School Summary 

Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) is a tuition-free, public online school. Every day, we create a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. In addition to academics, staff focus on emotional well-being and social development, working closely with families to help students learn how they learn best. OCA is authorized by the Ohio Council of Community Schools and governed by an independent Board of Directors. OCA is accredited by the North Central Association on Accreditation and School Improvement, an accrediting division of Cognia, formerly AdvancED. For more information, call 800–382–6010 or visit www.OhioConnectionsAcademy.com. Connections Academy is part of the global learning company Pearson. 

Position Summary and Responsibilities:

Working from your home office or our office in Worthington or Mason, Ohio, the School Counselor will assist students and parents/learning coaches to overcome nonacademic barriers to learning and find success in a virtual environment.

The School Counselor will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues; Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources; Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST); Support teachers to help identify students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”;  Act as the main point of contact for these students and families, communicating regularly with them; Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards.  Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation; Assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately; Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation; For Middle School and High School Counselors, keep abreast of all high school graduation requirements, including special requirements such as community service; For Middle and High School Counselor, assist students and parents with the secondary school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests.  An integral part of this process is assisting students and parents to develop a Graduation Plan for meeting graduation requirements and a deep knowledge of the high school transcript; For Middle and High School Counselors, understand the requirements for and assist the principal to facilitate the administration of all high school testing, including exit exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams; For Middle and High School Counselors, have a working knowledge of the College Credit Plus (CCP) program and the options of high school dual enrollment with Career Centers; Help students to research and understand their post-secondary career and educational options, including preparation to apply for college and jobs and educating students and parents about college admissions requirements and financial aid; Follow procedures to ensure that Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up-to-date; Work with the administrative assistants to obtain school records from the student’s previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate; Implement efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students; Support families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal; Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members; Other duties as assigned. 

Requirements 

Please note 2-step authentication is required to set-up to login to all systems if given a job offer.  School Counselor licensure in Ohio Masters degrees  Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products) Excellent communication skills, both oral and written Customer focused approach Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills High degree of flexibility Team player with demonstrated leadership skills Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment Willingness to travel on occasion for marketing and state testing events  (may require occasional overnight travel)