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Burnsville High leaders say ninth‑grade academy and advisory work are improving freshman outcomes
Summary
Principal Jesus Sandoval and 9th‑grade coordinator Kim Fritz told the ISD 191 board that the ninth‑grade BAR academy (Building Assets, Reducing Risk), advisory supports and targeted instruction align with higher freshman course‑passing rates and rising graduation metrics; board members requested follow‑up cohort data and attendance analyses.
Principal Jesus Sandoval told the ISD 191 board on May 14 that Burnsville High School’s ninth‑grade academy and complementary supports have helped increase freshman course passing and contribute to higher graduation rates.
Sandoval said the school has aligned curriculum, introduced instructional guarantees for tier‑one classrooms and used early‑identification tools such as FastBridge to monitor math, reading and social‑emotional well‑being. He noted the school is doubling AP Humanities sections next year and that advisory teachers follow a ninth‑grade cohort through 12th grade to build relationships.
"We want to make sure our students are financially ready, academically understanding and civic‑minded," Sandoval said, adding that the academy has been in place for about a year and a half and that comparative semester data show positive effects since implementation.
Kim Fritz, ninth‑grade BAR coordinator, described BAR’s two pillars—relationships and data—and the program’s weekly "time" lessons, which aim to strengthen student‑to‑student and staff‑to‑student connections. Fritz said the team uses Edric Climber and attendance data to identify strengths and monitor progress.
Board members pressed for more longitudinal evidence. Director Mickelson asked for cohort follow‑up to see whether benefits carry into 10th and 11th grades, including attendance, retention and test‑score trends. "I'd like to see what their experience is in a year or two," he said.
Sandoval detailed attendance interventions used this year, including a district‑site attendance team (administrators, counselors, social workers and deans), proactive family communication by advisory teachers and individualized attendance plans. The school has also implemented tardy checks and worked with the county on truancy interventions.
Director Webb asked how station and parallel teaching look in a high‑school setting. Sandoval said those are part of ongoing professional development for secondary teachers and are evolving as staff adapt team‑teaching models to larger classes.
Board members requested that future school reports include clearer, comparable metrics tied to the ninth‑grade cohort (attendance, course passing, retention and subsequent year performance) and that principals demonstrate how BAR activities map to those outcomes.
The presentation closed with the board thanking Sandoval and Fritz and noting plans for a more detailed follow‑up report in the year ahead.
