Annual Report: Unlocking Opportunities

The following was originally written for inclusion in the Lincoln School Costa Rica 2024 Annual Report…

Unlocking Opportunities: The Benefits of Our School’s Inclusive Matriculation Pathways

At Lincoln School, we are guided by our vision of achieving excellence through innovation, integrity, and leadership. Our commitment to this vision has led us to the development of multiple high school matriculation pathways, most notably our highly successful IB Diploma Program and our dynamic Entrepreneurial Academy. Each of these matriculation pathways embodies the values of our Vision and Mission along with our dedication to providing an exceptional educational experience tailored to diverse student needs. Each is grounded in our dedication to academic rigor, inclusivity, and the development of crucial entrepreneurial skills. Together, they allow families to choose the pathway best suited to supporting their individual student in reaching their full potential.

A Leader in IB Diploma Inclusion and Achievement

The Lincoln School IB Diploma Program stands out as one of the most inclusive, comprehensive, and successful programs in the region. Almost ten years ago, we as a school made the strategic decision to create a more inclusive program open to any student willing to pursue academic excellence. Why? Because we listened to students, their families, and college admissions experts who made clear that the most important factors in students’ ability to successfully gain university admission was access to (and success in) rigorous, college preparatory coursework. A 2023 survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) of over 300 US college admissions offices supported this decision when it found that the three most important factors in college admissions decisions were the strength of a student’s schedule, their grades in all courses, and most importantly their high school grades in college preperatory courses. In fact, no other factor was even close.

Over the past five years, Lincoln School has averaged 60 diploma candidates per year, more than twice the global average and 20% higher than the Lincoln average prior to 2019. In that time Lincoln students have averaged 50 diplomas earned per year, again twice the average for IB Diploma programs world-wide with a total pass rate above world average, despite the fact that, while all Lincoln students can attempt the IB Diploma, at most schools IB Diploma programs function as “honors” programs with limited enrollment based on prior academic success.

This increase in opportunity extends beyond a student’s ability to simply enter the program. Once enrolled, Lincoln students have over 33 courses to choose from, including some of the most rigorous and prestigious in the program. By way of comparison, most of our local competitors offer fewer than 18 IBDP courses total.

Another distinctive feature of the Lincoln School Diploma Program is its emphasis on bilingual education. Worldwide, only 25% of IB students earn a bilingual diploma. At Lincoln School, however, 95% of our diploma candidates earn a bilingual diploma. This statistic reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering multilingual proficiency and preparing students for a globalized world, enhancing students’ communication skills and cultural competencies.

Of course, the key to offering this level of inclusive access is to not sacrifice academic expectations of excellence. While our students certainly suffered the effects of Covid and the corresponding loss of instructional time over the past few years, those graduating in 2024 met or beat the world average in terms of their average course score, total score, and percentage of candidates earning the diploma. Notably, in 2022 a Lincoln student earned a perfect score on their IB Diploma for the first time ever, and in 2024 a total of four students earned scores of 40 or above, the most in the history of school. These milestones highlight the dedication of our students and exemplify the high standards and rigorous academic environment maintained across Lincoln classrooms. In short, the data is clear: more students at Lincoln are engaged in the IB Diploma Program than ever before, and their results demonstrate a significant upswing in achievement.

Fostering Entrepreneurial Thinking

At Lincoln School, every student, from Preschool through twelfth grade, is an entrepreneur. Our emphasis on developing students’ entrepreneurial thinking equips them with the skills to navigate complex situations, seize opportunities others may disregard, and lead projects that add value to people’s lives effectively and sustainably. This mindset is essential not only for those pursuing entrepreneurial ventures but also for success in any field, as it fosters adaptability, critical thinking, and resilience. By incorporating entrepreneurial principles into our curriculum, we prepare students to thrive in dynamic environments and approach their future careers with confidence and creativity.

While these skills are included in our IB Diploma coursework, there are limits to students’ ability to pursue and demonstrate their learning entrepreneurially based on the structure of the IB Diploma Program. For this reason, and because the IB Diploma is not recognized by or appropriate for all local and international uiversities, Lincoln School launched the Entrepreneurial Academy.

Students in the Entrepreneurial Academy still engage in IB coursework, but they supplement their core courses with electives individually selected to support their entrepreneurial, college, and career goals. We have developed a buffet of entrepreneurial electives from which students choose a minimum of one credit per year. These courses offer students the opportunity to practice their entrepreneurial skills, develop new projects, and explore emerging technologies. Students in the Entreprenurial Academy also have access to dual enrollment courses offered online by Arizona State University. These are fully accredited college courses that result in a transcript issued by the university that supplements their high school transcript when they apply to college. We are also investigating several opportunities to offer in-person dual enrollment courses taught by Lincoln teachers in the near future. Since its inception two years ago enrollment in the Entrepreneurial Academy has already doubled, and several students in the class of 2025 are on track to enter university as second-semester freshman or first-semester sophmores based on their accumulated college credits.

Inclusion with Excellence

Together, these matriculation pathways offer all students access to highly rigorous academic coursework that is relevant to their college and career plans. With high participation rates, rising scores, commitment to bilingual excellence, emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking, and alignment with college admission trends, these programs exemplify how inclusivity and rigor can come together to create a truly outstanding educational experience.