By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
October 8, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Lincoln College Preparatory Academy Tigers are once again among the very best in the nation.

The U.S. Department of Education announced that Lincoln College Prep has earned a National Blue Ribbon Award. This honor recognizes the outstanding achievement of students and staff, and it places Lincoln Prep in the very elite ranks of all schools in the entire country.

This isn’t the only award for the school in 2014. Earlier this year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded Lincoln College Prep as a Gold Star School. The school, located at 2111 Woodland Ave., achieved this honor because of outstanding academic achievements. Lincoln College Prep is one of the only eight schools in Missouri to have received the Gold Star designation in 2014.

The Gold Star designation allowed Lincoln to be nominated for the National Blue Ribbon Award. Schools are only eligible to win either award every five years. Since Lincoln previously received a National Blue Ribbon Award in 2008, this was the first year that it was considered for another such honor.

In a press release, Lincoln Prep Principal Joseph Hesman said receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award is a tremendous achievement and honor because it shows that the students, staff, and parents have worked incredibly hard to teach and learn at a very high level.

“This could only happen as a result of everyone working together,” Hesman said. “I’m very pleased and proud of everyone at Lincoln, both now and those that were here before, for their focus and determination.”

Of the 337 schools in the entire U.S. qualified for the National Blue Ribbon Award, just 48 of those buildings were high schools. Lincoln was the only secondary school in Missouri to qualify this year. Schools have to demonstrate high performance for two years in a row on Missouri’s MSIP5 standards in order to qualify for the National Blue Ribbon Award. The MSIP5 standards measure school and school district achievement based on standardized testing results, college and career readiness, and attendance and graduation rates. Lincoln earned 140 out of 140 possible MSIP5 points in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years.

Lincoln Prep’s mission is to provide a comprehensive, highly challenging college preparatory curriculum to a select multicultural, multi-ethnic student body, helping them become capable, creative and ethical leaders. It is an International World School, which means students have the opportunity to graduate with a prestigious IB Diploma. In addition to rigorous academic standards, students are expected to complete at least 100 hours of community service before they graduate.

Eighty-nine percent of the school’s enrollment is comprised on minority students, and 72 percent come from homes that are considered economically disadvantaged. Superintendent R. Stephen Green said Lincoln Prep represents a jewel in the crown of the KCPS.

“It’s the type of excellence that we’re seeking to grow across the district,” Green said. “As we continue our rise to excellence, there will be more awards and recognitions on the way for our schools and our scholars. If parents in the Kansas City region want to send their children to some of the best schools in the nation, they can do so right here in KCPS.”