Armstrong High School selected as BARR School of Excellence

Armstrong High School (AHS) is earning national recognition for the way it supports every student. The school has been named a BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) School of Excellence, the highest honor awarded by the BARR Center.

This distinction reflects the exceptional commitment of AHS in bringing the BARR model to life and ensuring that every student is known, supported and positioned for success.

“Schools that earn this designation exemplify the very best of BARR implementation,” said Dick Ungar, Director of Engagement at The BARR Center. “The care (AHS) staff shows for students—and for one another—is clearly evident and is a powerful example for other schools across the BARR network.”

Reaching this milestone is no small accomplishment, as The BARR Center recognizes a small group of schools each year that have completed three years of outstanding implementation of the BARR model.

BARR is an evidence-based approach that provides schools with a strength-based comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students. Through BARR, educators work to harness the power of relationships and data to remove both academic and non-academic barriers to learning and ensure that no student is invisible.

At AHS, ninth grade students are grouped into block teams with a common English, social studies, and science teacher, often also including a math teacher. This teacher team meets throughout the week to monitor student progress, identify strengths, and consider ways to support and challenge all block students. Each week, the ninth grade counselor, BARR Assistant Principal, and BARR coordinator and social worker meet with teacher teams to offer additional support for students and help provide recognition for students' unique strengths and talents.

“One of my favorite impacts that BARR has made is that we start with strengths. Every time we talk about a student at a meeting we start with that student's strengths to help frame our conversation,” said Anne Beaton, AHS teacher and BARR Co-Coordinator. “Doing so really warms up the room and gets people focused on the student as a person. Now we start with strengths throughout our day as well - the positive energy has really caught fire.”

This recognition builds upon the BARR THRIVE Scholarship AHS was awarded for the 2025-26 school year.

“The BARR model is, without question, the most impactful educational model I have seen in my career. Through the commitment of our exceptional staff and teachers, we are seeing real results—higher academic achievement, improved graduation rates, and a noticeable decrease in office behavioral referrals,” shared AHS Principal Erick Norby. “Being recognized as a 2026 BARR School of Excellence validates the intentional, student-centered work happening in our classrooms every day.