CENTER CITY, Minn., Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Conversations surrounding equity in education continue at the Federal level, including an Evidence in Education Roundtable held October 17 in Washington D.C. Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) developer and executive director of the BARR Center, Angela Jerabek, presented evidence from her work in BARR as well as the Investing in Innovation (i3) grants that supports the promise of equity among students.

Hosted by the White House Office of Domestic Policy, the event featured presentations by policy, research and innovation leaders from the U.S. Department of Education; members of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and education practitioners.

Attendees at the event included approximately 30 education thought leaders, including representation from the U.S. Department of Education, the Arnold Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, Knowledge Alliance, Success for All, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

"The need to drive student equity continues to steer national conversation between some of the most innovative minds and influential voices in education today," said Jerabek. "My experience over the past 18 years has taught me that questions related to evidence and equity are inextricably linked. Evidence advances equity.

"A first step in addressing the gap is being able to identify exactly where the gaps exist across schools and even more critically, within each school. By coupling the analysis of student data with the implementation of proven strategies, schools can close gaps, while improving outcomes for all students.  BARR's structure for helping schools collect and analyze data becomes the impetus for impacting educational outcomes for low-income students and students of color."

BARR's impact on a school's ability to close the achievement gap has been proven by independent evaluations. Jerabek presented compelling findings from the BARR 2010 i3 development grant study that met What Works Clearinghouse Standards without Reservation, including:

Reducing the Achievement Gap | A California high school that reduced the gap in failure rate of Hispanic 9^th graders to non-Hispanic 9^th Graders by more than two-thirds over the course of four school years. (Graph 1)

Reducing the Graduation Gap | The Minnesota high school that piloted BARR now sees Hispanic, black and white students graduating at nearly the same rate, with an overall 2015 graduation rate of 93%. (Graph 2)

About the BARR Model
BARR is a whole-school model for grades 6-12 that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting students' academic, social and emotional needs. The model integrates eight proven strategies to  provide a structure that helps educators build safe, strong, trusting relationships with their students — and these connections pave the way for every student to engage in learning.

The BARR Model works with a school's existing curriculum and existing staff, and it can be used to attain any specific school goals. Hazelden Publishing provides materials, training, coaching, and outreach services for the BARR Center.

About the BARR Center
The BARR Center provides thought leadership, evaluation services, and oversight for the BARR model, its flagship program. As a 501(c) 3 organization, the BARR Center serves as the organizing body for the national BARR network. Learn more at www.BARRCenter.org and on Twitter: @BarrCenter.

About Hazelden Publishing
Hazelden Publishing is the leading provider of evidence-based resources for alcohol and other drug use prevention, violence prevention, and social-emotional learning solutions for students in elementary school through high school and into young adulthood.

Hazelden Publishing is a division of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider offering prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter: @hazldnbettyford; @olweus; and @hzldn4educators.

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SOURCE Hazelden Publishing