How It Works

The research-based Building Assets Reducing Risks program was developed by teacher and counselor, Angela Jerabek to help first-year high school students feel welcome and excited about succeeding in high school, and beyond.

Interlocking strategies encourage learning and development of all students by promoting caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for participation. Structurally, the program is designed to quickly identify behavior changes in students and determine if the changes are simply developmental adjustments or indications of risk.

Ninth Grade, Restructured

Ninth graders are placed into student blocks, each led by a team of teachers that meets regularly to discuss the progress of each student. Monthly staff meetings with all ninth grade teachers provide an additional opportunity to discuss, identify, and address issues.

Additionally, an interdisciplinary staff team meets weekly to coordinate services for students identified in the teacher block meetings. These weekly risk review meetings allow the interdisciplinary team to assess and intervene, giving individualized attention to address risky behaviors or accelerate high performance, as appropriate. The program has been used by some schools to increase graduation rates.

Here are the four basic components of the program:

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