Across RSU 14, the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) framework is changing the way educators think about student success. The model, rooted in research-backed practices, puts relationships at the forefront of academic and behavioral outcomes. Both Windham High School (WHS) and Windham Primary School (WPS) have embraced the three-year rollout, reporting higher attendance, fewer disciplinary incidents, and a palpable sense of community among students and staff.
Windham High School’s three-year BARR rollout
WHS began the BARR journey as a pilot with roughly one-third of its freshman cohort. By the second year the program expanded to cover all 240 ninth-graders, and the third year saw full district-wide adoption. Counselors like Megan Fleming emphasized the strategic focus on ninth-grade stability, noting that early high-school experiences set the tone for the remaining three years. The results have been striking: attendance rates have climbed to the highest levels in more than a decade, participation in sports and clubs has surged, and both failure rates and behavioral referrals have dropped noticeably.
Block meetings create a holistic view
Central to the BARR approach at WHS are the weekly “Block” meetings. Small Block sessions bring teachers from different subjects together to discuss each student’s strengths and challenges. When a student’s needs exceed the scope of a single classroom, their case moves to a “Big Block” gathering that includes administrators, specialists, and support staff. If internal resources prove insufficient, a “Community Connect” meeting invites external partners to ensure comprehensive assistance. This tiered system not only sharpens educators’ understanding of individual learners but also deepens cross-curricular collaboration, as teachers report feeling more connected to one another and to the students they serve.
Students echo the staff’s enthusiasm. Freshman Abbey C. praised the “bonds” she has formed with teachers, saying she has not missed a single day of school since the program began. English teacher Jennifer Long highlighted how BARR’s holistic lens helps address the disconnect many freshmen feel after leaving elementary and middle school, allowing teachers to see pupils as whole people rather than isolated test-takers.
Primary school adopts BARR and sees early gains
Following WHS’s success, Windham Primary School launched its own BARR implementation in the fall of 2024, after learning about the initiative through the Maine Department of Education. Principal Kyle Rhoads noted that the model’s core principles aligned seamlessly with the school’s existing values of learner-centered instruction and acceptance. Even after just two full school years, attendance among chronically absent students has improved, underscoring the link between belonging and academic motivation.
At the elementary level, relationship-building activities are woven into the weekly schedule. Teachers rotate responsibility for a 30-minute session called “U-Time,” where students engage in prompts such as “What makes you special?” Students draw, share, and then display their work in hallways, giving peers and staff a window into each child’s unique identity. One child proudly announced, “I have a dog that protects me,” while another said, “I can count to thirty-nine in Spanish.” Such moments foster a culture of acceptance and reinforce the BARR principle that strong social ties drive academic performance.
Statewide reach and future outlook
The BARR model now touches 120 schools across 50 districts in Maine, funded in part by $18 million in federal emergency relief. Districts report smoother educator collaboration, fewer disciplinary incidents, and more consistent attendance. The framework dovetails with the Maine Department of Education’s whole-student approach, which demands that learners be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and prepared. As more schools adopt block-style meetings and dedicated relationship time, the expectation is that the gains seen in Windham will ripple throughout the state, creating a more inclusive and resilient educational environment for all students.
