What specialized programs and curricula are available in PSD?
- International Baccalaureate (IB): a continuum of four challenging educational programs with a focus on international-mindedness and intercultural understanding
- Offered at: Bennett Elementary, Cache la Poudre Elementary, Dunn Elementary, McGraw Elementary, Riffenburgh Elementary, Cache la Poudre Middle, Lesher Middle, Lincoln Middle, and Poudre High School.
- Advanced Placement (AP): a program offering college-level courses and examinations to high school students, allowing them to earn college credit for free during their high school years. They are taught by PSD faculty, using the same content and requirements as those that are taught at universities.
- Offered at: Fort Collins High, Fossil Ridge High, Poudre High, Rocky Mountain High, Timnath Middle-High, and Wellington Middle-High School.
- Core Knowledge: a classically-oriented curriculum structured around a sequence of foundational knowledge. This provides a more content-focused, as opposed to skill-centered, approach to education. Developed by E.D. Hirsch, this is the same curriculum utilized at most Northern Colorado classical schools
- Offered at: Bethke Elementary, O’Dea Elementary, Traut Elementary, Zach Elementary, and Kinard Middle School.
- Leader in Me: an evidence-based, whole-school development program based off of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This program fosters a leadership culture through training, shared visions, goals-setting, academics, and activities to build life-readiness and supportive school environments.
- Offered at: Lopez Elementary and Rice Elementary School.
- STE(A)M: a focus on science, technology, engineering, (arts) and math, setting students up for success in high-demand career fields.
- Offered at: Shepardson Elementary, Tavelli Elementary, and Preston Middle School.
- Expeditionary Learning: an educational model where learning revolves around "learning expeditions:" in-depth, long-term studies on a single, compelling theme that integrate multiple subjects and involve rigorous, real-world projects. This provides more hands-on learning than a traditional approach.
- Offered at: Polaris Expeditionary Learning School.
- Project-Based Learning (PBL): an educational model where students learn by working on complex, real-world, hands-on problems or challenges over an extended period
- Offered at: Olander Elementary, Blevins Middle, and Fort Collins High School.
- Dual Language Immersion: Full bilingual instruction in English and Spanish, fostering higher levels of bilingualism, biliteracy and cultural fluency for students.
- Offered at: Harris Elementary, Irish Elementary, and Boltz Middle School.
- Hybrid Learning: A blend of online and in-person instruction to meet specialized student needs. Instruction is done by licensed teachers while a parent/guardian serves as the learning coach
- Offered at: Poudre Global Academy
- Career & Technical Education Pathways: structured programs of study that prepare students for high-demand, high-wage careers and future college or technical training. A wide variety of offerings from health science to agriculture to welding are offered at PSD middle and high schools, in addition to the Career and Tech Center on Poudre High School campus.
- Offered at: All PSD middle and high schools – click here to see which pathways are offered at each school
- Alternative education campuses: small, specialized secondary schools for students struggling in traditional school settings or who are at risk of not graduating. These schools offer a close-knit community, a trauma-responsive focus, a high level of individual attention, and unique structure offering ample opportunity for credit recovery.
- Offered at: Centennial High School, Poudre Community Academy. Poudre Global Academy and Polaris Expeditionary Learning School are not alternative education campuses, but can be considered as options if a smaller school and more individualized learning model is needed (in the case of Polaris) or if a hybrid learning model is needed to address school aversion/attendance challenges (in the case of PGA).
How do I apply for specialized programs?
- Many of the programs listed above are offered by PSD neighborhood schools. If your neighborhood school offers a program or curriculum you’re interested in, you can register there as you normally would. If your neighborhood school does not offer the program you want, you can apply through the School of Choice process to a school that does.
- Some of these programs are offered by choice-only schools, in which case you would also apply through the School of Choice process.
- Specialized, optional programs at your neighborhood school (like P-TECH at Poudre High School, Advanced Placement courses at most PSD high schools, etc.) have their own registration processes, which you can complete once registered at the school.
What supports are available for multilingual learners?
- Dual-language schools:
- Harris and Irish Bilingual Elementary Schools have full immersion instruction in Spanish and English.
- Harris is a choice-only school, requiring a School of Choice application.
- Irish is a neighborhood school, and families can fill out the School of Choice application if they reside outside of the neighborhood.
- Boltz Middle School offers dual language programming through the School of Choice process.
- Harris and Irish Bilingual Elementary Schools have full immersion instruction in Spanish and English.
- Family liaisons at each school to assist with translation needs and connecting to resources.
- PSD’s Language, Culture & Equity department oversees PSD’s award-winning English Language Development program. As part of the PSD enrollment process, parents/guardians complete a Home Language and Student Housing Survey (Español) for their child. State and federal regulations require that schools identify and report the languages spoken and heard by each child in the home, and determine eligibility for Immigrant, Migrant, Refugee or McKinney education services.
- If parents/guardians indicate that a language other than English is spoken by the child and/or in the home, an ELD staff member will screen the language portion of the survey and fill out an ELD Student Eligibility Checklist. A staff member will conduct a Home Language interview with a parent or guardian to determine if the student needs to take theWIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) or WIDA Screener, which assesses English development levels and is used to determine eligibility for ELD programs.
- All ELD programs provide every English language learner with equal and meaningful access to all educational opportunities in PSD. ELD program specialists are available to assist families with ELD programs and opportunities.
What before- and after-school care options are available at PSD schools?
- AlphaBEST provides before- and after-school care for children in grades k-5 (in addition to pre-K students at Eyestone Elementary only). Discounts and reduced rates are available to siblings, military families, and families enrolled in PSD’s free and reduced meal program.
- Blevins Middle School provides a free in-house after school program for Blevins students. Contact Izzy Crume at (970)657-6612 or icrume@psdschools.org with any questions.