Armstrong receives MASSP Silver Star Award for innovation

Armstrong High School (AHS) isn’t just rethinking how students prepare for life after graduation—it’s rebuilding the path itself.

That work is now earning statewide recognition. The Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) has awarded AHS a Silver Star of Innovation for its Preparing Falcons Futures program, a three-year effort that has transformed the school’s media center into a hub of personalized support, mentorship, and postsecondary planning.

Inside that space, students don’t just pass through–they connect. Ninth graders find targeted support through BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks), peers and staff build relationships through mentoring and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), and older students map out college and career pathways with dedicated guidance. Staffed by a team of five licensed educators, the program is designed to meet students where they are, and move them forward with purpose.

“This recognition reflects the intentional work our team has done… it truly meets students where they are,” said AHS Principal Erick Norby. “By creating targeted areas for BARR support, mentoring and AVID, and college and career exploration, we are ensuring every student has access to the resources and relationships they need to succeed.”

The result: Preparing Falcons Future is a reimagined learning environment where preparation isn’t an abstract goal, but built into every interaction, every day, Norby said. And it builds on the successful implementation of the BARR model at AHS, which was recently recognized as a BARR School of Excellence.