BAR coordinator outlines student-review system; district sees lower failing rates and improved attendance

Lindsey Hanson, the school’s BAR coordinator and instructional interventionist, described the program’s model and a teacher-led student-review process to the RSU 14 board. Hanson said BAR combines regular data pulls with relationship-centered intervention. She described quick, five-minute student-review meetings in which a four-person teacher team (content teachers, counselor, assistant principal and designated roles such as an Infinite Campus data lead and task tracker) documents student strengths, flags concerns, sets a goal, assigns an intervention (for example, signing a student up for a morning “pride” block for targeted support), and assigns follow-up tasks.

Hanson reported preliminary quantitative outcomes after the first semester: a 9.5% decrease in the number of students failing classes, a 10.6% decrease in reportable behavior incidents, and an increase in average daily attendance of 0.64 percentage points — which Hanson said equates to more than two thousand additional student-days of attendance districtwide when aggregated across students. She explained the program’s tiered leveling system (0 = thriving to 3 = needs district-level supports), and described referral to a Friday “community connect” meeting when students require services beyond classroom interventions (engaging social workers, school psychologists or administrators).

Board members asked about scheduling, program sustainability and connections to extended learning opportunities. Hanson said pride blocks are a short daily block that teachers may use for interventions and that the program coordinates those within the day and across teachers so students miss class time strategically. On sustainability, Hanson said she is confident BAR can continue next year with district systems in place but noted the professional-development element that accompanies BAR implementation (provided by the program vendor) supports teacher buy-in; she urged continued district support for training to maintain fidelity. Superintendent Chris Howell and other board members discussed short-term funding and said the district has resources to continue next year while exploring budget options to support sustained implementation and potential middle-school expansion.

Why it matters: BAR is presented as a school-based early-identification and intervention system that pairs data and teacher collaboration to reduce failures, lower behavior incidents and raise attendance. District leaders said they intend to maintain momentum and assess funding for continued implementation as they finalize the budget.

Source: RSU 14 Board of Directors meeting transcript, May 7, 2025.