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Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem Area School District Expands Partnership with Discovery Education Accelerating Student Engagement and Achievement

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-Digital Chemistry Textbook the Latest Digital Curriculum Adopted by School System  –

Silver Spring, MD (March 4, 2019) – Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) today announced the expansion of its partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms.  In the latest phase of this multiyear collaboration, BASD’s educators will soon begin using Discovery Education’s high-quality digital curriculum to create high school chemistry lessons that heighten student engagement and accelerate student achievement.

BASD is the sixth largest school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and serves approximately 14,000 students each day.  In partnership with students’ home and community, BASD provides a safe and supportive environment in which each student is empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become a productive citizen and lifelong learner in today’s technologically demanding and culturally diverse society.

“Discovery Education has been an important partner in our comprehensive curriculum revision and has supported our goal of providing inquiry-based, student-centered learning to all students,” said Dr. Jack P. Silva, BASD Assistant Superintendent & Chief Academic Officer.

Last year BASD began integrating Discovery Education’s digital Biology and Social Studies textbooks into middle and high school classroom activities. Now, based on the successful implementation of these digital resources, BASD has adopted Discovery Education’s digital Chemistry textbook for use in high school instruction.

Currently used by approximately 5.6 million students across all 50 states and Canada, Discovery Education’s award-winning digital textbooks, or Techbooks, are fully interactive, comprehensive digital curriculums.  Updated regularly at no cost, Discovery Education’s Science, Math, and Social Studies Techbooks include detailed lesson plans, hands-on activities, digital simulations, and robust teacher supports that immerse students in instruction.

Discovery Education’s Science Techbook series empowers educators to transform science instruction. Utilizing an inquiry-based format built on the Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate (5E) model, each Science Techbook includes rich, standards-aligned content such as video, audio, text, interactives with hands-on activities, and virtual labs that help educators differentiate instruction and provide a rich and engaging learning experience for students. Additional student features include bilingual text-to-speech and leveled reading tools and note-taking and highlighting capabilities.  The Science Techbook series also includes valuable STEM resources as well, including STEM Project Starters that encourage students to connect math, technology, and engineering to their understanding of science concepts to produce creative solutions to real world problems, and the STEM In Action resources, which help students connect their work to STEM careers.

Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook, which is now used in classrooms across the district, utilizes an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy, analytical writing, and problem-solving skills that students will apply in the classroom and beyond. Each subject area includes primary source documents and activities, digital investigations, multimedia reference library, interactive maps, and more.

To ensure the BASD educators using their new digital curriculum are fully supported throughout their implementation, Discovery Education experts will provide robust professional learning opportunities to district teachers. Through these interactive professional development opportunities, participants will learn best practices for integrating technology and digital content into teaching and learning in ways that will maximize the power of their new resources, increase student engagement in instruction, and improve students’ academic achievement.

“Each day the Bethlehem Area School District team comes to work with one mission in mind: to help each of our students prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities,” said BASD Superintendent Dr. Joseph J. Roy. “In partnership with Discovery Education, we are building exciting digital classrooms that are engaging students and opening their minds to all the great possibilities in their future. Our partnership with Discovery Education is off to a great start, and we look forward to its future success.”

BASD educators will also be supported by the Discovery Education Community as they transform students’ learning experiences with dynamic digital media. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Education Community connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing and inspiration.

“The Bethlehem Area School District’s talented team is working hard to build dynamic digital learning environments for all students, and Discovery Education is proud to be supporting their effort,” said Discovery Education Partnership Manager Doug Long.  “We look forward to working closely with educators across the school system in their effort to heighten student engagement and accelerate student achievement.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital curriculum and resources, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.

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About Discovery Education:
As the global leader in standards-based digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Serving more than 5 million educators and 51 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and primary schools in the U.K., and more than 90 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

Contact:

Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
swakefield@discoveryed.com, 240.463.2894