BARR Program

BARR (Building Assets Reducing Risks) gives schools a comprehensive system to meet students' academic, emotional, and social needs.

BARR includes:

• teacher teams that work together; consisting of math, science, and Language Arts
• intentional relationships between teacher and student, and student to student
• problem-solving and goal-setting by teacher teams and support staff
• identifying and highlighting student strengths
• systemically addressing student issues like academic failure, poor attendance, and engaging in risky behaviors
• classroom curriculum promoting positive self-image and elevating developmental assets

Developmental Assets

Developmental Assets are strengthened through interactions with peers and school staff, as well as through a targeted once-weekly curriculum called I-Time. Students with more assets tend to be better able to cope with adversity and tend to do better academically and socially. I-Time lessons are designed to build several types of assets at a time, in these major categories. 

Support- Who do you depend on?

Empowerment- Who values you?  What do you do?

Boundaries and Expectations- Do you know the behavior expectations and consequences?

Constructive Use of Time- Time is precious- How are you spending it?

Commitment to Learning- What motivates you to do well?

Positive Values- What do you really believe in?

Social Competencies- Do you accept yourself for who you are and others for whom they are?

Positive Identity- What is your purpose?

To find out more about developmental assets, go to the Search Institute website.