
- Experience training and coaching faculty on the best instruction strategies for all types of learners.
- Experience with analyzing and communicating data to various stakeholders
- Demonstrated record of improving student success and retention.
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills.
- Preference is given to practicing Roman Catholics.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and references to:
careers@piusmatthias.org
Include “Director of Student Support Services for 2025-2026” in the subject line.
Wage Range
The rate of pay offered to the selected candidate is based on internal pay policy and budget. New hires are commonly paid at the minimum of the wage range or within the lower part of the range. We consider a number of factors when making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, training and other department needs.
Information/Application Contact
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Downey)
7851 Gardendale St.
Downey, CA 90242
careers@piusmatthias.org