BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) was recently recommended as an intervention in FutureEd’s Covid Relief Playbook about Teacher Mindset Training, which highlights 18 evidence-based practices that have delivered improvements in instructional quality, school climate, student attendance, or student achievement—and sometimes all four.
FutureEd is a think tank organization at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy that shares ideas and energy around improving excellence, equity and efficiency in K-12 and higher education for the nation’s students furthest from opportunity. In this Teacher Mindset Training resource they published, BARR is listed as a recommended evidence-based strategy to help states and school districts invest covid relief aid to improve students’ experiences.
“The BARR model—Building Assets Reducing Risks—has improved academic success by building teacher-student relationships and tracking student data. Under the model, schools place high school freshmen together in small groups for English, math, social studies, and science classes.” (Teacher Mindset Training, 2021)
As educators and communities return to school this year, it has been a priority for educators and communities to come together to best support student well-being and achievement. They shared how supportive relationships will remain a critical ingredient to a successful return to school, which BARR helps schools prioritize.
“Teachers get professional development on how to use their relationships with students to enhance achievement. They also meet weekly to discuss student successes and approaches that will build stronger relationships within the groups. A rigorous 2015 study of the BARR model for the U.S. Education Department found improvements across a national sample of schools in test scores, credits earned, and grade point averages, and a decline in failure rates.” (Teacher Mindset Training, 2021)
Check out the full playbook!