Ninth grade, a “tipping point” for school success, can be a make-it-or-break-it year for many students as they transition to high school and encounter academic challenges and high-risk activities. Fortunately, there is an evidence-based program that can help ensure your students adjust successfully. The BARR program, built on the Developmental Assets framework, is grounded in research, has been evaluated by several external evaluators, including the Minnesota Institute of Public Health, and has demonstrated results in reducing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, academic failure and truancy rates, and decreasing the number of disciplinary actions taken with regard to ninth graders.
This two-day training, required to implement the BARR program, will provide you with training, curriculum and manuals, and ongoing support. Day one provides a program and philosophical overview. Day two demonstrates the program in action and and provides the opportunity to dialog with teachers experienced in the BARR program. Schools or school districts can also opt to have a trainer come to their site. This training will empower your ninth grade program to
- empower and sustain the Building Assets-Reducing Risks program in your school;
- strengthen school-wide relationships among students and teachers;
- increase student engagement in school;
- meet No Child Left Behind criteria for academic improvement.
BARR users will have access to ongoing technical assistance through a dedicated website and user group, podcasts and videos, and regularly scheduled conference calls facilitated by a BARR trainer.
Who Should Attend: Up to 40 participants: administrators, teachers, and staff from one school.
Length: 2 days (typically).
Materials: BARR Schoolwide Implementation Manual: To be used by the Administrator and School/Site Coordinator. One copy is mandatory; additional copies can be purchased on an as-needed basis.
BARR I-Time Teacher Implementation Manual: One copy is mandatory for all teachers in a Block; additional copies can be purchased as needed.
Named an Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors.
“We’ve struggled with issues like failure rate, tobacco use, and safety concerns and we have never had anything work until now. All I can say is, WOW! This thing works. It really works.”
—Administrator
St. Louis Park High School, Minnesota
Questions?
Contact Eileen McCarthy Harness at 800-888-7828 ext. 555 or e-mail eileenh@search-institute.org.
