A Tiffin City Schools elementary school is one of two in Ohio being recognized nationally for achievement.
Lincoln Elementary School is one of 66 schools from across the United States named a "Distinguished School" in National Title I Distinguished Schools Program, which is through National Title I Association.
According to the association's website, each state department of education can select two schools for national recognition.
"It's an honor. ... (It) really is incredible," said Doug Hartenstein, Lincoln's principal.
Honored schools have poverty rates of at least 35 percent. One category recognizes schools that have exceeded adequate yearly progress for two or more years, and the other category recognizes those that significantly have closed the achievement gap between student groups, it states.
Lincoln was honored for exceeding adequate yearly progress, and Maplewood Middle School in Cortland, the other Ohio school honored, was selected because it closed the achievement gap.
Scott Urban, director of instruction and personnel for Tiffin City Schools, said it is fantastic for the staff, students and parents anytime a school can win a national award.
"Lincoln School's a terrific school," he said.
Urban said Lincoln staff members do a lot of collaboration for their lessons, and the building has a great deal of parent support. Hartenstein has done a great job to motivate Lincoln students, he said.
The principal offered to sleep on the school's roof overnight if last year's third-, fourth- and fifth-graders collectively achieved an 80-percent passage rate on state achievement tests. Their scores were better than 90 percent, and Hartenstein followed through on his promise in September.
Not many principals would stay on a building all night, Urban said.
"I thought it was really creative. ... He's creative in that way," he said.
Hartenstein said people are fortunate to have tremendous elementary schools in Tiffin, and everybody is performing at a high level there. He said he is proud of everyone, and the honor isn't due to just one person.
"It's everybody working together. ... It really is a true team effort," he said.
Lincoln, which has a K-5 population of about 235 students, is to close next school year as part of cost-saving measures implemented by Tiffin City Board of Education.
Urban said the wonderful things happening at Lincoln will carry over into the remaining three elementary buildings when the staff members are assigned to them. The staff is valuable and works closely with families, students and parents, he said.
"We know that they'll continue to do that when they are disbursed to the other buildings," he said.
On the Web:
National Title 1 Association:
