About Beyond 12

Beyond 12 is a technology-based service organization whose mission is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who graduate from our nation’s colleges and universities. Through a unique, hybrid approach of virtual student coaching combined with innovative technology products, including our MyCoach mobile app and our student tracking platform, Beyond 12 helps high schools and colleges provide their students with the academic, social, and emotional support they need to succeed in higher education. By collecting and sharing longitudinal data that crosses K-12 and higher education, Beyond 12 not only provides students with differentiated coaching that ensures they earn a college degree, but also provides actionable feedback to high schools about their college preparatory efforts, informs the retention work of colleges and universities, and influences the national conversation about student success.

About the Need

Beyond 12 has created a network of college coaches who provide virtual, 1:1 coaching to students who attend its partner schools and programs. Utilizing research-informed curriculum, coaches help students navigate six key challenge areas: achieving academic and career goals; balancing school, work and extracurricular activities; utilizing campus resources; understanding and accessing available financial resources; networking and building social capital; and planning for college graduation and career.

Beyond 12’s coaching curriculum was originally designed for first-generation college students attending 4-year institutions, often directly following their high school experience. However, as Beyond 12 has grown, and the diversity of our student population has extended to include community college students and a broader range of adult learners, we see a need to revisit and revise the curriculum to be more inclusive of all of our potential learners. In addition, the curriculum itself can be clunky and cumbersome to navigate — another challenge we would like to solve in this next iteration.

Project Overview

Project: Redesign of Coaching Curriculum for First-Generation College Students

Timeline: January-June 2024

Budget: $40,000

We aim to update our curriculum to be inclusive of and resonate with students from a greater variety of backgrounds — including those in two-year programs, community colleges, adult learners, and non-traditional students. The project will also focus on making the curriculum more engaging and user-friendly for coaches who guide these students, ensuring ease of access, navigation, and delivery during coaching sessions of various lengths (10-25 minutes) and mediums (such as phone, text, and app).

Please note: We have existing research and recommendations regarding the specific needs of community college students and how they differ from those at four-year institutions, as well as research underway about the distinct needs of adult learners. For these reasons, we are prioritizing instructional design expertise over research background in our search process.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The project will span from January to June 2024. Key phases and deliverables include:

• Initial analysis and design phase:
• Review all existing Beyond 12 curriculum and existing research regarding community college students
• Conduct up to 3 focus groups with Beyond 12 coaches and Student Advisory Board members - create questions and facilitate each group (coordination will be managed by the Beyond 12 Program team)
• Develop a research memo that summarizes focus group findings and informs the design of the curriculum
• Initial design and curriculum revision:
• Design a format for curriculum revisions to reflect ease of access and usability, formats for coaching sessions of up to 3 different lengths, and formats adaptable to different mediums (such as phone, text and mobile app).
• Revise 3 priority units of curriculum in multiple delivery formats for feedback and pilot implementation.
• Pilot implementation
• Bring 3 priority lessons of curriculum to a select group of coaches for piloting.
• Collaborate with Beyond 12 Program team to design pilot, develop learning agenda and launch implementation.
• Conduct 1 focus group after the pilot to inform final recommendations.
• Larger-scale revision
• Revise 4-6 top curriculum units, incorporating coach and program lead feedback.
• Project completion
• Create a concluding set of recommendations and best practices for future curriculum development and revision.

Proposed Project Timeline (high-level)

• Jan 3-Feb 15: Analysis/Design Phase and Focus groups
• Feb 15-late March: Initial design and curriculum revision for 3 units (including time for feedback)
• Late March-April: Pilot implementation with select coaches
• May - June: Larger-scale revision + Recommendations/Project Completion

Qualifications

• Passion and excitement about creating engaging and impactful materials for frontline workers (Beyond 12 coaches) to directly support their interactions with their students.
• Deep commitment to Beyond 12’s mission, vision, and core values: Collaboration, Excellence, Innovation, Knowledge, Respect, and Trust.
• Strong background in instructional design, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility.
• Experience crafting compelling instructional materials for frontline workers.
• Experience or familiarity with first-generation college students' educational needs, and the different challenges faced in two-year vs. four-year college environments.
• Familiarity with professional coaching, and the distinction between coaching and teaching or coaching and mentoring (desired but not mandatory).
• Experience working with Learning Management System platforms (desirable but not mandatory).