Minneapolis, MN – Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) Center is proud to announce that the BARR model is featured in the National Governors’ Association’s (NGA) Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success Roadmap for Governors. Released by Governor Jared Polis, Let’s Get Ready is a comprehensive report outlining his initiative to empower individuals with necessary education and life skills and strengthen the nation’s economic competitiveness.
“The Let’s Get Ready! Initiative is a call for Governors to demand better. We have a responsibility to drive innovation within our systems, bolster our capacity to measure what works and what doesn’t, and most importantly, to prepare our students for workforce readiness, civic engagement, and well-being. Our citizens, our communities, our states, our nation, and our global partners deserve nothing less.” – Governor Jared Polis, Colorado
The roadmap’s focus on providing Governors effective strategies to improve student outcomes cites that the BARR model, “empower[s] educators to use real-time quantitative and qualitative data to foster an environment where they know their students’ strengths and collaborate to ensure student well-being” (pg. 20). BARR’s focus on relationships and data produces transformative results in several aspects of school performance. In particular, BARR schools experience a significant reduction in failure rate, decreased chronic absenteeism, lowered discipline referrals, and increased graduation rates. The principal of Robert D. Campbell Jr. High School in Kentucky emphasizes the role of BARR in school culture.
“BARR structures are creating an environment where it’s easy to learn and our students want to learn. They are more positive and enthusiastic. As students progress through BARR year after year, we expect to see more tremendous gains and benefits.” – Tiffany Smith, principal of Robert D. Campbell Jr. High School
These results are fueled by recognizing and cultivating student strengths. The Let’s Get Ready roadmap highlights how BARR encourages teachers to engage them via a quote from Dr. John B. King, Jr. during a plenary session at the 2024 NGA Summer Meeting. Dr. King said,
“We have to be intentional for every kid—identifying what are they passionate about, what are they excited about? There’s a program called Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR), started by a school counselor in Minnesota. It’s one of the Investing in Innovation [grants] that has scaled over time, has impressive evidence…One of the things they do is bring teachers and counselors together and they figure out for every kid…what [they are] excited about,…passionate about,…and how do we feed that at school so that she wants to be here?” – Dr. John B. King, Jr.
“We have to be intentional, identifying for every kid what they are passionate about, what they are excited about … BARR does that for every student.” – Dr. John B. King Jr.
Inclusion in the Let’s Get Ready roadmap opens the door for state leaders to implement state-wide initiatives to bring BARR into every classroom. Several state leaders have already integrated BARR into their vision to strengthen schools and support students. Since 2023, BARR has partnered with the Maine Department of Education to implement the model in 92 schools – 20% of the state. In this partnership, BARR schools in Maine have seen significant results in their schools, especially around failure rates, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rates.
Similarly, in Wyoming, a pilot program supported by the Wyoming Department of Education has changed how six schools in the state operate. Their success has drawn the attention of Governor Mark Gordon and other legislators.
“As we work to reimagine the future of education in Wyoming, it’s encouraging to see this kind of student-centered, forward-looking approach driving real gains in student success. It reflects exactly what schools and communities have been calling for.” – Governor Mark Gordon, Wyoming
BARR Center strives to support every student and teacher. The Let’s Get Ready roadmap highlights the growing presence of the BARR model, and encourages every state leader to implement a model dedicated to unleashing a student’s potential.