Abeo Partnership - Lincoln High School's Success

Lincoln High School in Tacoma, WA is one of Abeo’s success stories. It has been a long term partnership with Abeo that has allowed Lincoln to become an exemplary program in Washington State. Recently, Algebra 1 and Geometry end of course assessment scores were published and the results are amazing: 90% pass rate with no achievement gap. This alone should cause eyebrows and wonder, what is going on at this school? What is fostering this community of scholars? In addition, Fisk University, after being impressed by Lincoln students and the city college fair, visited the school to meet one-on-one with students. 5 students were offered admission on the spot, and one is being flied out to interview for a full ride scholarship. Clearly, when we are talking about education reform, we need to be talking about Lincoln High School.

Lincoln has been mentioned in the Tacoma News Tribune often, chronicling its journey from one of the lowest performing schools in Washington State to a school with much to celebrate. One of the key structural changes mentioned was creating Lincoln Center with an extended school day. Students can choose to participate in the program, while some are counseled into it. The school day runs from 7:30am to around 5pm. This extra time provides structural support for students including homework help, clubs and other programs that help students complete their work and meet standard.

There are many other best practices in terms of instruction and structures that Lincoln boasts. Staff have common planning to work on integrated projects across grade level and provide intervention support for students needing it. Late arrival on Wednesdays allows for further staff development on a regular basis to foster reflection and implementation of best practices. Classrooms have an open door policy where essential questions and clear learning targets are posted. The staff is reflective and constantly seeks feedback from teammates and Abeo coaches on an individual basis. Staff loop with students in order to build relationships, and students look at data often to set and meet goals.

The culture of excellence is evident. Teachers constantly exert the phrase “You will go to college” They have unfailingly high expectations, so much so that they commit to this ongoing professional development in real ways. Teacher efficacy is seen in everyday conversations between teachers and coaches. The teachers openly tell students that hey have coaches. How was this culture built? As one teacher says, “If we have high expectations for our students, then we need to have the same for ourselves.”

Great work is occurring at Lincoln High School, both in terms of student work and in terms of teacher practice. Through shared leadership, clear vision, and commitment to excellence, Lincoln has created a safe place for students to learn at their highest potential.


From Andrew Miller, New Media Innovations