OUR FOUNDER
And those two foundational principles carry over into the way the BARR Model balances relationships and data. It all started with her firsthand experience as a high school counselor outside Minneapolis. Every day she saw struggling students who were bright and talented. She saw struggling teachers who were skilled and passionate. And she realized they were all a reflection of an outdated system that was built like a factory to produce things, not for schools to support the myriad needs that must be met for humans to learn. It was full of silos and barriers that were blocking everyone from seeing and realizing their potential.
Angela saw an opportunity to break down these barriers and build up relationships: student to student, staff to student, and staff to staff. So that the school could work more like a community that would know one another’s strengths and build on successes. Using the same teachers, to get better results for the same students. And that’s exactly what happened.
The BARR Model works not by adding extra tasks but helps educators focus their time and energy where it matters most. The BARR Model isn’t a new curriculum, it’s a system that helps every member of the school community know what a vitally important role they play in ensuring every student is known, supported, and challenged to succeed.
BARR works because it pairs stronger relationships with richer data, empowering educators and improving outcomes for every type of school.
BARR is practical and highly proven, strengthening existing systems rather than replacing them in schools K-12.
BARR schools receive access to professional development and coaching and an extensive content library to ensure all types of schools are successfully onboarded and continually supported.
BARR improves standardized test scores in English and Math
BARR has more than 20 years of research demonstrating statistically significant improvements in 21 areas of academic performance, alongside well-being improvements for both students and teachers.
BARR is the first and only school-improvement intervention to successfully meet all three tiers of evidence required by the U.S. Department of Education’s i3 program.
BARR has met the Evidence for ESSA “strong evidence” requirements four times for its reading and math impacts.
BARR received the 2014 ACT College and Career Transition Award.
The U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse found that BARR’s research “met evidence standards without reservation” in three separate studies—the highest WWC rating.
BARR is included in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
We invite you to experience firsthand what’s possible when we take a different approach to the way schools work. Join passionate BARR advocates, educators, and leaders who are shaping the future of education.
About BARR Center
Our expert staff are dedicated to the success of BARR schools nationwide, including onsite coaching visits and reports, weekly calls, and supporting educators and staff throughout their three-year implementation.
*In BARR’s i3 Scale-Up study, BARR significantly reduced chronic absenteeism. The rate of chronic absenteeism among ninth graders in the treatment group was 19 percent, compared to 22 percent in “business as usual” schools.
