Lynnhaven Elementary Recognized for Methods Employed to Improve Student Achievement Lynnhaven Elementary was presented with the United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award on Thursday October 11, 2001 in Richmond, Virginia. On hand to accept the award, left to right, Linda Hayes, Principal Lynnhaven Elementary; Dr. Timothy R. Jenney, Superintendent Virginia Beach Public Schools; Stephanie Enzmann, Office of Organizational Development Virginia Beach Public Schools; Connie James, Assistant Principal Lynnhaven Elementary; and Dan Edwards, Chairman Virginia Beach School Board. An elementary school in Virginia Beach has been honored with a special award citing its use of data in building sound processes to respond to specific needs affecting improved student achievement. Lynnhaven Elementary School (LES) has been awarded a Certificate of Commitment to Performance Excellence as sponsored through the 18th annual U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia. "I am elated for this school and this community. They rightly deserve it," said Linda Hayes, principal of Lynnhaven Elementary. "This award is built on teamwork and processes that propel improvement. Lynnhaven is honored to be a recipient of this award!" The full award is considered the state level equivalent to the Malcolm Baldrige Award, an award that honors quality and productivity. The application process, involving 14 members of the Lynnhaven staff, required the school to undergo a thorough self-assessment. "The 'leadership team' had to attend extensive training sessions just to write the application," Hayes said. "The whole staff had to make this happen." To receive recognition at any level is a distinct honor. Once the application has been submitted it must go through a judging process that includes on-site visits that demonstrate measurable quality and productivity results. Hayes said that while Lynnhaven's application was well received, a site visit could not be scheduled due to school being out for the summer. LES was the only individual school to apply for the award. Lynnhaven was chosen by the school division's leadership to submit an application because it met special criteria. "We thought Lynnhaven Elementary was a good choice because of the stable, long-term leadership of Linda Hayes as principal and the commitment of the school's staff to make data-driven decisions to improve student achievement," said Caryl Felty, director of the Office of Organizational Development. Organizational Development assisted the school in completing the award application. The honor will be presented during an awards banquet in Richmond this October. For more information, please call Linda Hayes, principal, Lynnhaven Elementary School at 431-4020. ###