Open Up the Gates: Fostering Scholarship to Urban Students

Room: Ohio

presented by Regina Ellis, Principal, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy

There is a growing body of research that urban students are hungry for schools that nourish them intellectually. However, gate-keeping practices in urban school communities have traditionally obstructed open access to college prep classes for all students. This session will offer insight into how a principal can serve as a catalyst to reculturing an urban college preparatory school through a disciplined inquiry of the school's practices, exploration of research based ideas and staff development needed to support changes. The presenter will identify the issues and provide practical solutions to the challenges hindering urban students from enrolling in IB classes and doing their very best to succeed.

Regina Ellis, Principal, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy
Regina Ellis, is the principal of Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. Ellis has over 25 years experience in education as a teacher, counselor, and administrator. She promotes devotion, passion, and diligence toward learning, while offering ideas pivotal to academic rigor and school reculturing. As Lincoln's principal, Ellis led a school-wide effort, "The Lincoln Way: Committed to Excellence," based on systemic reform, that resulted in 100% of junior and senior students enrolling in college prep classes, a 300% increase in test scores and 6 million dollars in scholarships for students. Monumental results can occur when successful practices are implemented to ensure the success of every student.