Massachusetts Schools Can Apply for Funding Through Student Opportunity Act

MINNEAPOLIS, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks), a model that improves America's education system with intentionally deepened relationships and a data-driven personalized and supportive approach, announced today that Massachusetts public schools can apply for funding as part of the Student Opportunity Act. The state bill lays out the infusion of $1.5 billion into school districts over the next seven years. The BARR model aligns with the Massachusetts Student Opportunity Act funding source and can help schools that apply with the application process.

The aim of the Student Opportunity Act is to tackle inequity in how funds are directed to districts across the state by requiring more funds for school systems with higher percentages of low-income students and English language learners. Each school district would be required to establish targets for "addressing persistent disparities in achievement among student subgroups" and would be required to submit an evidence-based plan to the state every three years illustrating how their schools would use the additional funding to meet those goals. The plans have to be submitted by April 1, 2020.

"We salute the state of Massachusetts and its Student Opportunity Act and we are thrilled that it has passed this landmark legislation," explained BARR Executive Director Angela Jerabek. "BARR's mission aligns perfectly with the purpose of the bill and its mission to strengthen the tools and resources that the state's schools have access to. BARR is a strengths-based model that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all K-12 students. Schools within the BARR network harness the power of relationships and data to become more equitable, ensure that no student is invisible, and remove both academic and non-academic barriers to learning."

Jerabek continued, "The results are powerful. Students earn more credits. Math and reading scores improve. Absences and suspensions are reduced. Graduation rates increase. BARR schools also report stronger culture with happier, more engaged students and teachers. BARR has demonstrated these results in schools big and small, urban, rural and suburban, as well as those that are both underserved and fully resourced."

The BARR model has met the Evidence for ESSA requirements five times. BARR has met the requirements four times in reading and math impacts — in reading for both the whole class and struggling students, as well as in math for both the whole class and struggling students. The BARR model is also one of only four programs in the U.S. that supports the social and emotional learning needs of high school students while also meeting the national ESSA evidence standards.

About BARR Center
The BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) is a model that aims to bring education into the 21st century with intentionally deepened relationships and a data-driven personalized and supportive approach that aligns students, teachers, staff, and families with unified culture of support and success so that, together, we can build strong schools and communities. For more information, visit, https://barrcenter.org/.

SOURCE The BARR Center

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https://barrcenter.org/