Published on Thursday, September 10, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – As students return to classrooms across Rhode Island, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green today announced that the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is launching a partnership with six schools to implement the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model through a RIDE-funded grant initiative.
The participating schools are Webster Avenue Elementary School, Roger Williams Middle School, and Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School in Providence; Woonsocket Middle School at Hamlet and Woonsocket Middle School at Villa Nova in Woonsocket; and Founders Academy at Beacon. Each school will receive funding to support at least one year of BARR implementation. A total of $480,000 is being awarded by RIDE.
“BARR has a long and successful track record of helping schools improve academic outcomes while strengthening connections among students, educators, and families,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “As students begin a new school year, we are investing in proven, evidence-based strategies that support the whole child and empower educators. Through this partnership, schools will have additional tools and supports to improve attendance, boost engagement, strengthen school culture, and help every student succeed.”
“I am grateful to be partnering with the Rhode Island Department of Education to support schools across the state,” said Angela Jerabek, Founder and Executive Director of BARR Center. “We know that every school has the talent within its walls to create a healthy learning environment for students and staff. The BARR model helps schools harness that talent, strengthen relationships, and build the systems needed to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.”
“Woonsocket Middle School at Hamlet is proud to partner with BARR and RIDE as we continue working to improve instruction and strengthen support for both students and educators,” said Jen Renigaldo, Principal of Woonsocket Middle School at Hamlet. “This partnership will help us build stronger systems that foster student success and drive meaningful, lasting improvement throughout our school community.”
The BARR model is one of the nation's most well-researched schoolwide improvement frameworks. For more than 25 years, BARR has helped schools improve academic achievement while strengthening school culture and climate. Research has shown that schools implementing the BARR model experience gains in reading and mathematics achievement, increased teacher satisfaction and retention, higher levels of student engagement, reductions in chronic absenteeism and discipline referrals, and decreases in risky student behaviors.
This investment aligns with the goals of Rhode Island's nationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign, which has helped reduce chronic absenteeism statewide by more than 14 percentage points from its peak, recovering an estimated 4.4 million hours of student learning.
Throughout the school year, RIDE's Office of School and District Improvement (OSDI) and Office of College and Career Readiness (OCCR) will partner with participating schools to support successful implementation of the BARR model. Through this collaboration, RIDE is investing in evidence-based practices that strengthen school systems, improve student outcomes, and create positive learning environments for Rhode Island students.
For more information about BARR Center, visit www.barrcenter.org.
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