Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School - Fort Collins, CO

Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School opened in 2004 and is proudly named for Hal Kinard, a long- standing Poudre School District educator. Kinard is a “Choice” school and PSD’s only Core Knowledge middle school.

The most significant factor that contributes to sustaining a high level of student achievement at Kinard is a commitment to the concept and framework of Professional Learning Communities at Work. Through recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research, Kinard has created a culture of collaboration, critical to ensuring high levels of learning for all students and to building the collective capacity of the staff. Kinard’s high-performing collaborative teams are hungry for evidence of student learning which informs their instruction. The school has developed a system-wide process for monitoring student learning and providing timely interventions for students needing additional support or challenge.

Kinard is a place where core values such as good judgment, best effort, respect, kindness, honesty, service, and citizenship are modeled, upheld, celebrated, and practiced in every part of school life. Kinard’s culture ensures that each student is physically and emotionally safe and is able to succeed. At Kinard, teachers promote a growth mindset, and each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels. The Core Knowledge curriculum provides access to the best knowledge available, including significant knowledge about diverse people and cultures. Kinard is dedicated to an instructional program that promotes a balanced curriculum, including high-quality world language, physical health and wellness, technology, and performing and visual arts programming.