2006 Award Winners
Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards
Literacy Achievement
Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School
Spencer, Iowa

School Statistics
Total Enrollment: 306 students
Type of School: Rural public school
Location/Size of School: N/A
Receive Free/Reduced Lunch: 45%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1

“Three years ago, staff morale was low, student achievement scores were low, and the need for change was high,” says Lucas DeWitt, principal of Lincoln Elementary School in northwestern Iowa. In an effort to boost its literacy program, Lincoln has incorporated small-group instruction, cross-grade grouping, integrated social studies and science into its language-arts instruction, and provided intensive professional development for teachers. Not only have Lincoln’s test scores improved, but the overall climate of the building is also positive. While only 58 percent of Lincoln students were reading at an instructional level in 2002, that number is now at an impressive 89 percent.