LPSPedia

Terms, phrases and acronyms used at LPS

LPS 'Pedia

  1. 0-9
  2. A-D
  3. E-H
  4. I-L
  5. M-P
  6. Q-T
  7. U-X
  8. Y-Z

Accreditation

A type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the agency.

Accreditation Progress Report (APR)

This report, submitted two years following a Quality Assurance Review team visit, details the actions and progress the school has made on the team’s recommendation. The progress report is intended to serve as a tool for schools to stay focused on the recommendations of the team and to use the team report as a guide to enhancing their school’s improvement efforts. The report also is used as a monitoring tool by the NCA CASI/SACS CASI State Office to provide assistance to the school and to ensure that the school is addressing any deficiencies in the standards.

ACT

Formerly known as the American College Testing Program, the ACT offers a college level English, mathematics, reading, and science assessment.

Action Research

A research technique that can be employed by teachers to improve upon the education environment in the classroom. Usually informal, action research can take the form of teachers analyzing behavior and various classroom situations to better understand their classroom environment.

ADA – Adams Elementary

Adams Elementary, a K-5 elementary school in South Lincoln, was named after Lt. Colonel Paul Adams and opened August of 2008.

Born in Greenville, S.C., Adams began a distinguished military career in the Air Force and became a fighter pilot for the Tuskegee airmen in World War II. Col. Adams’ career saw nine major campaigns and he received the Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters.

When he retired from the Air Force, Adams began his teaching career at Lincoln High. He was one of three black teachers in Lincoln Public Schools when he started teaching in 1964. He taught industrial arts at Lincoln High until 1982, when he retired from school but not from teaching and serving his community.

 

ADA can also refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law that protects people with disabilities in many areas of public life.

https://www.ada.gov

 

ADA can also refer to Adams Elementary School.

ADD, ADHD, AD/HD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition resulting in symptoms of inability to maintain attention, impulsive behaviors and/or motor restlessness.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, 1994, (DSM-IV) the diagnostic label is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) However, in popular conversation and on the ADDA website the terms – ADD, ADHD, AD/HD – are used interchangeably.

AED – Automated External Defibrillator

At the entrance to many LPS facilities you will see a sign noting that there is an AED on site. An AED is an automated external defibrillator. This device is located in a public area, and is for use in a cardiac emergency.

AFP – Arts & Humanities Focus Program

The LPS Arts & Humanities Focus Program (APF or “Arts”) was created in 1998. In the 1990’s Lincoln Public Schools developed Focus Programs to provide students with similar interests the option to learn in a small community of learners. The programs are an extension of student learning in their LPS home high school of choice. There is no additional fee or tuition charged for program participation.

In addition to traditional courses, students at AFP participate in a Humanities course that fosters a collaborative, project-based approach including guest speakers, field trips, and community partnerships with the Lied Center, Ross Theater, and Sheldon Art Gallery.

The program is located in the Bottler’s Building conveniently across the street from Lincoln High School.

ALEKS

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) is a web-based assessment and learning system used primarily in LPS to support the secondary (6-12) math curriculum.

ALEKS uses adaptive questioning (and re-questioning) to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn’t know in a course, instructing a student on the topics they are most ready to learn.

Allowed App

Instructional Technology Tool (apps & extensions & themes) that are ALLOWED to be installed, but are NOT automatically installed.

Alternative assessment

An alternative assessment is an assessment in which students originate a response to a task or question. Such responses could include demonstrations, exhibits, portfolios, oral presentations, or essays. This varies from a traditional assessment which is often a performance on a written exam.

AP – Advanced Placement

The AP (Advanced Placement) program offers college level courses within high schools across the country. Generally these courses are much more rigorous than the general course offerings, and colleges & universities often exempt students from introductory coursework if they demonstrate mastery through an official AP test.

Official AP course testing is handled by College Board, the same non-profit organization that runs the SAT exam.

LPS offers students a number of AP courses.

Apex Learning

Apex Learning provides comprehensive, standards-based online courses used in certain situations by LPS secondary students. The instructional content uses multimedia to motivates and engage students, provides multiple representations of concepts, is paced to meet individual needs, and addresses different learning styles.

LPS uses this on-line learning tool to provide a variety of courses at the high school level.  Specifically, it meets the needs of students looking for credit recovery, students with scheduling difficulties and in some cases our gifted student population.

App

Short for application.  Apps are small, single-use programs that typically run on mobile devices.

AQuESTT – Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow

Nebraska’s accountability system through the Department of Education.

https://aquestt.com

ARN – Arnold Elementary

Arnold Elementary School was built in 1959 as the base housing school at Lincoln Air Force Base. Although the school was financed with federal funds, it was a civilian school and a part of the city school system from the beginning. When the Air Force Base closed in 1968, Arnold’s population departed. Plans were made to close the school or find other uses for it. At this time, part of Arnold was leased to E.S.U. No.6 for a special education program; however, within a year the school was in full operation again as a Lincoln public elementary school after Lincoln Housing Authority acquired the base housing.

For a time from 1971 Arnold was operated as two schools: Arnold Elementary and Arnold Trainable School; however, the two were merged in 1973.

In August 2009 Arnold moves into a new joint use facility down the street that is shared with a public library and a recreation center.

The school was named for General RH. (Hap) Arnold (1886- 1950), a career soldier with wide interests and diverse talents. After World War I Major Arnold supplemented his income as an army officer by writing a series of boy’s adventure books that dealt with flying. As he moved up in rank, he devoted himself to reorganizing the Army Air Corps and was so successful in this endeavor, that he became Air Commander-In-Chief during World War II.

ARRA – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

For more information on how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is impacting Lincoln Public Schools, check out the web page explaining it.

AS400

General name for the database platform that was used to hold student information, financial and business data for LPS at different points from the 1980s until it was largely phased out around 2020.

ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorders

AUT – Autism

Autism is a complex, developmental disability that is usually evident within the first three years of life. It is generally recognized by disturbances in communication, social interaction and perceptual organization, or patterns of behavior. Autism is referred to as a “spectrum disorder,” meaning that individuals diagnosed may have a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.

 

Assessment

Assessment – The process of gathering information (both quantitative and qualitative). In education, assessment covers a range of processes used to determine or estimate what students know and can do and how much they have learned. Assessment can include tests, student learning demonstrations, teacher observations, professional judgment, and other indicators such as graduation rates and surveys.

Formative Assessment (Assessment FOR Learning) – All activities undertaken by teachers and their students that provide information to be used as feedback:

· to adjust instruction to support additional learning,

· to guide and support student learning, and

· to support the closing of gaps in learning.

Summative Assessment (Assessment OF Learning) – Assessments used to determine how much students have learned at a particular point in time in order to report achievement status.

[NOTE: Notice that the terms “formative” and “summative” refer to how data is USED (whether data is used for adjusting learning/teaching or for evaluating learning). Since assessments are tools designed for a specific purpose, formative or summative goals should be understood and accounted for in assessment designs.]

Common Formative Assessment: An assessment or set of assessment items created collaboratively by a team of teachers responsible for the same grade level or course. Assessment data is used to identify: students who need additional support, effective teaching strategies, specific areas in which students are having difficulty, and improvement goals for the teachers and the team. (adapted from Learning By Doing, Dafour et. al. 2006)

In the book entitled, On Common Ground, Rick Stiggins has this to say about common assessments.

“In addition, as a result of this teamwork-based learning experience, teachers can continue to collaborate in the development and use of both assessment OF and FOR learning. To the extent that we team to (1) analyze, understand, and deconstruct standards, (2) transform them into high-quality classroom assessments, and (3) share and interpret results together, we benefit from the union of our wisdom about how to help our students continue to grow as learners. Just be cautious and understand that common assessment OF learning may not constitute assessments FOR learning if they do not satisfy the conditions of student involvement spelled out here. And we must always remain open to the possibility that assessments FOR learning may be unique to a single classroom or even to a single student – and are therefore not always “common.” But to the extent that teachers can work together to meet the challenges of classroom assessment, we bring the power of the professional community into play to benefit students.”

Assessment bias – qualities of an assessment instrument that offend or unfairly penalize a group of examinees because of examinees’ gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, or other such group-defining characteristics.

Offensiveness – Offensiveness generally occurs when negative stereotypes of certain subgroup members are presented in an assessment. Other types of offensiveness include slurs, blatant or implied, based on stereotypic negatives about how members of particular groups behave. Finally, offensiveness can occur when the language used in an assessment isn’t inclusive (such as using the term men instead of people).

Unfair penalization – Occurs when a student’s test performance is distorted because of content that, although not offensive, disadvantages the student because of the student’s group membership.

Differential (disparate) impact – When members of a particular subgroup perform less well than other students taking the same assessment. Subgroups may be defined in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, or any other variable that represents identifiable differences. The presence of disparate impact does not necessary imply that assessment bias is present; however, the presence of disparate impact does suggest that further scrutiny of the test or test items may be warranted.

Essential Outcome – A ‘big idea’ we want students to carry forward when they have let go of some of the details of their learning. This may be thought of as a ‘linchpin”–something that is essential for students to understand and hold onto in order to connect their learning.

Evaluation – Using data to form conclusions and make judgments. Teachers evaluate when they use data gathered from assessments to grade students. Evaluators use data from multiple assessments to make conclusions about strengths and weaknesses of educational programs.

Portfolio – A way of collecting information for one or more of the following uses: (1) to showcase student work, (2) to describe student performance, or (3) to evaluate student performance. The term portfolio can refer to both the process associated with collecting information and the product itself, the collection. Stop this definition here (space issues) The key characteristics of effective portfolio systems are: (1) authenticity of instructional activities and assessments, (2) on-going assessment that is aligned with curriculum and instruction, (3) inclusion of assessments that focus on process as well as product, (4) use of assessment results to document growth, (5) collaboration between student and teacher, (6) student self-reflection and evaluation, and (7) supports communication.

Reliability – When we assess students we want to generate scores that are consistent. In educational assessment there are actually four types of consistency: (1) stability over different assessment occasions, (2) consistency of results among two or more different forms of an assessment, (3) consistency in the way an assessment’s items function, and (4) consistency between scores assigned by two different raters.

Standards: Themes of specific learning objectives that are related to specific content or processes.

Performance indicator – A comprehensive description of the overt behaviors (observable performances) that indicate the presence of specific knowledge and/or skills. A performance indicator is generally a collection of critical factors that allows us to assess what students have attained.

Performance Level Descriptors – Similar in nature to performance indicators, the State DOE uses this term in the assessment portfolio process to talk about student performance at various levels of proficiency.
Examples: Elementary report card rubrics and rubrics used with some of the CRT performances. Secondary GDE rubrics for math and writing. Secondary rubrics for Language Arts CRTs.

Performance Standard – The specific performance/product/achievement that sets the criteria for performance on the task in question. Specifies what a student must do and to what degree of mastery.

Critical Attributes/Critical Factors – The key traits or features that characterize performance at a given level. The key traits should be observable features of the skill and knowledge students are expected to possess.

Standardized tests – Tests that are administered and scored under conditions uniform to all students (test-takers). Standardization is a generic concept that can apply to any testing method – from multiple-choice to written essays to performance assessments. Standardization makes scores comparable and assures, to the extent possible, that test-takers have equal chances to demonstrate what they know.

Criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) – Standardized tests that compare a student’s performance to clearly identified learning tasks or skill levels. The basis for comparison is to a body of content knowledge and skills.

Norm-referenced tests (NRTs)– Standardized tests that compare a student’s performance to that of other test-takers. Norms are obtained by administering the test (under the same conditions) to a given sample (drawn from the population of interest, called the norm group) and then calculating standard scores.

Tasks/Items – Individual questions (or tasks) on an assessment. These terms are generally used interchangeably. Traditionally, the term ‘items’ is used in conduction with paper-and-pencil assessment, whereas the term ‘tasks’ is associated with performance assessment.

Validity – Validity refers to the degree to which our score-based inferences about students are defensible. Another way to think about validity is to pose the question, “Am I measuring what I think I am measuring?” When we assess students, we take these students’ responses to a set of tasks or items and generate some type of score that summarizes the students’ performances.

AT – Assistive Technology

A product, device, or equipment that is used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of a child who has a disability.

At risk

“At-risk” is a term applied to students who are at risk of educational failure due to lack of services, negative life events, or physical or mental challenges, among other factors.

Often these students are identified by teachers and steps are taken to determine the best ways to assist students through existing social services or educational systems in place in LPS schools.

Athletic Programs (Interscholastic)

The interscholastic athletic program of Lincoln Public Schools is considered an integral part of the total educational program. Pupils participate of their own accord and with parents’ knowledge and consent.

There are age limitation & academic requirements for Interscholastic activity participation

An annual physical examination is required each year after May 1 by the Board of Education and the Nebraska School Activities Association. Each student who participates in any phase of the interscholastic athletic program must have an annual physical examination after May 1 of each year.

A list of conduct which would result in suspension from practices, participation in interscholastic competition or in co-curricular activities is available in all secondary schools or in the LPS Athletic Director’s Office, 436-1811.

AUT – Autism

Autism is a spectrum neurodisability condition that can include impairments in social interactions, communication skills, and rigid/repetitive behaviors.

ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorders

 

Authentic assessments

“Authentic assessments”  present students with tasks that reflect the kind of mastery demonstrated by adults (experts) outside of the classroom. It is a broad concept, but often takes the form of a project that requires students to think about how to best use the skills previously learned in traditional classroom experiences.

Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program

The LPS Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program is located within North Star High School. It began in 2019.

Courses offered in this program explore the many careers necessary to advance a safe, secure, and high-tech aviation industry. Students interact with experts from the aviation industry. A hanger-style shop offers realistic experiences with tools, trades, and equipment.

 

Welcome To the Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program

AVID

AVID – an acronym for Advancement Via Individual Determination

In the AVID Elective –
Students learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, get academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make them college-ready.

  • Student Agency
    • Student Empowerment
    • Leadership of Others
  • Rigorous Academic Preparedness
    • Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading
  • Opportunity Knowledge
    • Advancing College Preparedness
    • Building Career Knowledge

AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress

AYP (adequate yearly progress) is part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  LPS reports assessment results for grades 3-8 and 12 to the NDE to meet this federal requirement. If schools or the district don’t meet the criteria NDE sets for AYP, negative consequences occur. These criteria include both 95% participation of students in certain groups and percent of students who are proficient.  AYP reporting includes only English language arts and math.

Bancroft building

LOCATION 1: 9th & T STREET  (1881·1915)
LOCATION 2: 1420 U STREET (1916-1964)

This K-8 school was named for the street on which it was located until 1890 when the Lincoln Board of Education gave it the name of Bancroft in honor of the American historian and diplomat George Bancroft (1800-1891). Mr. Bancroft had no Lincoln ties; however, he wrote a widely acclaimed ten-volume history of the United States in which the nation’s progress was viewed as evidence of a divine plan for freedom and equality.

In 1845, while serving as Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Bancroft founded the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Later on, he represented the United States as envoy to Great Britain and to Germany.

In 1916, when the new building was built, Bancroft became a combination junior high and elementary school until 1923 when the junior high classes were transferred to the 26th & 0 Junior High. Bancroft continued as a K-6 school. Because of its location on the university campus, Bancroft also served as a laboratory school. Most of the staff had dual appointments as both university professors and LPS teachers. In 1940 the building was sold to the university but continued as a Lincoln Public School until 1964. The building then became Bancroft Hall, a regular university building.

Bancroft Hall was demolished in 2000 due to its proximity to the newly constructed Kaufman Center.

More history and photos of the building can be found on the UNL website.

Baseline Data

Information about the current level of performance of the student population that can be used to confirm the need to develop new instruction or to assess differences between student performance before (at baseline) and after instruction.

BAY – Bay High Focus Program

Bay High Focus Program opened in 2022 as a partnership between LPS and The Bay, a program of the nonprofit Rabble Mill, known for its unique approach to serving underserved youth.

Bay High provides creative, entrepreneurial-minded 11th and 12th grade students with the tools, access and stewardship to be successful creators of tomorrow.

 

Welcome To the Bay High Focus Program

 

https://www.thebay.org/BayHigh

 

 

BCBS – Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska is the health and dental insurance provider for LPS employees.

BEA – Beattie Elementary

Beattie was built in 1953 and significantly renovated in 2007. It was named for Merle M. Beattie (1885-1979) who joined the Lincoln Public Schools District in 1906 and served 45 years as either teacher or administrator. In 1923 she was appointed Director of Elementary Education, a position she held until her retirement in 1951. In January 1953 Miss Beattie was selected by the Lincoln Board of Education to replace a member who had resigned to take a position in the Eisenhower administration. She served on the board only five months until the 1953 election.

BEL – Belmont Elementary

  • LOCATION 1: 12th & BELMONT STREET (1889-1922)
  • LOCATION 2: 14th & ..JUDSON STREET (1922-Present)
  • Web site
  • Panoramic Image

The original Belmont Community School was built in 1889. Belmont School has been through periods of overcrowding and several buildings or additions since then, with the current building having been expanded in 1993.

Benchmarks

Benchmarks are statements that provide a description of student knowledge expected at a specific grade, age, or developmental level.

Best Practice

Actions, processes, or interventions that are based in research or supported by results and are most likely to achieve the desired goal or performance level.

Bethany School

  • LOCATION: 1526 N. Cotner
    • 1st building: 1889-1914
    • 2nd building: 1915·1981

Bethany was a K-12 school from its inception. After the town of Bethany Heights was annexed by Lincoln in 1926, Bethany School continued in the K-12 configuration until 1941 when the high school portion was discontinued due to the opening of Northeast High School.

The grade school continued until 1981 when it was closed due to a declining school population.

The school was named for its location in the town of Bethany Heights.

BIP – Behavior Intervention Plan

A behavior plan written by a team of educators + family to address specific behaviors that are needing modification or supports.

Birth Certificate Requirement

State legislation (43-2007, sections 2-5) requires that a certified copy of a student’s birth certificate must be used when enrolling a new student in school. If your child is registering with Lincoln Public Schools for the first time, you may obtain this document from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state in which your child was born. Assistance in obtaining birth certificates may be obtained from Vital Records, 1033 O Street, Suite 130, Lincoln, NE 68508. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, 471-2871. There is a fee per certificate.

Please note: The document parents receive from the hospital looks like a birth certificate, but it is not a certified copy. A certified copy has the raised seal of the State of Nebraska on it and is signed by the director of vital statistics.

BIST

B.I.S.T. (Behavior Intervention Support Team) is a school-wide behavior management plan that increases student learning time, stops disruptive/hurtful behavior, and teaches skills that will lead to life success.

The three basic rules of B.I.S.T. are:

  1. It is never okay to be disruptive!
  2. It is never okay to be hurtful!
  3. It is never okay to be disrespectful!

B.I.S.T. helps students work on the these life goals:

  • I can take good care of myself even if I am mad.
  • I can be productive and follow directions even if I don’t want to.
  • I can be okay when others are not okay.

B.I.S.T. Vocabulary

 

BLATS or BL@TS = Blueprint for Assessing Technology Skills

BLATS is an instrument LPS teachers can use to self reflect on their digital literacy and in return be given a custom blueprint for future instructional technology development.

Aggregated (anonymous) results may inform staff development offerings made in buildings and at at the district level.

BOE – Board of Education

The Lincoln Board of Education is committed to providing the highest quality education for all students in Lincoln Public Schools. The Board sees the primary mission of the schools to be the development of responsible adults:

  • who are productive citizens of a pluralistic community, nation and world;
  • who are prepared to learn throughout their lives; and
  • who are appreciative of the arts, history and culture.

As the elected governing body of the School District, the Board believes in sharing its decision-making processes with parents, students, other citizens and staff members. Board Members are elected by district to four year terms and serve without pay.

Please visit the Board of Education’s webpage for information about meeting times, agendas, and broadcast information.

BOT – Bottler’s Building

LPS purchased the “Bottler’s Building” located at 711 South 25th Street in 2022. The building was constructed in 1920 and served as a Coca-Cola bottling plant for many years.

The Arts and Humanities Focus Program and a number of LPS itinerant occupational and physical therapists and special-education teachers work out of the building. LPS also uses it for storage.

A number of businesses lease space from LPS in the Bottler’s Building.

BRO – Brownell Elementary

The school was built in 1958 and named for Herbert Brownell Sr., a professor of education at the University of Nebraska. Mr. Brownell was the author of many textbooks of physics, chemistry and science. His sons, Herbert Jr., was Attorney General in the Eisenhower administration and Samuel, became U.S. Commissioner of Education.

Browser

A program that allows you to access information on the Internet. The standard browsers in use at LPS are Firefox, Chrome and Safari on Mac OS and Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer on Windows.

BRY – Bryan Community Focus Program

CURRENTLY

Bryan Community provides an alternative education to youth 16-21 years of age by emphasizing community, personal character and critical thinking skills. Students attending Bryan meet the same local and state learning standards as other teens in the Lincoln Public Schools. Students at Bryan benefit from personalized instruction and smaller classroom settings. Our staff strive to build strong connections to each student to understand them and support their growth.

The Bryan Community focuses on creating a positive learning environment where each student is valued and learns new ways to be successful.

HISTORICALLY

Bryan was an elementary school from 1956 until 1971 when it was closed due to a decreased student population.  For nine years Bryan was used as a storage site in the school district. In 1980, it was reopened when Lincoln Learning Center was moved into the building at 1801 S 40th Street and became the district’s alternative high school under the names of “Bryan Extension Center” and “Bryan Community School.”

In July of 2011, Bryan moved to the newly remodeled Hawthorne Facility, formerly Hawthorne Elementary School. As part of the move, Bryan was renamed the “Bryan Community Focus Program at Hawthorne” to more clearly define the purpose of our program and retain the important connection with the Hawthorne community. We are proud of our newly remodeled facility and the partnership we have created with the Witherbee Neighborhood Association.

Bryan Community School was named for Nebraska political figure William Jennings Bryan. He was a Congressman from Nebraska, three-time presidential candidate (1896, 1900, and 1908), and later Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. After leaving the Wilson Administration, Bryan devoted himself to advocacy of social reforms such as women’s suffrage and prohibition.

Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program

Opened in 2022, the Bryan College of Health Sciences Focus Program is located at Northwest High School. It is a partnership between Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) and the Bryan College of Health Sciences (BCHS.)

All 9th and 10th graders who attend Lincoln Northwest experience medical science concepts within existing LPS courses (e.g. math, science, and health.)

10th and 11th-grade students at Lincoln Northwest may choose to apply to be part of the Health Sciences Focus Program where they will earn up to 20 early college credits from Bryan College of Health Sciences through hands-on opportunities in medical fields.

Several classes are offered online and face to face through BCHS. Face to face courses include Certified Nurse Aid (CNA), Phlebotomy and Anatomy and Physiology. Labs and classrooms for the focus program are located inside the high school. Focus program students will also be matched with BCHS students as part of a mentoring program, and there will be shadowing opportunities available.

The focus program is designed to be affordable and accessible to LPS students and their families. Non-credit experiences will be available to students free-of-charge. Students who opt to take classes for college credit can do so at a reduced tuition rate. The Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools will also raise funds to help with scholarships for the program.

Welcome To the Health Sciences Focus Program

Bryant School (Q Street School)

  • LOCATION: 18th & Q
  • OPERATION: 1886-1929

During the first four years of its life, Bryant was called “Q Street School,” however, in 1890 the Lincoln Board of Education named it for the American poet William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878).

The building was used for storage after the school was closed in 1929 and was torn down in 1965. Now the Lincoln fire department headquarters are located on the former Bryant site.

Buddy Room

B.I.S.T. is a school-wide behavior management plan that increases student learning time, stops disruptive/hurtful behavior, and teaches skills that will lead to life success.

Buddy Room is a safe seat in another classroom used when a student needs an alternative safe seat for a variety of reasons.

 

Budget

The Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs is responsible for assembling the annual
budget document.  The budget document is prepared as directed by the Nebraska Department of Education (and the auditor of public accounts) and is submitted to the proper authorities in accordance with Nebraska statute.

The LPS Board of Education authorizes a proposed budget statement for purpose of publication.  Summaries of the proposed budget are available to the public, containing recommended expenditures and anticipated receipts and a summary of significant changes from the previous budget.

The public is given an opportunity to comment on the proposed budget.

After public hearings, the proposed annual budget document is adopted, or amended and adopted.

The Lincoln Public School’s annual budget, as approved, becomes the spending plan for the Lincoln Public Schools.

C Street School

  • LOCATION: 11th & C Streets
  • OPERATION: 1887·1890

Built in 1887, C Street School was renamed Everett in 1890. It was built on one of the six blocks designated as sites for public schools in the Original Plat of Lincoln of 1867.

CAF – Computer Access Form

Every person in your building that needs AS400 access and/or access to the school’s network shares on the S drive must have a Computer Access Form on file.

CAL – Calvert Elementary

Originally built in 1939, in order to avoid confusion with the Adventist elementary school called “College View Academy,” the name of Lincoln Public Schools’ “College View Elementary School” was changed to “Calvert” in 1958. (At almost the same time the College View Academy changed its name to Helen Hyatt Elementary School.)

Calvert School reflects the name of a nearby street, which in tum was apparently named for T. E. Calvert, a Lincoln resident in the 1880s who was General Superintendent and Chief Engineer of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad.

One of the more notable alumni of Calvert Elementary is Richard “Dick” Cheney, who served as a 5-time U.S. Congressman from Wyoming, House Minority Whip, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the 46th Vice President of the United States.

CAM – Campbell Elementary

Campbell Elementary was built in 1995 and named for Anne Campbell (1918- 1997). Dr. Campbell had an outstanding career in Nebraska education, which included service as Madison County Superintendent of Schools, federal programs director at Lincoln Public Schools, and administrative assistant for governmental affairs. She went on to become the director of public affairs at the University of Nebraska and finally the state’s education commissioner. She gained national recognition in 1981 as a member of the National Commission on Excellence in Education which produced the famous report on education entitled, ‘A Nation at Risk‘.

Capitol School

Capitol School was named for its location near the state capitol. It was torn down in 1963 and replaced with McPhee Elementary which was built on the same site.

Caring Confrontation

B.I.S.T. is a school-wide behavior management plan that increases student learning time, stops disruptive/hurtful behavior, and teaches skills that will lead to life success.

A caring confrontation is how an adult provides the one redirection with consistent language as well as non-punitive actions and intent.

CAV – Cavett Elementary

Built in 1995 on the south side of Lincoln, Cavett Elementary was named after both Dorcas Cavett and his wife Alva. Beginning in the 1940’s, Dorcas taught in LPS elementary schools and at UNL, as well as teaching mathematics on ETV. Alva taught at Lincoln High and managed business affairs for Lincoln High’s athletics. After his retirement he did the same at Seacrest Field for 20 years. Through their commitment to education and particularly young people, Dorcas and Alva Cavett contributed much to the lives of Lincoln’s children and together made a lasting and positive impact on this community.

CCC – Community Curriculum Council

Community Curriculum Council members provide input to District staff on what is important in the education of Lincoln’s children.

Central School

  • LOCATION: 15th & M Streets
  • OPERATION:
    • 1st building: 1872-1902
    • 2nd building: 1902-1915

Central School was an elementary program that shared the building with Lincoln High School. Central was named for its location. It was part of a cluster of education buildings that included the High School, McKinley School and the Lincoln Public Schools Administration Offices. Pershing Auditorium is now located on the site.

Channel 21

Educational programming produced or sponsored by Lincoln Public Schools is aired on cable channel 21. A variety of programs, topics and activities are featured.

For More Information Conact Operations Manager Bill Luxford at 441-6688 or WLUXFORD@LINCILN.NE.GOV

Cherry Street School (“Old Prescott”)

  • LOCATION: 20th & Cherry (now Sumner) streets
  • OPERATION: 1889·1922

Built in 1889, Cherry Street School was named for its location. It was also called “Old Prescott.” After the construction of the new Prescott building in 1921 the old building was used for a year.

Chromebooks

A Chromebook is a laptop device running Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are primarily used to perform a variety of tasks using the Google Chrome browser, with most applications and data residing in the cloud rather than on the machine itself.

As part of the LPS CLASS (technology) Plan, each student in LPS grades K-5 has access to their own Chromebook, which is used during the day at the discretion of the teacher and stays in the building. LPS students in grades 6-12 are assigned a Chromebook which they use during the school day and take home each night.

A Dell Chromebook 11 (2015) as assigned to LPS students.

 

Chrometop

A “Chrometop” is an older computer that originally ran Windows OS, but has been altered to run Chrome OS (in the same way that a Chromebook does) repurposed and used in LPS classrooms to act as a resource for substitute teachers or other needs that arise.

CICO (Check In Check Out)

CICO (Check In Check Out) is an intervention strategy used by teachers to increase specific feedback given to students throughout the day.

The PBIS-MTSS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports A Multi-Tiered System of Support Model) in LPS suggests that teachers engage in generic CICO with all students throughout the day (Tier-1). However, some students are identified for a Tier-2 support that utilizes high frequency, scheduled positive contact between the adult and student. This often takes the form of AM and PM check in and check out with hourly feedback using a daily progress report.

Learn More

 

CITW or CITW2 (Classroom Instruction that Works, 2nd Ed.)

A framework comprised of 9 research based strategies designed to improve the classroom environment, academic instruction, and application.

First published in 2001, ‘Classroom Instruction That Works’ (CITW) revolutionized teaching by linking classroom strategies to evidence of increased student learning. Now this landmark guide has been reenergized and reorganized for today’s classroom with new evidence-based insights and a refined framework that strengthens instructional planning. CITW helps teachers take classroom practice to a higher level of effectiveness.

Teachers can contact their building librarian for more information on accessing this eBook from ASCD through our professional resources.

 

CLASS Plan

CLASS is an acronym for Connected Learning for the Achievement of Students and Staff. It is a comprehensive, sustainable, multi-year plan to address digital-age learning in LPS.

Components of the CLASS Plan

  • Device Assisted Learning and Instruction (DALI) – computing devices for students and staff
  • Connected Classrooms – updated/upgraded infrastructure and classroom technology
  • Systems for Learning – enterprise systems for curriculum and instruction management
  • Support for Learning – technical and instructional support and professional development

More information can be found on the LPS CLASS website.

CLC – 21st Century Community Learning Centers

Many Lincoln communities feature Community Learning Centers (CLCs). The CLCs provide safe, drug-free, supervised and cost-effective after school, weekend, or summer havens for children, youth and their families within the communities served by the local CLCs.

CLCs are funded by federal grants. The central administrative office for the program is housed at Family Services. The administrators for the program are LeaAnn Johnson (436-1964) and Cathie Petsch (436-1965).

CLF – Don Clifton Facility

LOCATION: 710 Hill Street, Lincoln, NE 68502

OPERATION: October 2, 2017 – Present

WEB: https://home.lps.org/prolearn/the-don-clifton-professional-learning-center/

The Don Clifton facility is a 38,000 square-foot building that is split to serve two significant purposes for Lincoln Public Schools.

  1. The Don Clifton Professional Learning Center is used for a variety of LPS events including professional learning opportunities, workshops and meetings. The center has 3-5 rooms depending upon the configuration, and features state of the art presentation and audio systems. This facility is only for Lincoln Public Schools meetings.
  2. The Nutrition Services Distribution Center houses commercial grade freezers, coolers and dry storage space for the food that comprises tens of thousands of breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners served in LPS buildings each day.

The facility was named for Don Clifton, a native of Butte, Nebraska, and a psychologist best known for his development of the Clifton StrengthsFinder, Gallup’s online psychological assessment. Clifton was a psychology professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1950 until 1969. He later served as chairman of The Gallup Organization, after his company, Selection Research Inc., acquired Gallup in 1988. Clifton also was a World War II veteran who was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 79.

 

CLI – Clinton Elementary

    The Clinton neighborhood likely took its’ name after Clinton Elementary school, which was originally built in 1891. The current building was built in 1926. The school was named after DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), who served as both governor and senator in New York. In 1812 he made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. presidency.

    Information obtained from http://www.nwlincoln.org.

    Clickers (Classroom Performance Systems – CPS)

    “Clickers” is the commonly used name for a Classroom Performance System (CPS) or Student Response Systems (SRS). LPS supports the use of the Turning Technologies clickers.

    When using a clicker system, teachers are able to ask questions of the classroom, and students answer by pushing the appropriate button on their clicker.  The scores are recorded instantly by a computer and offer a teacher instant feedback on understanding by students. Systems of this sort engage students while providing valuable ongoing assessment of their learning to teachers, who can adjust instruction as needed.

    Here is an image of clickers in use at McPhee Elementary.

    Clickers in use at McPhee Elementary

    CMT – Concussion Management Team

    Following passage of the Nebraska Concussion Awareness Act-Amendment in 2014, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) established Concussion Management Teams (CMTs) in all high schools during the 2013-2014 school year. A CMT is comprised of the school nurse, speech language pathologist, athletic trainer, counselor/social worker and others appointed by building Administrators.

     

    Concussion Management Team

    Code Red

    A CODE RED is declared when, in the opinion of the Administrator-In-Charge, a situation exists
    that threatens the safety of students and staff and requires that they remain in their classrooms.

    Please contact the Director of Security for Lincoln Public Schools, William F. Kuehn, at 436-1641 or wkuehn@lps.org if you have security issues or questions.

    College View Schools

    • LOCATION: 3725 S. 46th Street
    • IN OPERATION:
      • Elementary 1929·1958
      • High School 1929·1955

    When the city of College View was annexed by Lincoln in 1929, Lincoln Public Schools acquired several school buildings. In 1955 the high school was replaced by Lincoln Southeast High School but the elementary unit continued under the College View name until 1958 when its name was changed to Calvert.

    College View South Ward

    • LOCATION: 5133 Pioneers Blvd.
    • IN OPERATION: 1929-1938
    • BUILT: 1892

    Part of the annexed package in 1929, this College View elementary school was discontinued in 1938.

    Community News (Free Times)

    Community News (Free Times) is a publication distributed each month to Lincoln Public Schools elementary and middle school students and to the entire community three times a year. It is a monthly guide for students and parents to meaningful activities available through non-profit community agencies in Lincoln. Community News is a self-supported publication. For more information about Community News, contact Communication Services at 436‑1610.

    CONESU – Cooperative Organization of Nebraska Educational Service Units)

    CONESU is the Cooperative Organization of Nebraska Educational Service Units, which among other things acts as a collective purchasing group for media services.

    Connected Classrooms

    One of the four components of the LPS CLASS Plan is the “Connected Classroom,” a systemic updating of infrastructure and classroom technology across LPS. Connected Classrooms are spaces where learners can see, hear, and interact with curricular and instructional resources. LPS supports digital delivery of instruction through the deployment of equipment that transforms traditional classrooms into Connected Classrooms where students and educators can see, interact with, hear and capture effective instruction.

    Included in all LPS learning spaces are:

    • Infrastructure: Core Network Switches in each building and Wireless Access Points in each classroom. A reliable wired and wireless infrastructure is foundational to a Connected Classroom.
    • See: Wall-mounted, short-throw projectors or large format monitors
    • Hear: Integrated audio systems

    In some buildings, the following tools are used to further building improvement goals:

    • Interact: Classroom tablet (iPad) and stand
    • See: Wireless projection capability
    • Capture: Integrated classroom distance learning and safety camera

    Constraint

    Used when working with queries in the Data Warehouse to narrow the focus of the query to a specific sub-group.

      CONSTRAINT

      CONSTRAINT

      CORE (Connecting, Organizing, and Resourcing our Employees)

      CORE is Lincoln Public Schools’  Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system powered by Infor. CORE connects and organizes our essential functions across the district like human resources, payroll, receivables and accounting, so that everyone is working with the same data and processes. CORE brings a modern interface and improved efficiencies to support our district.

      For more information and links to resources, visit the LPS CORE web page:

      CORE – Connecting, Organizing, and Resourcing our Employees

      COVID-19 Pandemic Timeline in LPS

      March 16-22, 2020

      All LPS classes and activities were canceled March 16-22, 2020 (the week after the regularly scheduled spring break) out of an abundance of caution in the interest of public health and safety.

      During this time LPS leadership worked with city, county, and state officials to determine the best course of action for the remainder of the school year.

      District departments worked to prepare for students to learn remotely in the event of an extended school closure.

      March – May 2020 (4th Quarter 2020)

      Working with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department, Nebraska Department of Education and the City of Lincoln, Lincoln Public Schools closed all school buildings (in two week increments) from March-May 2020.

      ​​Education continued from home as teachers pivoted to using the video conferencing tool ‘Zoom’ to connect to students who were on Chromebooks.

      Students in grades 6-12 who were already used to taking their district-assigned Chromebooks home with them each night were able to use them to connect with teachers via Zoom, a video conferencing software. These teachers and students already had structures in place for digital learning via systems like Google Classroom.

      Elementary schools worked to mobilize the Chromebooks that already existed in 2nd-5th grade classrooms, and Computing Services provided older Chromebooks for all Kindergarten & 1st grade students.

      Curriculum Specialists created 10-days of digital learning activities (translated into 6 languages) with the expectation that teachers provide them to students via Google Classroom. Elementary teachers pre-loaded these materials on all Chromebooks so that students without home internet access could access them.

      Elementary families came to buildings on March 19th or 20th to pick up the Chromebook that had been assigned to their student(s).

      A website (lps.org/remote) was established to be the central point of information for all students and families on accessing remote learning materials and supports.

      From March 23 through April 3, all students worked independently on review materials provided by teachers. All review work was optional for students, and was not collected or graded by teachers.

      Librarians across LPS recorded fun, optional activities to help parents and caregivers keep their kids reading, writing and creating while out of school. Some of the lessons were so incredible that they were nationally recognized.

      Internet providers in the City of Lincoln provided free or low cost high speed internet connections to the homes of any LPS students for a period of time that covered the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. LPS offered mobile access points to any family in the district who requested one. The devices were acquired from Verizon, and configured to allow LPS Chromebooks to connect to the internet, but were unable to be used for any other purpose.

      Beginning April 6, many teachers attempted to pick up where they left off when students left for spring break at the end of the third quarter. Teachers used Zoom to schedule class sessions, and students joined them through links provided in Synergy StudentVUE.

      Curriculum Specialists for the elementary Computer Science, Art, Music, and Physical Education coordinated a program in which teachers recorded lessons. These video lessons were streamed from the LPS web site, and also broadcast via the City of Lincoln’s television channel (LNTV) on cable TV systems, as well as on KLKN-TV channel 8.3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for any family with an antenna. This broadcasting partnership to meet the needs of students without home internet access was a first in Lincoln!

      While there were many, many things to celebrate as LPS made the sudden, unexpected transition to remote learning, it was not a universally positive experience. There was a lot of need for support from adults in the homes of elementary students, and engaging middle and high school students who were in their own homes proved difficult. Early in the process, students found new ways to express inappropriate behavior by disrupting Zoom meetings. Students faced many challenges as they attempted to learn in environments not suited to the task. Teachers across the globe had mixed success as they changed from the century old expectations of face-to-face learning to a new environment where everyone was in a different location and the computer screen was the connection. Everyone did their best in the face of many challenges.

      May 21, 2020 was the last day of school for students. Sadly, traditional end-of-year celebrations were unable to happen. Schools had drive-through drop off lines for families to return materials. High school seniors also received diplomas through drive-through lanes.

      Graduation ceremonies were postponed for two months, eventually held at Pinnacle Bank Arena on July 24-26, 2020 under guidelines established with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department.

      The start of summer school classes were delayed as teachers prepared for fully remote offerings. From June 3 to July 16, summer school was held with teachers located in LPS classrooms, and students connecting from home via Zoom.

      2020-21 School Year

      LPS worked with city, county, and state leadership through the summer to create a “Safe Return to School Plan” that allowed students to return to schools for in-person instruction in August 2020. The plan included practices to be followed in all buildings such as:

      • daily self-screening for COVD symptoms
      • focus on personal hygiene measures
      • physical disinfection of surfaces
      • students and staff were required to wear multilayer face masks
      • visitors were not allowed into buildings
      • plexiglass barriers were used between students in lunch rooms
      • elementary schools worked to eliminate practices that required room switching for students
      • room capacities were reduced
      • teachers sanitized tables and manipulatives multiple times a day
      • many events were held via Zoom instead of in-person
      • COVID testing was made available to all high school students

      To meet the needs of the community, LPS allowed families to choose whether their students attended school in-person, or remotely from home. There was also a great deal of need for instructing students who were to be excluded from the classroom for lengthy periods after receiving a positive COVID test, or being identified as a close contact to a positive COVID case.

      As teachers returned in August they were prepared to lead instruction in a “hybrid learning” environment in which teachers and most students would be in the classroom, while a portion of the class was at home, connecting from their Chromebook via Zoom. LPS was well positioned to successfully deliver a hybrid learning environment due to extensive work done in the previous decade to implement the Board of Education’s technology plan.  However, having all of the resources needed was not enough to overcome the realization that teachers were unable to fully meet the needs of students who were at home and the needs of the students in the classroom at the exact same time. Hybrid learning environments were necessary to meet the demands of the pandemic, but no one (teachers, students, or families) felt that it was the best that could be done for students.

      In an effort to offer transparency, LPS became one of the few school districts in the country that offered a “Coronavirus Dashboard” that was regularly updated with data about the number of COVID reports in our buildings.

      In March of 2021, COVID vaccines became available for educators in Lancaster county. Many LPS staff members chose to receive the vaccine as soon as it was available. By May, the vaccine was made available to children over the age of 12, allowing students to receive the vaccine.

      The strategies of the “Safe Return to School Plan” combined with many other factors and efforts allowed all LPS buildings to remain open for the full 2020-21 school year, a feat that few school districts in America were able to accomplish.

      Following the school year, LPS utilized Federal funds to provide the largest assortment of summer learning programs and opportunities in the district’s history.

      2021-22 School Year

      The “LPS Safe Return to School Plan” continued to be adjusted through the summer of 2021 as the COVID situation locally and nationally changed. When students returned in August 2021, there was no longer a need for hybrid learning and all students were expected to attend school in-person.

      Knowing that families faced many variables and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, Lincoln Public Schools developed a one-year only Remote Learning Program (RLP) for students in grades kindergarten through eighth for the 2021–22 school year. The RLP required a full year commitment from families. This offering allowed families an opportunity for their students to stay on track with their peers and receive instruction from certified LPS teachers, while reducing exposure to COVID by remaining at home. RLP Teachers worked out of classrooms across the district, and were provided with a kit of enhanced technology tools specific to the needs in fully remote teaching.

      As school was starting in August and September of 2021, a new COVID variant caused an increase in students excluded from classrooms due to positive COVID tests or exposures. In order to meet the needs of these excluded students in elementary schools, a couple of new strategies were used.

      “Chromebook Kits” were sent home with excluded elementary students. This allowed the students to access the materials shared by teachers, as well as a number of online tools that offer meaningful math and reading practice opportunities during the extended absence from the classroom.

      The Board of Education approved the purchase and installation of ceiling mounted cameras in 24 elementary classrooms across LPS. These cameras integrate with the existing audio system and allow teachers to record their daily math and language arts lessons, which are then made available to excluded students.

      LPS announced that due to an ongoing staffing crisis they would have three “COVID Closure days” on Jan. 21, Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 of 2022. Most students got the days off, while staff used those Fridays to make up for lost planning time due to covering for absent colleagues. Teachers also used the time to help quarantined students who missed instruction. The Friday dates were selected because there were more staff unavailable than could be covered by the existing pool of substitute teachers, and Fridays are always the hardest days to achieve sub coverage.

      2022-23 School Year

      The 2022-23 school year felt like a return to “normal” in regards to COVID related impacts on the school environment. While COVID-19 remained prevalent in the community, there were more resources to reduce the severity and risk of spread. These included vaccines and boosters and understanding more about the transmission of COVID-19. The 2022-23 Safe Return to School Plan considered these factors in preparing for the upcoming school year.

      Highlights of the 22-23 plan included:

      • Face coverings OPTIONAL for everyone inside all LPS buildings and on all LPS buses.
      • Students and visitors entering any LPS facility were expected to conduct a self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms
      • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are expected to stay home for 5 days.
      • Individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 through a close contact are expected to wear a face covering for 10 days and seek testing 5 days after the exposure.

      The weekly total of positive COVID-19 cases identified in each building and across Lincoln Public Schools was posted on the LPS website. LPS was one of the first, and is one of the last school districts in the country to make this information easily available to the public.

      LPS ceased sending out daily emails to staff and families about positive COVID-19 cases in buildings.

      Family messages transitioned from weekly to monthly updates.

      On April 10th 2023, President Joe Biden signed a bill terminating the national emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic

      In May 2023, the White House unilaterally ended national emergency declarations related to the pandemic.

      Critical thinking

      Critical thinking is purposeful and reflective decision making about what to believe or what to do based upon the evidence presented. This goes beyond basic logic and draws upon deeper intellectual considerations of judgment, fairness, relevance, accuracy, credibility, and much more.

      CRT – Crisis Response Team

      LPS has three teams of mental health professionals that are deployed in the event of a crisis at any school location. The teams serve district-wide and are called upon to provide counseling supports at locations where students or staff are impacted by a crisis.

      The Crisis Response Team has a preplanned, organized approach for assessing, planning and intervening in crises affecting staff and students. They can be called upon at any time (24/7/365) to assist building administrators in directing crisis resolution activities.

      CRT – Criterion-referenced tests

      Standardized tests that compare a student’s performance to clearly identified learning tasks or skill levels. The basis for comparison is to a body of content knowledge and skills.

      CSIP – Continuous School Improvement Plan

      A plan created by stakeholders at the building level (staff, community members, parents, sometimes students) that maps longterm what the school and staff will do to address needs within the building based upon data.

       

      School Improvement

      CTE – Career and Technical Education

      Career & Technical Education is delivered through a variety of programs of study.  The identified Nebraska Career Fields are delivered through CTE courses in LPS in the following disciplines:

      • Business/Technology
      • Family and Consumer Sciences
      • Health Occupations
      • Industrial Technology
      • Work Experience

      For more information, visit the CTE web site.

      CTS – Custodial & Transportation Services

      Custodial services are provided at all educational and support facilities throughout the school district.  Each school is assigned a custodial team responsible for cleaning and upkeep at that site.  In addition, school custodians also assist with the set up, tear down, and clean up after various facility uses by outside users.

      Transportation services provided by the district are that which are required by law including elementary and middle school students residing over 4 miles from the school in their attendance area.  Also students who have been moved for the benefit of the district in instances of over crowding, major facility renovation, or efficiency in use of school buildings.  Transportation is also provided to special education students that have transportation identified as part of their individual education program.

      CUL – Charles L. Culler Middle School

      Charles Culler School first opened its doors in 1958 as a combination junior high and elementary school.  The initial enrollment was 285 students.  From 1963 to 1993 Culler was a junior high school with grades seven, eight, and nine.  In 1993 Culler became the middle school we know today for grades six, seven, and eight.

      This junior high school was named for Charles L. Culler, a long time Lincoln
      educator. Mr. Culler came to Lincoln Public Schools in 1917. He served as mechanical
      arts teacher and assistant principal at Lincoln High School until 1922. He was
      principal of the 26th and 0 Junior High for one year; however, in 1923 he moved to
      Whittier where he was principal for 23 years. He retired in 1946.

      Curriculum

      The word curriculum refers to the things students are expected to know and learn to do, the instructional strategies and other activities teachers use to help students learn, and the learning materials, including textbooks, teachers use with students. All curriculum in Lincoln Public Schools is multicultural.

      The curriculum in Lincoln Public Schools provides students with important knowledge and skills necessary for success in school, preparation for post high school education and entering the work world. As in any growing, changing organization, curriculum is periodically reviewed for the purpose of keeping it current and relevant to the needs of students and society.

      Data

      Numbers, words, sounds, or images that have not yet been arranged into meaningful patterns (e.g. assessment data and artifacts).

      Dawes Building

      • LOCATION: 5130 Colfax
      • Website
      • OPERATION:
        • 1955-1957: 49th & Benton
        • 1957-2009: General Charles G. Dawes Middle School
        • 2009-2011: Goodrich at Dawes Middle School
        • 2011-Present: General Charles G. Dawes Middle School

      Called Benton Street School (K-3) until the Dawes building was finished, a full elementary and junior high functioned in this combination school until 1991 when its focus was narrowed to grades 6-9.

      The school was named for General Charles G. Dawes (1865- 1951), a Lincoln resident from 1887 to 1894 who later served in a number of important federal positions. He originated the Dawes Plan, a program designed to help Germany pay its World War I reparations. Dawes shared the 1925 Nobel Peace Prize for his plan. Dawes was also vice president of the United States under President Coolidge, and ambassador to Great Britain. In 1932 Mr. Dawes left government service and spent the rest of his life as chairman of the City National Bank of Chicago.

      Citing waning enrollment, the LPS Board of Education closed Dawes Middle School in 2009, and the building housed the students and staff of Goodrich Middle School while their building underwent renovation. In 2011 Dawes Middle School reopened.

       

      DB – Deaf/Blind

      Students who have loss of hearing or vision and receive supports from the special education department.

      DC – Distribution Center

      The LPS Distribution Center receives and delivers to schools the equipment, supplies, food, mail and services needed for the development of students becoming responsible adults.

      DD – Developmental Delay

      A student may be identified with a developmental delay if certain cognitive, physical, communicative, or social/emotional milestones are not met based upon standardized assessments. Developmental delay is an identification for students from infant up to age 8.

      DDSEC – Donald D. Sherrill Education Center

      The Donald D. Sherrill Education Center (DDSEC) is an LPS program that serves about 100 students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade who have been identified as needing a period of time in a safe, supportive, therapeutic environment that focuses on building prosocial skills along with academics. After being part of the Sherrill community, students will return to their home school with the skills needed to become productive citizens in their school community.

      Through MTSS (multi tiered system of supports) implementation, we have established a positive learning environment by creating consistent expectations throughout the building. Students are encouraged to develop self-management and coping skills that allow them to maintain a positive self-concept. In addition to working with students’ attendance schools, DDSEC staff collaborate with outside agencies to provide students and families with additional services. DDSEC staff members are excited to partner with parents, students, agencies, as well as the students’ attendance school to assist students to realize their fullest potential academically and socially.

      Donald D. Sherrill education center was named for the former Lincoln Public Schools Director of Special Education. Dr. Sherrill left a legacy of significant changes, exceptional accomplishments and visionary leadership for the LPS Special Education programs

      The Sherrill Education Center was historically known as the BSP (Behavioral Skills Program).

       

      DECA – Distributive Education Club of America

      DECA’s objective is to support the development of marketing and management skills in career areas such as hospitality, finance, sales and service, business administration and entrepreneurship. Programs and activities are tailored to the specific career interest of students and include technical skills, basic scholastic and communication skills, human relations and employability skills, and a strong emphasis on economics and free enterprise.

      DECA provides recognition and leadership activities directly related to attainment of specific occupational and leadership skills. DECA’s mission establishes clear criteria for its programs and activities.

      Destination ImagiNation

      Destination ImagiNation (DI) is an creative problem solving activity in which students work in teams to solve mind-bending Challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together, and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the Challenges. Participants learn to unleash their imaginations and take unique approaches to problem solving. Rising Stars is a non-competitive division of DI for students in grades K-2. DI teams can compete from kindergarten through university level. For more information, visit DI at http://www.idodi.org or Nebraska DI at http://www.ncaps.org

      DHHS – Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

      The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services organizes, supports and responds to a wide ranging set of public health issues, such as:

      • Birth Certificates
      • Children & Families
      • Disabilities
      • Disasters & Emergencies
      • Diseases
      • Environmental Health
      • Health, Safety & Wellness
      • Licensing & Registrations
      • Medicaid & Medicare
      • Mental & Behavioral Health
      • Seniors & Aging
      • Special Populations
      • Statistics & Reports

      DIFF – Differentiated

      A student who is identified gifted or in the gifted process receives differentiated instruction typically outside of the classroom environment. Diff is in reference to the specific materials or coursework.

       

      Gifted Education

      Digital Content Resources

      Many LPS teachers are unaware that our school district subscribes to a number of resources that put rich digital content at their fingertips, and in front of students. To be clear, these are not your average web pages. These are web based tools produced by professional organizations geared towards K-12 classrooms.

      LPS maintains a page of information about these services, and how to login to each of them from school and home.

      Distance Learning

      Distance Learning can mean a lot of things, and can benefit students and teachers in many ways. Here are just a few:

      • Extending the classroom
        • Through video conference solutions LPS is able to offer a few of our courses to students in other districts across the state.
        • Conversely, students in LPS high schools can remotely attend courses offered in other districts (or other LPS high schools)
      • Enrichment activities
        • With video conferencing equipment, teachers can bring experts into the classroom to enrich the learning experience for students through virtual field trips to zoos, museums, or other non-profits.
        • Librarians and teachers are able to set up classes to meet with authors of books they read and study.
      • Professional learning
        • LPS staff can sometimes avoid driving to remote locations to attend statewide committee meetings, conferences, and other obligations.

      The Curriculum department is home to the LPS Digital Learning Coordinator.

      DMG – District Management Group

      This is a consulting group LPS contracted with to conduct an extensive audit of our supports for struggling students. Sometimes known as the “DMG Report,” LPS is working to implement the opportunities for improvement that came out of the report.

      DocuShare

      DocuShare is an “enterprise content management (ECM) system” hosted by LPS since 2006.

      In other words, it is a system that allows you to easily manage your electronic content like Word documents, pictures, pdfs, multimedia files, etc. You can organize and share content, collaborate with other users on projects, search for and retrieve electronic files, and automate work processes such as faxing, scanning, and printing to the LPS Print Center.

      Due Process

      There are times when students, parents/guardians and school administrators need to discuss behavior and/or attendance concerns when building level interventions and parent efforts have not been successful. There are also times when immediate disciplinary action needs to be taken for serious rule/law violations within the school building or on school grounds. There are several administrators in the Department of Student Services that are skilled in the areas of due process, discipline and current trends in student behavior.

      Search the ‘Pedia

      Latest Terms

      About LPS ‘Pedia

      The LPS ‘Pedia is a list of terms, phrases and acronyms used at LPS. In addition, a history of each LPS building is included, as it appeared in the 1999 publication ‘How the Schools Were Named’ by LPS Media Services.

      If you have a suggested entry, please fill out this form.