Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR)

Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR) is a comprehensive 9th grade intervention that addresses developmental, academic, and structural challenges through eight interconnected strategies. BARR combines teachers' real-time analysis of student data, student asset building, and intensive teacher collaboration to prevent course failure. The model serves all 9th grade students and teachers in cohorts of approximately 90 students with three core-subject teachers (typically math, English, and science or social studies). Teachers meet weekly during a common planning period to review each student's progress using updated weekly data. The intervention includes a 30-minute weekly I-Time curriculum focused on social-emotional learning, family engagement activities, risk review meetings for persistently struggling students, and administrator engagement. Teachers receive two days of initial training on developmental assets and the BARR model, followed by ongoing monthly professional development and weekly technical assistance calls. Implementation requires restructuring teacher and student schedules to create cohorts and common planning time.