September 2, 2026 | By Lauren Cassidy

What happens when high schools are designed around strong relationships, rigorous and purposeful instruction, and student agency?

Our new brief, Doing High School Differently: The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools, explores that question through the voices and experiences of students attending four Engage New England (ENE) schools across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The findings are compelling: students who previously struggled in traditional settings describe feeling known, supported, challenged, and hopeful about their futures.

A different kind of high school experience

The Barr Foundation launched the ENE initiative to create schools specifically for students who have fallen off track to graduate from high school— including students who are overage and undercredited, have disengaged from school, or face significant life challenges.

Across these schools, we found that ENE students reported stronger relationships with adults, a greater sense of belonging, more rigorous and purposeful instruction, and stronger development of key success skills than similar students in traditional and alternative schools.

The brief highlights several core strategies driving these outcomes:

• Strong relationships and personalized support. Every student is connected to a trusted adult through “primary person” systems, in which each student has at least one adult who knows them well, that help students stay on track academically and personally.
• Rigorous, purposeful, competency-based learning. Students engage in intellectually demanding project-based learning experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world problems and authentic tasks and emphasize transferable skills like communication and collaboration.
• Comprehensive postsecondary planning supports. ENE schools are strengthening students’ preparation for life after high school through career and college exploration, portfolio development, and individualized guidance.

Why creating this kind of high school experience matters

For the students featured in the brief, graduating high school once felt uncertain or out of reach. Their stories show what becomes possible when schools are intentionally designed around belonging, meaningful learning, personalized support, and high expectations.

As districts and educators nationwide grapple with disengagement, absenteeism, and questions about the relevance of high school, the ENE initiative offers important lessons about what students need and what school can become.

Read the full brief, Doing High School Differently: The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools.

Topics: High school redesign