It was March 2020, and like school leaders everywhere, I was trying to make sense of what was happening. I was suddenly faced with making complex decisions about how to keep our students and teachers safe. Schools across the country were closing. Teachers were scrambling to figure out how to transition their teaching to online. Parents were overwhelmed, and students were scared. I knew teachers and parents in our community were looking to me to lead, but like everyone else, I had more questions than answers. One thing I knew for sure is that I couldn’t navigate this uncertain time alone without input from my team.
What I didn’t know at the time was that a program we had recently launched in 5th grade would become our lifeline and our key to not only surviving the pandemic, but thriving through it.
At Lake Elmo Elementary, we were already piloting a program that would end up making all the difference. We had been facing real challenges even before COVID-19 turned our world upside down. In 2019, 30 percent of our student population was receiving free or reduced-priced lunch – reflecting a rapid change in demographics in our district. Our achievement scores lagged behind neighboring schools, and we lacked the systems to meet our students’ diverse needs.
That’s when we introduced the BARR Model – short for Building Assets, Reducing Risks. This framework centers on the need to know each student well by using data, collaboration, and creating space for conversations among educators. We became the first elementary school in the country to pilot BARR with our fifth grade teaching team.
Within months, those fifth grade teachers were working differently. They established weekly check-ins to talk about student needs, began using data to identify patterns in achievement, behavior and attendance, and started regular outreach to families. The increase in contact with families resulted in better relationships and trust built on both sides.
When the pandemic forced us to move to online learning in spring 2020, personal relationships and human connection became more crucial—and harder to come by—than ever. But our fifth grade team was already equipped with strong relationships and systems. They had family connections in place, and knew which students might need extra support.
Thanks to this strong foundation, this transition to distance learning for our fifth grade team was remarkably smooth.
A few months later, we were given the opportunity to expand the BARR Model to the whole school. I hesitated. I didn’t even know if it would be possible given we weren’t sure if we would be back in our building by the fall.
But the fifth grade teachers didn’t back down. They scheduled virtual meetings with teachers across all other grade levels to share the benefits of this relationship-based structure, and convinced their peers to spend a day of professional development over the summer to get trained in the model. These teachers advocated fiercely for BARR as a framework for change – and were determined to get everyone in the school on board.
Eventually I said yes. And I’m so glad I did.
In large part because of our work with the BARR Model and this framework, Lake Elmo Elementary had a unique experience coming out of the pandemic. We were doing better than we had been before COVID-19.
Here’s a few examples:
- We were one of only two schools in the district with improved Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) scores.
- We saw increases in second and third-year SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
- Teachers report greater collaboration and job satisfaction than they did in previous years.
- Our students were more engaged and our most vulnerable learners were better supported than ever before.
Looking back I can see what made the difference. It was relationships.
The BARR Model helped us put relationships at the center of our work – between teachers and students, between staff and families, and between our educators themselves. During an extremely stressful and uncertain period, we were able to rely on a structure that centered relationships and reminded us to stay connected, check in and act with empathy.
This experience was also a powerful lesson for me as a school leader. When my staff came to me with an idea they believed in, they didn’t just talk about it. They advocated and built consensus across our school. Saying yes to them was one of the best decisions I’ve made as a school leader.
Today, I serve as a Professional Development Lead for Stillwater Area Public Schools. I continue to support the implementation of BARR across our district, which now includes three elementary schools, two middle schools, and our high school. The results – in test scores, student well-being and teacher morale – speak for themselves.
I’m proud of how we navigated the unprecedented experience of COVID-19 at Lake Elmo Elementary in a way that supported both our students and our teachers. And I’m grateful for the teachers who saw what was possible and pushed for change even when I wasn’t sure it could happen. As a leader, trusting those around me was what led to our success, and that’s a lesson I will carry forward for the rest of my career.
Short Bio: Stephen Gorde was the Principal of Lake Elmo Elementary School during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He now serves as the Professional Development Lead for Stillwater Public Schools in Minnesota.