NORMAN — The Oklahoma A+ Schools network welcomed four new schools — including two Norman elementary schools — into its statewide community at the capitol Wednesday.
Lincoln Elementary and Reagan Elementary are now officially part of the 10-year-old research-based network, which has initiated significant improvements in more than 70 school sites throughout Oklahoma.
These improvements are reflected in higher test scores, attendance and a reduction of behavioral problems, all of which are traced back to an interdisciplinary curriculum model designed to engage students’ creative abilities and make classroom work more fun.
“What’s exciting about this program is its focus on thinking and problem-solving, working toward a goal of helping students uncover and use creativity in all areas and nurturing creative minds,” Lincoln principal Olivia Dean said.
Dean said it was a pleasure representing Lincoln Elementary and the Norman school district at the capitol, adding that she ancticipates the corroboration between staff and disciplines with much excitement.
Former Lincoln principal and current Reagan principal Carol Burton, a veteran of the A+ Schools network, told The Transcript in February about her experience in Yukon.
“When I arrived at Yukon, the school’s score on the Oklahoma Academic Performance Index was less than 1,200 out of a top score of 1,500. We became an A+ school in 2005, and by the time I left in 2010, our API score was over 1,400,” Burton said.
Dean said she hopes more Norman schools follow suit in incorporating the network into their education.
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