Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
LNGG
Additional Activities & Awards
Timeline
Generic

Adam Materasso

Shrewsbury

Summary

Student-Centered Administrator, Educational Strategist, Relationship Manager, and Team Builder with more than 22 years of experience with independent day and boarding schools. Played a leading role in increasing student achievement and retention, instructional quality, and financial stability of the institution through process improvement and a relationship-focused approach to school administration. Member of the senior leadership team that designed the school vision, strategic plans, and operating procedures. Maintained high visibility among diverse constituencies to promote strong community, parent, student, and alumni relations.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Director of College Counseling

The Pennington School
07.2022 - Current
  • Facilitated engaging workshops that empowered students to effectively communicate their unique experiences and skills throughout the college application process.
  • Designed college counseling curriculum materials for seminar that led to increased engagement and reduction of stress among the student body.
  • Improved efficiency within the department by streamlining processes related to application tracking, document management, and internal reporting systems.
  • Implemented effective communication strategies to keep parents informed about their child''s progress in the college application process.
  • Coordinated efforts with school administrators to develop long-term strategic plans for enhancing the overall effectiveness of the College Counseling Department.
  • Developed and maintained a robust database of available scholarships, financial aid resources, and other funding options for students.
  • Organized successful college fairs that connected students with representatives from various colleges and universities across the nation.
  • Promoted equity within the college admissions process by developing outreach initiatives targeting underrepresented student populations.
  • Increased college acceptance rates by implementing comprehensive counseling programs and individualized student support.
  • Managed a team of counselors who provided personalized guidance to each high school senior during their college search process.
  • Established strong relationships with college admissions representatives to stay informed about program changes and opportunities for students.
  • Conducted thorough reviews of student applications, providing constructive feedback on essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities.
  • Enhanced student preparedness for the college application process through workshops, seminars, and one-on-one sessions.
  • Maintained a comprehensive library of print and electronic resources for students to utilize in researching potential college destinations, academic programs, and career paths.
  • Provided ongoing professional development opportunities for counseling staff members to ensure best practices were consistently utilized throughout all aspects of their work.

Administrator on Duty/Residential Faculty Member

The Pennington School
07.2023 - Current
  • Supervise and delegate responsibilities to a team of 7 residential faculty members on Monday evenings.
  • Responsible for the safety and productivity of a boarding community of 135+ students.
  • Serve on a weekend duty crew multiple times during the school year; assist with event planning and supervision of campus center and dormitories.

Dean of Enrollment Management & College Counseling

Ranney School
06.2019 - 06.2022
  • Member of Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees for an elite independent college-preparatory day school with 720 students (grades N-12) and 70 faculty/staff members. Selected by the Head of School to spearhead college counseling and student service functions. Expanded scope of responsibility to include enrollment operations. Partner with Head of School to lead strategic planning, instructional, financial, student services, and community relations functions. Serve as the Department Chair for College Counseling on the Academic Council.
  • Planned and executed innovative strategies to increase student retention. Reduced schoolwide attrition rate from 10-15% annually to less than 7% during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years. Lowered the student attrition rate during transition from middle school to high school.
  • Instituted and led a multidisciplinary committee to broaden retention efforts. Worked closely with school leaders, including Athletic Director, Arts Chair, and STEAM Chair, to minimize attrition.
  • Developed seminars and interactive programs for parents to facilitate transitions to next school divisions.
  • Promoted retention through consistent presence at school activities, including sporting, performing arts, social, and fundraising events. Established and maintained a caring, welcoming culture throughout the school. Increased retention by developing a personal rapport with all families.

Dean of College Counseling & Student Services

Ranney School
06.2018 - 06.2019
  • Increased enrollment by 10% for the 2021-2022 school year through a relationship-focused approach to admissions. Achieved significant growth despite heavy competition from private and public schools in the region. Currently on pace to increase enrollment by an additional 5% for the 2022-2023 school year.
  • Strengthened quality of instruction by participating in the recruitment and retention of high-performing faculty members. Improved the recruitment process, attended hiring fairs, interviewed prospective teachers, and created professional development programs. Leveraged vast network of personal contacts to recruit top educators.
  • Partnered with Chief Advancement Officer to plan and execute development campaigns for Annual Fund. Served as auctioneer for the Panther Ball gala and raised more money in 2020 than over the past three auctions. Grew faculty participation in fundraising campaign from 60-70% to 100% in 2020 and 2021.
  • Planned and managed admissions and college counseling budgets. Administered school’s $2 million financial aid budget. Evaluated documentation and selected recipients for merit-based and needs-based aid.
  • Collaborated with the Head of School and Senior Leadership Team to design a comprehensive return-to-school strategy. Helped create a roadmap that prioritized student and staff safety, while providing a world-class, robust education for students in all grade levels.
  • Developed a new block schedule that provided the ability to alternate between virtual and in-person learning. Enabled the school to maintain flexibility as the community health situation developed.
  • Reduced class sizes and restructured physical layout of the school to allow for safe distancing.
  • Assembled a task force consisting of school leaders and physicians to develop health and security protocols.
  • Created a mental health advisory program with an emphasis on mindfulness. Dedicated one day each week to nonacademic student and class check-ins. Instituted grade-level meetings and student support team meetings.
  • Instrumental in achieving a smooth transition to remote learning following a shut-down in the spring of 2020.

Assistant Head of Upper School / Dean of Students / College Counselor

Ranney School
06.2017 - 06.2018
  • Played a key role in the strategic planning process. Conducted focus groups and facilitated conversations with multiple constituencies, including students, parents, faculty, and alumni. Assessed objectives and feedback of each group to aid in creating a roadmap and preparing for reaccreditation by the NJ Association of Independent Schools.
  • Developed a proposed strategic plan for a student-centered environment, focusing on improving academic rigor, diversity and inclusion, faculty and staff morale, community relations, enrollment, and retention.
  • Designed plans to optimize student well-being and achievement while ensuring current best practices.
  • Worked closely with the Senior Leadership Team to oversee the development of a campus master plan.
  • Strengthened the College Counseling Department and Program, while maintaining a personal caseload of 35 students. Provided leadership to the Student Support Team consisting of three College Counselors, a School Counselor, a Learning Specialist, and an International Student Coordinator. Served as AP Coordinator.
  • Maintained average acceptance rate of 85% for students’ first- or second-choice colleges over the last five years.
  • Worked closely with recruited athletes and international student constituency.
  • Expanded College Counseling Program to begin before students enter ninth grade. Enabled students to prepare for college emotionally and academically, while boosting their candidacy starting at an earlier age.

Co-Director of College Guidance

Ranney School
01.2012 - 06.2017
  • Promoted to strengthen and manage school’s College Guidance Department, which is now regarded as the flagship program of the upper school. Provided comprehensive academic guidance to 310 students in grades 9 through 12. Designed an effective college counseling infrastructure to ensure students were placed in appropriate colleges and universities. Attracted new students to Ranney through the reputation of the College Guidance Program.
  • Planned, implemented, and managed in-house/external events related to college counseling/admissions. Orchestrated successful college fairs at Ranney with 70+ college representatives in attendance. Planned field trips to major metropolitan areas to visit college campuses and meet with Ranney alumni.

Associate Director of College Guidance/Class Dean

Ranney School
01.2008 - 01.2012
  • Evaluated existing systems, programs, processes, and curricula to identify improvement opportunities. Instituted new policies and services to achieve academic and operational objectives. Achievements included:
  • Reviewed and enhanced the student handbook based upon feedback from students, facility, and administration. Created new policies to promote student wellness, engagement, and success.
  • Strengthened the course selection process, which provided students with greater control over programming.
  • Collaborated with faculty members to design more meaningful summer learning experiences that were more aligned with school-year programs. Launched experiential learning task force to develop main master program.
  • Designed vision for co-curricular programming including advisory, assemblies, class meetings, student activities, student organizations, student leadership training, orientations, and retreats. Oversaw all student programs and created mechanisms for empowering student voice and feedback.
  • Helped develop teacher evaluation system to promote professional development and a growth mindset.
  • Introduced community standards commendation system to recognize student performance and achievement.
  • Co-led the Academic Council, which consisted of eight Department Chairs for grades 6-12.
  • Managed college counseling program while simultaneously maintaining a caseload of 30 to 40 students annually. Improved results by instituting a new vision and four-year plan for college counseling, beginning in ninth grade. Trained and mentored Academic Advisors and Guidance Counselors to ensure student needs were met. Collaborated with Athletic Director, Performing Arts Chair, Visual Arts Chair and International Student Coordinator to assist students with interests in those areas.
  • Co-created a successful Peer Leadership program, consisting of 20 high-performing upperclassmen who served as mentors to ninth graders and other new students. Increased student engagement and retention by providing students with opportunities to discuss educational, personal, family, and social issues.

Education

Master of Arts - Private School Leadership

Teachers College, Columbia University
New York, NY
12.2018

Bachelor of Arts - Spanish

Drew University
Madison, NJ
05.2003

High School Diploma - undefined

HORACE GREELEY HIGH SCHOOL
Chappaqua, NY
01.1999

Graduate Certificate - International College Advising

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
07-2024

Skills

  • School Administration & Executive Leadership
  • Academic Counseling & College Planning
  • Relationship Management & Public Relations
  • Crisis Management & Public Relations
  • Admissions & Enrollment Management
  • Strategic Planning & Program Development
  • Team Building, Coaching, Mentoring & Evaluation
  • Curriculum Development & Teaching

LNGG

Fluent in Spanish, French, and Italian.

Additional Activities & Awards

  • NJAIS Accreditation Committee, The Pennington School, 2023-2025
  • Co-Chair, ACCIS Colloquium Committee, Co-Director of the Summer Colloquium, 2024
  • Ranney School & Industry Committees (partial list, past and present committees included): Academic Council, Department Chair of College Counseling Department; Strategic Planning Sub-Committee on Student Life; CRISIS Management Team; Annual Fund, Faculty Chair; Diversity Committee; Ranney School/NAIS People of Color Conference Participant; National Association for College Admission Counseling Member/Conference Attendee
  • Ranney School Awards & Honors: Faculty Fellowship (2016), Headmaster’s Award for Outstanding Leadership (2014), Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D. Mission-Promise Award (2012), Faculty Panther Prize Award (2010), Selected Participant – NJAIS Blueprint for Leadership Institute (2008-2009)

Timeline

Administrator on Duty/Residential Faculty Member

The Pennington School
07.2023 - Current

Director of College Counseling

The Pennington School
07.2022 - Current

Dean of Enrollment Management & College Counseling

Ranney School
06.2019 - 06.2022

Dean of College Counseling & Student Services

Ranney School
06.2018 - 06.2019

Assistant Head of Upper School / Dean of Students / College Counselor

Ranney School
06.2017 - 06.2018

Co-Director of College Guidance

Ranney School
01.2012 - 06.2017

Associate Director of College Guidance/Class Dean

Ranney School
01.2008 - 01.2012

High School Diploma - undefined

HORACE GREELEY HIGH SCHOOL

Master of Arts - Private School Leadership

Teachers College, Columbia University

Bachelor of Arts - Spanish

Drew University

Graduate Certificate - International College Advising

University of Pennsylvania

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