KCUSD Named Model PLC at Work District, Grant Middle School Recognized

Kings Canyon Unified School District (KCUSD) has been designated a Model PLC District at Work®, and Grant Middle School has been recognized as a Model PLC at Work® school site, the district announced and the Mid Valley Times reported Feb. 16, 2026. KCUSD’s communications emphasize the rarity of the honor, saying the district is “one of only five districts in California to receive this honor,” and posted the recognition under its Celebrations and News & Events sections.

Superintendent John Campbell framed the designation as a validation of day-to-day classroom collaboration. “Being named a Model PLC District at Work® affirms the collaborative work happening across our schools every day,” said Superintendent John Campbell. “Our teams focus on what students need to learn, how we know when they’ve learned it, and how we respond when they need more support or greater challenge.”

KCUSD’s announcement links the Model PLC approach to specific instructional practices used districtwide: shared planning, common assessments, regular review of student data to guide instruction, and providing timely support for students who need it. The district’s materials also cite “clear learning goals, consistent instruction, and targeted intervention and enrichment for students” as hallmarks connected to the designation.

The district states the recognition is “reinforced by KCUSD’s most recent state and regional assessment results,” and uses comparative language about performance: KCUSD says it is “outperforming most Central Valley districts in overall English Language Arts and Math scores,” is “leading the region in year-over-year growth,” and that “KCUSD’s academic gains continue to exceed county and statewide averages.” Those claims anchor the district’s case that PLC practices are contributing to measurable academic progress across the Central Valley region.

At the school level, Grant Middle School’s web pages and Spotlight content identify the campus as a Model PLC site and highlight school values and staff practices. The Grant page states: “At Grant Middle School, we strive to be respectful, responsible, and resourceful. We instill these values in our students as we engage with them each and every day. Our goal is to have our students reach their greatest potential; academically and socially. Our staff’s commitment to our students is what sets them apart from many other educators across the state. It is not unusual to see our teachers working with students before and after school providing them with additional opportunities to learn.” The Grant page also shows a “Message from Rodney J. Cisneros,” identifying Cisneros as the school leader.

KCUSD amplified the news on social platforms, posting on Instagram: “Big News for KCUSD! ⁠ ⁠ Kings Canyon Unified has been named a Model PLC District at Work®, one of only five districts in California!” and a Facebook excerpt appeared with the text: “OCR: M KCUSD leads by example Kings Canyon Unified School District named a "Model PLC at Work" district, Grant Middle School named a "Model PLC at Work" site.”

The district site also lists concurrent communications and tools that connect families to school data and events, including a “2026 School Performance Survey,” “KCUSD is Bulldog Bound!,” and the “ParentSquare Communication Tool.” KCUSD’s published nondiscrimination statement appears in full on district and Grant pages: The Kings Canyon Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education and in employment. Kings Canyon Unified School District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived: age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical information, national origin, parental status, pregnancy status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics or affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups or any basis protected by law or regulation, in its educational programs(s) or employment.

Mid Valley Times coverage on Feb. 16, 2026 carried the district’s announcement statewide, and KCUSD materials indicate the Model PLC at Work® designation “places it among a small group recognized statewide” for sustained teacher collaboration and student-support systems.