• Category 2

    Selected in 2015

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 15,000
    Student Enrollment: 321
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 58%
    Hispanic: 34%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 3%
    Native American: 4%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 69%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 1929
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jodi Benson
  • CONTACT:
    2214 Avenue C
    Scottsbluff, NE 69361
    308-635-6252
    jbenson@sbps.net
Lincoln Heights Elementary School
Scottsbluff, NE
At Lincoln Heights education begins with a sincere, deliberate commitment to the belief that all students can meet high academic standards, and that as educators we have the ability and the responsibility to help every child reach their maximum potential.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
1. Increase student achievement.
2. Maintain a safe, orderly and comfortable learning environment.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Lincoln Heights believes that a Positive School Climate is what sets our school apart from others. We understand that students will reach high academic standards only if they are being challenged.
At Lincoln Heights education begins with a sincere, deliberate commitment to the belief that all students can meet high academic standards, and that as educators we have the ability and the responsibility to help every child reach their maximum potential.
The staff at Lincoln Heights knows that students must have a sense of belonging to be successful. The staff embodies an ethic of caring: not just a program or strategy, but a way of relating to students, their families, and one another that conveys compassion, understanding, respect and interest. We want all students to have the same opportunities for growth.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
At Lincoln Heights Elementary our staff works together as a team to provide all students with the support they need to be successful at their grade level. This coordinated effort includes consideration being given to all of our resources including personnel, schedules, and technology. We provide support in class during all subjects. We believe that having students remain in their classroom with their grade level peers as much as possible is a great benefit.

We have found working within the regular classroom and supporting the instruction at grade level is the most efficient use of these resources. When circumstances call for students to be pulled from their classrooms for extra intervention, we have found grouping our title 1 students with our special education students performing at the same reading level only makes good sense. Together, the Special Education teacher and the Title 1 teacher look at student reading data and group students appropriately.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Professional development is a key component of ensuring quality teaching and instructional programming in our district. The purpose of the professional development system is to increase student achievement, enhance classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and relevance throughout the curriculum, and prepare students for continuing education and the workforce. The professional learning activities provided and supported are aligned with district initiatives and school improvement plans in support of student learning and achievement.

Professional Development is an integral part of being qualified educators and support staff. Lincoln Heights’ administration, teachers and support staff regularly meet in groups, participate in a variety of seminars, collaborate and plan lessons together, and attend monthly professional development consistent with the District’s initiatives.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
We know research based instructional strategies are working here at Lincoln Heights because we have shown a positive trend over the past three years as measured by the Nebraska State Reading, Math and Science Assessments. We are very intentional in everything we teach. We follow the district learning guides that were developed using Nebraska State Standards as the core. Staff works together with grade level teams, Content Area Specialist and building support staff to plan and deliver effective instruction. Student data is reviewed often and instruction is adjusted as needed to meet the needs of each individual student.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2015

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 15,000
    Student Enrollment: 321
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 58%
    Hispanic: 34%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 3%
    Native American: 4%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:19
    % Reduced Lunch: 69%
    % ELL Learners: 1%
    Founded: 1929
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jodi Benson
  • CONTACT:
    2214 Avenue C
    Scottsbluff, NE 69361
    308-635-6252
    jbenson@sbps.net