The Rome City School District is seeking a dedicated and student-centered Student Support Specialist to provide targeted support and case management services to at-risk students. This position plays an important role in helping students overcome barriers to academic success by providing advocacy, intervention, coordination of services, and connections to school and community resources.
The Student Support Specialist works closely with students, families, teachers, administrators, counselors, human service agencies, and other community partners to develop and monitor individualized support plans. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, compassion, and the ability to build trusting relationships with students and families.
This is a 10-month, 7-hour-per-day position that follows the school-year calendar. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to work up to 20 additional paid days during August, providing an opportunity to support students and prepare for the upcoming school year.
Position Details & Qualifications
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Civil Service Status: Competitive classification. The selected candidate must take and pass the appropriate Civil Service examination.
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Eligibility Requirement: Applicants must explicitly demonstrate in their resume how they meet the minimum qualifications listed in the posting. Incomplete documentation or failure to show eligibility may result in disqualification.
Application Process To apply, please upload the following documents:
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Letter of interest outlining your qualifications and experience
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Current resume
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College transcripts
SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPETITIVE CLASSIFICATION
STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:
This position involves the responsibility for providing student services in support of the overall academic goals and objectives in the Rome City School District for at-risk students through case management, advocacy and referral. The position may involve responsibility for identification of at-risk youth and collaboration with human service agencies, personnel and various school districts to provide guidance and develop service plans to ensure successful placement of the youth into an appropriate academic setting. Although the work is performed under general supervision, the incumbent will have significant direct interaction with students, at-risk youth and will require independent performance of most duties.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative only)
(Note: Not all activities are performed in every position. Other related tasks may also be assigned)
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Provide targeted support to at-risk students in the areas of attendance, academics, social-emotional development and behavior;
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Work with students individually, in small groups, and within classrooms to implement appropriate interventions;
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Collaborate with teachers and staff to plan and implement effective student support strategies;
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Partner with human services agencies or other counseling professionals and relevant stakeholders to design, implement and monitor support plans for identified students;
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Maintain regular communication with parents/guardians to support student progress;
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Support school-wide implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), including Check-In Check-Out (CICO) and Positive Behavior Support Plans;
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Coordinate with community agencies to connect students with additional resources as needed;
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Participate in School Intervention and Collaborative Teacher Team Meetings as scheduled;
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Attend and contribute to parent/guardian meetings alongside school personnel;
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Facilitate Initial Response Team (IRT) meetings;
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Responsible for the development of and monitoring of contracts between students, parents/guardians;
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Use data-driven decision-making to develop student support plans and coordinate intervention;
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Maintain accurate documentation and records to assess program effectiveness and track student progress;
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Additional duties may be assigned as needed.
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Understanding of at-risk student populations and their challenges;
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Familiarity with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and behavior management strategies;
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Knowledge of social-emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed practices;
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Awareness of community resources to support student needs;
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Basic understanding of data collection and analysis to track student progress;
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage students, families, and staff;
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Collaboration and teamwork to work effectively with school personnel and external agencies;
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Problem-solving and critical thinking to develop student support plans;
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Organizational and time management skills to track interventions and maintain documentation;
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Ability to build trust and rapport with students, families, faculty and staff;
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Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion;
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Empathy and patience in working with at-risk students;
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Proactive and solutions-oriented mindset in supporting student success;
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Commitment to equity and inclusion for all students.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
A.) Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in the field of Human Services* and one (1) year of experience involving direct interaction with at-risk youth; OR
B.) Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents with an Associate’s Degree in the Human Services* field and three (3) years experience involving direct interaction with at-risk youth; OR
C.) Completion of sixty (60) credit hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and five (5) years of experience involving direct interaction with at-risk youth; OR
D.) An equivalent combination of training and experience as described in (A) and (B) above.
* The Human Services field includes social work, psychology, nursing, rehabilitation, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreation or recreation therapy, counseling, community mental health, child and family services, sociology, speech and hearing or similar fields.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:
Possession of a valid New York State Driver’s License or otherwise demonstrates ability to meet the transportation needs of the position.