This research brief examines how the Barr Foundation’s Engage New England (ENE) schools provide robust learning experiences and support students in developing skills for future success. The ENE initiative supports new and redesigned schools in implementing student-centered approaches—such as competency-based instruction, project-based learning, and personalized supports—to improve outcomes for students who have not experienced success in traditional settings. Its goal is to empower students to take ownership of their path to graduation and beyond by fostering equitable, rigorous, and purposeful learning environments, along with strong advising grounded in relationships, high expectations, and student voice. Evidence from a student survey of ENE and comparison schools, complemented by focus group data, indicates that ENE schools are building strong relationships and a sense of belonging, implementing competency-based practices, delivering rigorous instruction, and beginning to support students in planning for their futures.
Project: Evaluation of the Engage New England Initiative
Download:
- Doing High School Differently: The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools (PDF)
- The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools: Spring 2025 Student Survey Technical Report (PDF)
Citations
Citation: Cassidy, L., Caspary, K., & Warner, M. (2026). Doing High School Differently: The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools. SRI.
Citation: Rush, J., Cao, S., & Kelley-Kemple, T. (2026). The Student Experience in Engage New England Schools: Spring 2025 Student Survey Technical Report. SRI.