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Lincoln College Preparatory Academy is a 6-12th grade Signature School and a part of Kansas City Public Schools. Students are bussed to school from all over the district and must meet competitive academic and application criteria before being accepted. At Lincoln, students are not required to wear uniforms though they do adhere to district dress code guidelines. -
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy is currently two schools in one. Dr. Jenise Hampton is the principal of Lincoln Middle School. Her students are in grades 6-8th and are able to take advantage of after school activities and advanced courses along with their high school peers. Dr. Hampton is working to create a challenging and inclusive academic environment for her students while Lincoln Middle School is under construction. In the 2019-2020 school year, Lincoln Middle School will be its own separate building with Dr. Hampton as its head. -
Kristian Foster is principal of Lincoln High School. Her students are in grades 9-12 and are able to take International Baccalaureate(IB) courses as well as participate in study abroad experiences. Principal Foster has built a school where students work hard to do well and she and her staff provide the support needed for their success. -
When students enter the building each morning, they pass through metal detectors and are greeted by building security. A team of four uniformed security officers work at Lincoln College Preparatory at all times. There is one guard per floor and they work to ensure that all children are safe. -
When parents enter the building, they check in at the front office. Here a front office staff member helps a parent to read a student’s schedule. -
When students are tardy to school, they check in with Ms. Green, the school attendance clerk. -
Students in all grades store their belongings in lockers assigned by their study hall teachers. Students are able to go to their lockers during passing period between classes. -
Students at Lincoln have a variety of electives to choose from. Here, beginning band practices for an upcoming performance. Students at all grade levels can also join advanced band, jazz band, string orchestra, and beginning or intermediate orchestra among other musical offerings. -
In middle school orchestra, students discuss music theory with their teacher before practicing their piece. -
Weightlifting is an elective that is available to students at Lincoln. Here, students practice deadlifts as a part of a strength training circuit introduced by their teacher. -
As a part of Kansas City Public Schools, breakfast and lunch are provided free of charge to all students at Lincoln College Prep. -
Hallways at Lincoln College Preparatory are lined with trophies. The school has award-winning teams in track, football, basketball, and many other areas. In addition to their focus on academic success, students are highly encouraged to get involved in teams and clubs. -
Here, student trophies for cheer are displayed prominently. Lincoln has award winning cheer and dance teams. -
Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is another program that is strong at Lincoln College Preparatory. Though it is only available to high school students, the cadets mentor middle school students in order to give them early exposure to the program and its requirements. -
These ROTC students salute the flag and recite the pledge of allegiance before beginning their class period. -
Because the ROTC program pushes students to be responsible and respectful, much of their in class interaction is student led. -
In the art studio, students at all grade levels can choose from a variety of mediums and courses. There is even advanced art classes available for students who want to improve their practice further. In this class, students have been practicing drawing live figures. -
Students in art class also build projects like this person created from recyclable materials. -
In gym class, students are in multi-grade groups as well. In this class, middle school students are paired with classmates to play a game explained by their teacher. Gym is a required course for all students. -
On the other side of the gym, these high school students play badminton. -
In addition to artistic and physical pursuits, students are able to choose from three different foreign language options at Lincoln College Prep. Here Intro to Chinese teacher Xiaoting Lyu shows off characters that students practiced writing during her class. -
Students at Lincoln have the option of participating in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. IB is an international advanced educational program based in Switzerland with specific guidelines that schools and students must follow. In this IB Chinese class, students are working on research papers in Chinese as part of their work toward an eventual IB diploma. -
In beginning French, Mr. Oumar helps students with their verb conjugations. Middle school students take a different foreign language each quarter while high school students are able to select the one they most want to study. -
In Spanish class, students are working to practice conversation skills and improve basic writing skills. Notice some students are working on their school issued laptops. All students at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy are issued technology and have it available to use as needed in class. -
In this middle school class, students are working to complete math problems with the assistance of their teacher. Students at Lincoln are encouraged to incorporate technology into their learning. In many classes students use computers as a tool to support their work. -
In high school math, these students work together on a problem set assigned by their teacher. -
In this high school English class, students are completing a research assignment and discussing their thoughts with their small group. -
In this middle school English class, students are reading a news article online and discussing the questions that come after with their teacher. -
In this social studies class, these middle school students learn about European nations and review the day’s work with their teacher at the beginning of class. -
In high school social studies, students work together to design a project for Black History Month that addresses contemporary social issues and has an impact in their school and community. -
In science class, these high school students create a model cell process after reviewing their learning with their teacher. -
In addition to traditional science courses, middle school students are able to build and program robots like these as a part of Project Lead The Way curriculum offered at Lincoln College Prep. -
In chemistry, these students discuss new learning with their teacher. -
In this computer class, students use computers to write articles for the school paper and work on the yearbook. -
In creative writing, students discuss their portfolio project options with their teacher. -
In advisory class, these students take a brain break and play a game. All students are assigned an advisory teacher and for middle school kids, the time is used to make up missing or late work. At the high school level, students use their advisory period to meet with teachers and complete coursework. -
Here, a high school student meets with her teacher during advisory period to discuss an upcoming Spanish exam. -
High school students are also free to use one of the many collaborative spaces in the hallway to complete independent work. Here a student finishes her class work on her own outside of class. -
These high school students use a collaborative hallway space to check in with each other and catch up. -
The library at Lincoln Prep serves multiple functions. Here a student checks out a book. -
These students compete in a STEM challenge in the library. -
These students work in the library collaboratively and independently on class projects. -
The library also contains a student-run cafe where kids and adults can purchase coffee and hot chocolate each morning before school begins.
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy (9 -12)
School Leader(s)
Kristian Foster, High School Principal- NO Tuition
- No space available for 2020-2021
- Transportation provided
- Before and After-Care Available
Quick Facts
Our Mission
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy will provide a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum to a select multi-cultural, multi-ethnic student body utilizing a highly motivated and skilled staff committed to superior education by relying on parental and community support.
Points of Pride
- Celebrating 150 years in 2015!
- National Blue Ribbon School for 2014 and 2008
- #1 Ranking in State of MO for US News Best Public High Schools in 2015
School Hours
- School Hours: 7:20 am - 2:20 pm
- Before Care Hours Start: Information not shared with SMKCS
- After Care Hours End: Information not shared with SMKCS
School Details
- Year Established: 1865
- Total Enrollment: 845
- Specialized Focus: IB, College Prep
- Affiliation: KCPS-Neighborhood
- School Type: KCPS-Signature
Tuition
- Tuition: NO Tuition
Our Demographics
Receive Special Ed Services
English Language Learners
Programs and Features
Specialized Programs
- N/A
Arts Programs
- Drama + Theater
- Film
Sports Programs
- Baseball
- Basketball (Boys)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Cross Country (Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls)
- Football
- Soccer (Boys)
- Soccer (Girls)
- Swimming (Boys)
- Swimming (Girls)
- Track and Field (Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
- Wrestling (Boys)
Clubs + Activities
- Debate
- National Honor Society
- Robotics
- Spirit Squad
- Student Government
Family Engagement
- N/A
Application Process
Application Details
Although many schools have application deadlines, most continue to accept applications for available seats on an ongoing basis.
- Application Open: December 5, 2019
- Application Close: February 14, 2020
- Offer Date: March 2, 2020
- Residence: Students must live within the KCPS boundaries.
How to Apply
Submit applications online here or in person at the Board of Education building, 2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109. Applications CANNOT be submitted at the school.
Seats are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Applicants must score at or above the 60th percentile on a national standardized reading and math test to be eligible for entrance. Students must also have a record of good citizenship and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Applicants who have not taken a nationally normed test, should contact the school district to ask about signing up for a test.
Student Performance
Standardized Test Results
English
Math
Why It Matters
Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests are scored (or graded) according to four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. The number shown here is the percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced. When comparing scores between years, please remember that the test Missouri gives has changed several times.
Please note that private schools are not required to participate in these exams.
In 2019, the average English score in Missouri was 48.7%; the average Math score was 41.9%, source
Attendance Rate 90/90
Why It Matters
Schools strive for students to have at least 90% of their students have 90% attendance because kids learn best when they’re IN school.
In 2019, 87.3% of Missouri students were in attendance at least 90% of the time, source.
Student Growth
English Language Arts
Floor
Why It Matters
This data determines if individual students, compared to their peers, are making achievement gains over time in English Language Arts.
There are three categories possible: Floor (minimum), On Track (doing just fine), and Exceeding (outperforming their peers).
Mathematics
Floor
Why It Matters
This data determines if individual students, compared to their peers, are making achievement gains over time in Mathematics.
There are three categories possible: Floor (minimum), On Track (doing just fine), and Exceeding (outperforming their peers).
Student Retention Rate
Dropout Rate
Why It Matters
The dropout rate helps tell the story of the graduation rate because it takes into account students who take more than four years to graduate or who transferred to other schools.
In 2019, the average dropout rate in Missouri was 1.9%, source.
Graduation Rate
Why It Matters
The number of students who started at a school in 9th grade and graduate from that particular school four years later.
In 2019, the average graduation rate in Missouri was 89.64%, source.
ACT Scores
ACT Average Score
ACT Participation Rate
Why It Matters
The ACT is a standardized test that many students take before applying to college. This is the percentage of graduates who took the ACT and their average score. Students need a score of at least 18 in order to qualify for Missouri A+ Scholarships. Research shows that students who earn a 21 or higher have the best chance of earning grades C or higher in college.
In 2019, Missouri’s average ACT score was 20.6 and the percent of graduates who took the ACT was 76.69%, source
Parent Perspective
Elizabeth R., Parent
I have an 11th grader at Lincoln Prep and an older daughter who graduated in 2014. Both started in middle school. We chose Lincoln for its stellar academic reputation. We were not familiar with the International Baccalaureate Program (IB) when we started, but have been very impressed by the critical thinking and academic rigor it offers. My older daughter felt extremely well prepared for her freshman year of college.
We value the social and economic diversity of the student body as much as the academic program. No other school in Kansas City offers a student body with the range of backgrounds that Lincoln does. It has given my children an innate level of comfort with people who on the surface appear to be very different.
Over the past decade, Lincoln has gone through a generational transition. Many veteran teachers have retired, and new teachers have come on board. The current roster of teachers is engaged, accessible, and excited to be at Lincoln. They appreciate the caliber of the student body and the academic depth of the curriculum. We are also very pleased with the leadership offered by the current team of administrators.
Lincoln offers a range of athletic teams for boys and girls as well as academic extracurricular activities, such as debate and robotics. Other activities include JRTOC, drama, National Honor Society, Key Club, student council, film club, etc.
Lincoln High School is a historic building that feels like a school. All classrooms have been wired for digital technology and outfitted with smartboards. A new cafeteria is under construction. While there is room for improvements, my priority is the quality of the teachers rather than the appearance of the building.
Enrollment has grown over the past few years, and many classes now have 25-30 students. This is not ideal. I would like to see the old middle school reopened and the Lincoln campus reestablished. School Advisory Committee (SAC) is primary vehicle for parent involvement. SAC holds monthly meetings on a variety of topics of interest to parents and engages parents to support school activities.