What is BARR?
Founded in 1999, BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) is a K-12 coaching and training partner with a quarter-century track record of raising student math and reading scores, increasing teacher satisfaction and retention, decreasing chronic absenteeism, and decreasing student disciplinary incidents and suspensions.
BARR provides an innovative system that disrupts the factory model inherited by schools. BARR's core belief is that students and staff are incredibly talented, and that the system they work in needs to support their success. At the first BARR school, by focusing on creating strong relationships and real-time data, the 9th-grade student failure rate decreased from 44% the previous year to 20%.
The BARR system uses eight interlocking strategies that build intentional relationships (staff to staff, staff to student, and student to student) and utilizes real-time data to enable schools to achieve concrete academic, social, and emotional outcomes for every student. These strategies align with the Maine DOE's whole-student approach and work across the Department. The focus of BARR is not just for some students, but all students.
Careful implementation and evaluation have continued for over 20 years, all with the same findings — students passed more classes, pursued more advanced courses, and graduated on time. Teachers reported increased collaboration, satisfaction, and improved ability to use data effectively, and school culture and climate improved. Today, BARR operates in nearly 500 schools nationwide across all grade levels, K-12, including more than 100 schools here in Maine.
See BARR in Action
- There are already BARR schools in Maine, with one in almost every county.
- BARR is a flexible approach tailored to the assets and needs of the school community.
- BARR can be implemented in a grade level, specific classes, a portion of the school, or the entire school.
- Funding is by the school, and multiple schools within an SAU can participate in this opportunity.
- BARR schools receive a coach who will guide them through their journey to becoming a BARR school.
- Every BARR school is unique — it fits with your school rather than fitting your school into a program.
- Focus on the whole student.
- Provide professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators.
- Use BARR's curriculum to foster a climate for learning and relationship building.
- Create cohorts to cultivate connections.
- Hold regular meetings of the cohort teacher teams to discuss each student.
- Conduct Community Connect meetings that engage the community.
- Engage families.
- Engage administrators.
Contact
Page Nichols
Chief Innovation Officer
Phone: 207-592-1216
Email: Page.Nichols@maine.gov
Supports the following areas:
- Supporting and fostering a statewide culture of innovation through research and development.
- Supporting school administrative units and schools in designing innovative plans related to funding, scheduling, instruction, staffing, and related areas.
- BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) — a comprehensive, data-driven, school-wide system for supporting all students.
- Outdoor, nature-based, and environmental education and experiences.