Dropout Prevention Specialist 2026/2027

Yuma Union High School District 70•Yuma, AZ

4d•Onsite

About The Position

A Dropout Prevention Specialist works to reduce student dropout rates within Yuma Union High School District #70 by addressing "status unknown" W4 cases and supporting at-risk students. This role includes triaging students exploring alternative education options and guiding them to appropriate placements, such as district programs, Vista High School, charter schools, or online education. The specialist also supports parents in promoting student success and acts as a central communicator—coordinating efforts among school administrators, attendance staff, counselors, teachers, and external partners like Juvenile Probation and CPS. Additionally, the specialist advises campus leadership on program development by using data and student experiences to shape effective dropout prevention strategies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or related experience
Current Arizona Teaching Certificate
Must maintain Certificates and/or Licenses
Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance
Valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card
Valid driver’s license
Effectively communicate both oral and written
Ability to organize tasks and manage time to meet many and varied deadlines
Adapting to ever-changing work priorities
Communicating with diverse groups
Maintaining confidentiality
Meeting deadlines and schedules
Working as part of a team
Working with detailed information/data
Maintaining effective working relationships

Responsibilities

Develop a structure of communication regarding students who begin to develop patterns of absences.
Contact parents of students who are at risk, especially due to patterns of absence.
Communicate with counselors and administrators regarding at-risk students in order to triage students to services and processes such as student study teams.
Meet with parents of target students to discuss solutions, plans and alternative programs when appropriate.
Refer all minor children under age 16 with excessive absences to Juvenile Justice and do follow-ups with probation officers.
Retrieve books from students who leave and fail to return school property.
Following safe practices established by Health/Safety Department, make home visits when necessary
Communicate with teachers concerning the status of missing students.
Make recommendations for program development to meet the needs of targeted students.
Performs other related duties as assigned.