Lincoln Heights Elementary principal highlights improved progress and presses community to boost attendance

Principal Don Bailey presented Lincoln Heights Elementary School’s state report-card trends to the Village of Lincoln Heights council on Oct. 28, detailing gains in progress and gap-closure while acknowledging continuing challenges with achievement and chronic absenteeism.

Bailey said the school’s overall rating rose to a preliminary 3.5 out of 5 after data review, with achievement holding at two stars while progress rose to four and gap closure to four. She told the council, "We achieved 5 out of 5 stars in progress and gap closure" in an earlier year and described the more recent adjustments that left the school with 3.5 stars overall.

Bailey emphasized early literacy (grades K–3) and reported that the school met the state attendance indicator in the most recent reporting period. She nevertheless said about "33 percent of my babies missed more than 17 days of school" last year and described chronic absenteeism as an adult and community problem rather than a children’s issue. Bailey explained the state’s chronic-absence threshold as roughly 16.3% (students missing more than 10% of school). She said the school used incentives and an attendance team — "We do popcorn parties" — and described targeted efforts such as a reading improvement monitoring plan (RIMP) for the youngest students.

Bailey asked the council and residents for continued help: volunteering in classrooms, participating in school activities and encouraging families to get children to school. She acknowledged support from "Miss Barnes" (building substitute) and "Miss Ladora Hill," identified in the presentation as the district’s director of teaching and learning.

What happens next: Bailey said the school will continue pushing for higher early-literacy performance and increased attendance; she asked the community to help identify students who need support and to encourage regular school attendance.