Organizational Background

Lincolnton High School (LHS), located in Lincolnton, NC, has been educating the
teenagers of the community for 109 years. In that long history, the faculty and
staff have worked hard to create relevant curriculum for the ever-changing
environs that will greet graduates. LHSs vision is to graduate lifelong learners
and 21st century leaders. Its official mission statement is as follows: Lincolnton
High School is a community of learners that will successfully teach and learn
academic and life skills in a safe and positive learning environment. Successful
teaching and appropriate assessment will ensure that students will increase their
learning capacity and experience success. LHSs focus is local in order to
educate the teenagers of the community. It also works to involve the whole
community in its effort to offer a quality education.
LHS utilizes a typical hieratical educational structure. The principal
oversees the entire school and is answerable to the central office of Lincoln
County Schools and the state of North Carolina. He presides with a School
Improvement Team (SIT) which consists of teacher representatives from each
department, the student body president, and the president of the Education
Boosters (the schools PTA program). SIT makes many decisions for the school
and makes plans for improvements. In addition, there are two assistant
principals and 82 teachers and staff who comprise the whole of the schools
employees. Volunteers help the school typically through one of the three
booster organizations: Education Boosters, Athletic Boosters, and Band Boosters.
The efforts of all involved have not been wasted. For the last two years,
LHS has been recognized as one of the best high schools in North Carolina. Just
released in 2014, LHS was ranked number 35 in North Carolina by US News and
World Report. The school was given a Silver Award based on national rankings,
which placed LHS within the top 2,000 high schools in the country. LHS was the
only one of the four high schools in Lincoln County to gain a ranked position.
While the schools test scores are on par (or slightly below) the other schools
scores in the district, LHSs population is very different. The school serves 895
students with 42 percent minority, 58 percent identified as economically
disadvantaged, and 14 percent identified as students with disabilities. Though
English is a struggle for the student body, math and science are particular
trouble areas.
To increase graduation rates and attendance for the entire student body,
LHS implements multiple strategies. Three years ago, a renewable grant was
obtained to hire a graduation coach through Communities in Schools. The

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assistance offered by this coach helps to reach at-risk students and provides
materials for those students who cannot afford basic school supplies. Another
grant allows the school to give free breakfast to all students, so none will go to
class hungry before lunch. The school has also been provided funds to hire a
tutor and pay for a program, APEX, that aids students who are struggling in
subjects to get back on track. In addition, the school offers a multitude of
extracurricular activities to help students make connections to school and,
therefore, reduce the likelihood that they will drop out.