Struggling high school students in St. Louis Park should soon get more help thanks to a major federal grant.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it will award Search Institute, a local think tank focused on youth, a $4.9 million grant over the next four years.

The non-profit had to secure a commitment by today from private partners to kick in $1 million in matching money. As of Thursday, Search Institute had received pledges from five national and local foundations to contribute a total of nearly $750,000, Search Institute president Peter Benson said. On Friday, a Search Institute spokesperson said it had secured the rest of the money it needed.

The grant and private money will be used to expand the Search Institute's Building Assets-Reducing Risks (BARR) program beyond St. Louis Park High, where it started 12 years ago, to reach thousands more students nationwide.

St. Louis Park school district was named one of four pilot school districts for the program expansion.

The only school district in Minnesota selected, it will benefit from $1.6 million in aid over four years.

Other school systems due to receive help under the pilot expanded BARR program are Madison Area District in Maine, Bucksport District in Maine, and Hemet Unified School District in California.

Called the Investing in Innovation Fund, or i3, the federal funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's $10 billion investment in school reform.

The fund was designed to support local efforts to start or grow innovative programs proven to help close the achievement gap.

In all, 1,700 school districts, colleges and non-profit organizations supporting education applied for the grants. Search Institute was among the 49 selected to receive the money.

At St. Louis Park High, the BARR program has focused on ninth graders in an effort to reduce academic failure, increase student attendance, reduce disciplinary incidents and curb substance abuse, said Angela Jerabek, who developed the program and serves as the school district's i3 coordinator.

Ninth-grade is considered a make-or-break year for high school students. Research has shown that students who fail a class during their freshmen year are much more likely to drop out and struggle as they enter adulthood, school officials say.

The i3 funding will be used to expand the BARR program to include students in their sophomore, junior and senior years.

Search Institute officials say they will work with Admission Possible, a well-known program that prepares at-risk students for college, to help more students get ready for college or a career after graduation.

Founded 52 years ago, the Minneapolis-based Search Institute is dedicated to promoting healthy youth, schools and communities.

It is perhaps best known for creating a list of 40 developmental assets -- experiences and personal qualities the Institute says young people need in order to become healthy, caring and responsible adults.

Allie Shah • 612-673-4488