Lincoln Elementary School in Geary County USD 475 was named as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education. It is one of four Kansas elementary schools and 356 schools across the country recognized for performance on state assessments or nationally normed tests.

On last year’s state math assessment 57 percent of Lincoln students scored in the top two levels, noted as Effective and Excellent in preparation for postsecondary success. This is 25 percent higher than the state average. Just under 11 percent scored at Level 1 which is one-third of the state average. In reading, about 54 percent scored in the top two levels. Only 16 percent of students scored at Level 1 which is about half the state average.

In these measures of academic preparation, Lincoln is performing much higher than expected considering the demographics. The percentage of Lincoln students from low-income families (48.1) and students with disabilities (21) is similar to the state averages. The school serves about 300 students in grades preschool through five.

I met with Principal Dan Dinkel, four teachers, two site council parents, and two college interns at the school. The group was unified in what they identified as key reasons for success. They agreed that Lincoln was a special blend of welcoming attitudes coupled with high standards and expectations. “We hold each other as teachers to a high standard. We hold parents to a high standard. They hold us to a high standard,” said Fifth Grade Teacher Jennifer Farr, who has taught 19 years including 12 at Lincoln.

Teachers say they reach those standards by working together. “The teachers here have always worked together well, because as they see all kids as ‘our” kids,” said Third Grade teacher Shawn Ryan.

“It's not the 25 kids in my class and 25 kids in someone else’s class. I think that the kids understand that, and they feel the love that we have for all of them. If the kid comes in kindergarten and you start making a connection with that child, when they get to third grade, they already know who I am.”

Also cited was a commitment to using data and research-based practices. Farr said there hasn’t been any resistance when taking data and research driven action. “I think every single one of us has jumped in with both feet and said, if this is a best practice, this is what we're going to do.”

A commitment to constant improvement, with results to back it up, has also supported teacher autonomy. “We've always felt empowered to try things and to fail, because there's lots of things that I've tried in my career that haven't worked,” said Ryan. “But I had the support to keep trying. As a teacher, you feel more compelled to really try things because you're trying to do good things for your kids.” 

Demonstrating that commitment to experimentation was Lincoln’s participation in the State Department of Education’s School Redesign Project, which educators say helped develop strategies that are paying off with higher results. Principal Dinkel said that they acknowledged the work was hard. “But when the people you work with have your trust, and they trust you, it gets easier, because you know you've got that support.”

Lincoln educators and parents also credited success to its implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an evidence-based three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes. This includes establishing a school-based team to lead the effort, defining and teaching behavioral expectations, recognizing and rewarding positive behavior, monitoring and using data, providing support based on level of student need, and involving families and the community in the PBIS process.

Parents Carissa Horton and Vanessa Haslouer both praised the school for creating a positive climate for meeting the individual needs of their students and building strong relationships between staff, students, and parents. “The communication in the school is fantastic,” said Haslouer. “Kids know that the teachers here love them, and we as parents know from the things they come home and say that these teachers love the kids.”

College interns Melony Flores and Kinzye Whitehead agreed that the connection school staff make with students is pivotal to success. “They know you care so they want to be the best person they can be for you,” said Whitehead.

Lincoln leaders highlighted several unique and important aspects of the school. One is a commitment to daily PE and music classes. Ryan stated research shows that "moving your body makes your brain work better and having PE every day helps with that." The Lincoln team emphasized that PE and the arts are equally valued and integrated into the regular curriculum.
Likewise, the school stresses the value of recess. “Recess is very important here,” said Gifted Teacher Anna Calven. “There's research behind play. There's research behind the kids getting outside and having unstructured time for social connections and creativity.”

A final unique feature at Lincoln is a jobs program. The school has a structured jobs program that allows students to apply and interview for various jobs around the school, such as library helper, preschool tutor, fashion coordinator (managing lost and found), and more. The jobs are intentionally designed to align with different Career and Technical Education career clusters to provide students with real-world experience. It’s also a way to address attendance and behavior issues, as students who have a job feel more invested and responsible. The jobs are not mandatory but are seen as a privilege that students can lose if they have attendance or behavior problems. It’s viewed as an important way to engage students, meet their social-emotional needs, and reinforce high expectations.

While Lincoln’s impressive state assessment results helped earn the Blue Ribbon award, its teachers stressed they were just one data point among many. “Test Scores are one picture of a child, but do not downplay how much we sit down and look at all kinds of data and look at who has achieved what and who is missing what,” said Farr.  “Every week we are meeting and looking at what we are doing and are missing. Here are the kids that are hitting the standard. What happened to the others? That is what drives us.”