Kansas City Public Schools Mr. Jonathan Richard, Principal 2111 Woodland Ave Kansas City, MO 64108-3015 Document Generated On January 28, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 5 Additional Information 7
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Lincoln has grown and evolved tremendously from its founding as an elementary school at the time of the Civil War to its current status as a grades 6-12 college preparatory school. In its early years, Lincoln was the only school in the city for black students. It was organized as an elementary school in 1865 at 10th & McGee Street in a church; it served 200 blacks of all ages. This school was called Lincoln Elementary in commemoration of the great emancipator, Abraham Lincoln. In the late 19th century, the school functioned in several locations and under several different names. As the needs of the community changed, the school adapted. Towards the end of the century, the school began consistently serving older students at higher levels. In 1885 the school graduated four high school students. The high school program grew and developed over the next several decades. In 1935 a new building was built at 2111 Woodland, the school's current location. The new school opened as a high school and junior college. The junior college functioned on the campus until 1954 when Kansas City's metropolitan junior college was integrated. Kansas City slowly moved to integrate its student bodies after the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education Supreme Court case. For many years, Lincoln continued to be an all-black school; however, in 1973 the faculty was integrated. In 1978 the most radical change in the history of the school took place: Lincoln's student body was integrated and it became a magnet school. The school changed its name to Lincoln Academy for Accelerated Study. In 1986 the name was changed to Lincoln College Preparatory School, the school's current name. In over a century of serving residents of Kansas City and surroundings, Lincoln in all its various locations has a resounding nostalgia. For those who attended the Woodland building, it still remains "the castle on the hill." In 2010 Kansas City Public Schools closed more than 30 of its school buildings. One building was Lincoln Middle School. Students at Lincoln Middle School then merged with the students at Lincoln High School, to create a grades 6-12 high school with more than 900 students under one roof. In addition to the merger, more than 15 staff members chose to retire, an entirely new 4 member administrative team came aboard, and the district lost its accreditation. Despite the tumultuous turn of events, Lincoln continued to maintain its academic success as one of the nation's top 200 high schools, maintain adequate yearly performance, and exceed state ACT scores. As one would imagine, the rich history of the school engenders a pride in the community unlike any other in Kansas City. Lincoln's selective admission policy only adds to the school's reputation in the community as the city's premier public school. Currently the school is one of the most ethnically diverse schools, with the following breakdown: 60% African-American; 20% Latino; 10% White; 10% Asian. Roughly twothirds of families qualify for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. While many of the Lincoln families fall into the lower-income demographic, the school's magnet status allows it to draw from all areas of Kansas City and all socio-economic strata. As a result, Lincoln represents the most ethnically and socio-economically diverse secondary school in Kansas City, Missouri. The faculty consists of largely veteran members but includes several early-career teachers as well. Since Lincoln is the college prep magnet Page 2
school for the district, a number of faculty members and all administrators have International Baccalaureate and/or Advanced Placement training. As is the case with a school rich in tradition, Lincoln faces a variety of unique challenges. The alumni association is active, and as one might expect, many believe the school has lost some of the qualities that once defined it. While this perception may or may not be accurate, it is incumbent upon school leadership to understand the importance of the legacy of Lincoln and respect its history. The challenge, then, is how can the school leadership preserve the legacy of the school while also moving it forward? In addition, the school faces an unusual amount of public scrutiny and community pressure. As the highest performing school in the district, Lincoln carries the honor/burden of being the "rising tide" that the district and the city hopes will "lift all boats." School leadership, faculty and staff must understand and appreciate that the bar for the school's progress and performance is set extremely high, and that creates a challenge unique to Lincoln. Page 3
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. The mission statement has existed for some time, but each year a range of community members revisit it in the formal school improvement process. The school principal leads the process of writing the school improvement plan; he/she is joined by faculty members, other school administrators, parents, interested community members and, at times, student representatives. Through this process the school's leadership considers all aspects of the functioning of the school, gauging the school's past performance and setting clear, measurable goals for the coming year. These aspects include but are not limited to: the academic program; student test scores; faculty recruitment, retention and development; facilities; co-curricular programs; tutoring and peer assistance; communication and community involvement; parent involvement and school advisory committee collaboration; advanced studies programs. Page 4
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Lincoln has had a tremendous amount of success throughout its history. We have a rich tradition of striving for excellence. Students, staff and families regularly give their all to ensure the success of the students and the activities they are involved in. It truly becomes a community effort. Among the activities at Lincoln are an excellent sports program which includes football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, baseball, swimming, track and cross country. Extracurricular activities include FIRST Robotics, Solar Car Team, Cheerleading, Pep Club, Guitar Club, Debate, Newspaper, Leadership Academy, Student Government, National Honor Society, Jr. National Honor Society, Earth Club, Jazz Band, Culture Club, Key Club, Gospel Choir, Jr. Classical League and Dance. An outstanding JROTC has been teaching soldier citizens for the past several decades. Lincoln has been recognized recently as a National Blue Ribbon School and a Gold Star School by the state of Missouri. We have some of the highest EOC scores in the state in Biology at 80% advance/proficient and English 11 scores at 98% advance/proficient. And we ranked as the 3rd best High School in the State of Missouri and the best High School in the bi-state Kansas City metro area. Ninety-five percent of the students in the class of 2011 enrolled in four year colleges. Approximately two percent enrolled in two year colleges. And scholarship offerings excluding financial aid, for the year of 2011 were in the excess of 8 million dollars Lincoln College Preparatory Academy graduates are required to have 27 units of academic credit and 100 community service hours. International Baccalaureate candidates are required to have 150 hours in community service. In addition to 1 unit of Practical Arts, 1 unit of Fine Arts,.5 units of Health, 1 unit of Physical Ed., 5 units of introduction to Speech, and.5 units of African American or Multi-Cultural History,.5 units of College Admissions Prep., four years of English, Science, Math, Social Studies and Foreign Language are required for all students. Math requirements include Algebra, Geometry, Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry, plus one other higher-level math course. Requirements for science include Biology, Chemistry and either Biology 2 and 3, Chemistry 2 and 3 or Physics 1 and 2. Lincoln students score above the national average on the ACT. The average composite ACT scores at Lincoln College Preparatory over the past five years are as follows: 2006-2007 22.6 2007-2008 22.0 2008-2009 21.7 2009-2010 22.4 2010-2011 22.3 The students, staff and families of Lincoln College Preparatory Academy are humbled by the need to continue to strive to become better. Our staff members are regularly working on continuing education. Most Lincoln Prep faculty have earned master's degrees in the areas where they provide instruction. Those who have not yet received such degrees are required to work toward completion. Professional Learning Communities that allow teachers to grow as educators. Students are in a competitive culture that shows an effort to be the best they can be in everything they are involved in both academic and extracurricular. And our families support their students in ways that simply don't exist in other schools. Everyone involved in Lincoln pushes for excellence and knows that improvement is always necessary to be competitive in an ever advancing World. Page 5
Page 6
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Lincoln College Preparatory Academy has its share of challenges. With a student population of 2/3 free and reduced lunch, we are faced with much of the challenges that all inner city schools face. Yet through a rich tradition, outstanding family involvement, a staff dedicated to excellence and of course students who strive to achieve the goals and dreams of their future, we come out year after year as being one of the best schools in the state, only because of the efforts of the stakeholders. Page 7