Head of Student Success - to begin August 2027

Position: Head of Student Success - to begin August 2027

Reports to: Director of Learning

About Canadian Academy:

Canadian Academy is a not-for-profit, secular, gender-inclusive international school located in Kobe, Japan’s seventh largest city. CA is accredited by CIS (Council of International Schools) and WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), is an authorized three-programme International Baccalaureate World School, and is a member of TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools). While most of the 700 students at CA are day students, our campus is also home to a small High School boarding program with a current enrollment of 40 students in Grades 9-12.

Canadian Academy faculty and staff inspire minds and nurture compassion by providing a rich and engaging programme that develops students’ skills, promotes curiosity and love of learning, and prioritizes well-being. All students follow the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in PK-Grade 5 and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Grades 6-10. Most students then pursue the IB Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 & 12, although 10-20% each year opt for a more personalized pathway to graduation that includes a mix of DP and other courses and leads to a CA Diploma.

Position Summary

The Head of Student Success is a new role at Canadian Academy, created to bring greater coherence and coordination to the school's increasingly complex student support needs. As CA has grown, the diversity and complexity of student profiles across our three divisions has grown as well, requiring greater alignment across Learning Support, EAL, and Counseling. This position will provide the schoolwide leadership needed to build a consistent, data-informed Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, ensuring that all three student support departments work in a unified, coordinated way to meet student needs across all three divisions.

The role will focus on three primary areas:

Partnering with the student support and divisional leadership teams (ES, MS, and HS) to build schoolwide capacity for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and increase school and teacher capacity to effectively meet a range of student needs

Ensuring that data is used effectively to improve student learning and well-being

Supporting and coordinating the work of the student support departments and representing them, for example in the admissions process

The HSS will be a member of the school’s instructional coaching team, working with individual teachers to develop confidence and skill in identifying, understanding, and supporting students with diverse learning needs and profiles.

A central part of this role is oversight of student data across the school: ensuring CA collects the right standardized testing and assessment data, analyzing and interpreting that data, and building the skills of teachers and school leaders to use data effectively to drive learning improvement.

The HSS also represents the student support departments in the admissions process, working alongside the Admissions Office to review applications, convening or delegating to Learning Support, EAL, and Counseling colleagues as needed to inform admissions decisions, and coordinating course placement for newly admitted students with the relevant teams.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

Unifying Student Support Services

Provide high-level coordination across Learning Support, EAL, and Counseling, ensuring the departments communicate and collaborate effectively.

Establish shared protocols, terminology, and referral pathways so that staff, families, and teachers experience a coherent system of support.

Foster a culture of trust and collaboration between the student support departments and academic/divisional leadership teams and teachers.

Support and champion the leadership of the Coordinators/HoDs of the three student support departments as their line manager, in close collaboration with divisional principals and the Director of Learning.

MTSS Implementation

Lead the development and consistent implementation of a schoolwide MTSS framework, including clear, data-informed thresholds for Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention.

Support case management processes (e.g., Student Support Team meetings, case conferences) that bring together classroom teachers, Learning Support, EAL, and Counseling perspectives.

Teacher Capacity Building

Build teacher and staff capacity to recognize, understand, and appropriately support students with diverse learning needs.

Partner with teachers as an instructional coach to strengthen Tier 1 practices, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive classroom strategies, so that first-line support happens effectively in the regular classroom.

Identify professional development needs related to inclusive practice and MTSS, and design or lead training accordingly.

Student Data & Assessment Leadership

Determine and oversee the standardized testing and assessment protocols used across the school, ensuring CA collects data appropriate to informing student learning and support decisions.

Analyze and interpret schoolwide assessment and progress-monitoring data to identify trends and inform decision-making at the classroom, divisional, and school level.

Oversee data systems/dashboards that allow teachers and leaders to track student progress over time.

Build the data literacy of teachers and school leaders, coaching them in how to use assessment data to drive instructional and intervention decisions.

Conduct regular review of intervention effectiveness and resource allocation based on outcome data.

Admissions Partnership

Represent the student support departments (Learning Support, EAL, Counseling) in the admissions process, reviewing applications alongside the Admissions Office.

Convene or delegate to relevant Learning Support, EAL, or Counseling colleagues to weigh in on admissions decisions for applicants with identified or suspected support needs.

Coordinate with Admissions to ensure incoming families and students have accurate information about the support available to them.

Work with the Counseling team to ensure that course selection and placement for newly admitted students promotes a smooth transition into CA’s programme.

Family & Community Communication

Communicate clearly with families about student support services, MTSS processes, and how the school identifies and responds to student needs.

Partner with divisional leaders to keep families informed and engaged as partners in student support planning.

Represent CA’s approach to student support to prospective families, in partnership with Admissions.

Budget & Staffing Oversight

Oversee the budget for the student support services departments (Learning Support, EAL, and Counseling) schoolwide, ensuring effective and equitable allocation of resources to meet student needs across all three divisions.

Partner with principals and the Director of Learning to manage staffing needs and participate in hiring across the student support departments, including the recruitment of Learning Support Assistants.

All Canadian Academy teacher leaders are expected to:

Cultivate a collaborative, trusting environment within their team or department

Use relevant technology to enhance instruction and learning

Enthusiastically contribute to co-curricular programming (as a club supervisor, coach, etc.) and outdoor education experiences

Lead or actively participate in faculty and parent meetings, department/team meetings, and special events, representing their area's priorities and needs

Model respectful and timely communication with students, colleagues and parents

Attend professional development workshops as required by the school

Serve as a liaison between their team and school leadership, communicating priorities, concerns and progress in both directions

Endorse and actively promote th