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 The Fort Collins School District is Poudre R-1.
Fort Collins schools went through a transition to the middle school concept in 2009. Fort Collins Schools are divided into Elementary schools which run from Kindergarten - Fifth, Middle Schools from 6-8th and Senior High beyond that.
There are currently 32 public elementary schools in this district. There are 10 Junior High Schools and 6 High Schools(Polaris Expeditionary Learning is both Junior & Senior High) Additionally, Fort Collins is served by 2 charter schools and 1 "sort of" charter school as well as a few private
and parochial schools. We recently added a K-12 online school to the mix.
Poudre R-1 ACT scores are well above the state and national averages. The District is constantly striving to improve the overall climate for learning and it is reflected in our impressive test scores. Fort Collins serves as a model for the region, with Loveland and Windsor emulating the Poudre R-1's curriculum choices.
In addition to the neighborhood schools, Fort Collins works on a system known as "school of choice." This refers to the ability to attend a school outside of ones neighborhood boundaries if space permits. One of the reasons a family might choose to do this would be to take advantage of a specific curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate Program or the Hirsch Core Curriculum or one of the Expeditionary Learning Choices.
My daughter started her academic journey in a private school that followed the Hirsch Core curriculum. That school closed to the upper grades when my daughter was starting sixth grade. She then moved to a public elementary school that used the Hirsch Core curriculum as well. (The private school was no longer able to sustain an economic base for the upper grades in part as a result of the fact that the public schools were offering a similar education) Upon entering Junior High, she switched to the I.B. program and the transition was seamless. She is currently attending Poudre High School's International Baccalaureate school but is considering switching to Advanced Placement. In either case she will be more than prepared for the rigors of a quality University education.
My personal observation on the difference between these two programs is that the I.B. program seems to focus more on projects. It also believes that its students must master several different areas of knowledge including technology, language arts, foreign languages, history etc. and have a global perspective in their learning. The Core program believes in teaching the basics of a subject and then revisiting it a few years later in greater depth. They are both excellent choices.
Advanced Placement courses are offered on the High School level in many areas. The International Baccalaureate students are invited to sit for the A.P. exams as well.
There are several Gifted and Talented focus programs such as the Young Scholars Program which allows students to be given a mentor in the community to work with. The child is then expected to complete a project, do a 10 minute oral presentation, a power point and a 10 page paper. All of this in sixth grade. Students who excel in mathematics are invited to take classes that are above their chronological grade level. There is an Elementary school which focuses on Science and Technology. One offers bilingual education, another stresses the arts, while still utilizing the Poudre School Districts overall standards. A few of the schools are "non-traditional" and offer experience based learning.
Special needs children are similarly cared for in Fort Collins. There are programs geared towards almost every child. Poudre R-1 truly does believe in providing the best education possible for all its students.
In addition to excelling in basic academics, Fort Collins schools excel in music and sports. There are many extracurricular activities available through the school system.
Please feel free to call me if you would like any additional information on Fort Collins schools. If I can't help you myself, I will be more than happy to point you in the direction of someone who can.
For information on Loveland and Windsor schools, please go back to the Home Page and scroll down to Windsor or Loveland schools and click on the one you want. |
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