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Spotlight on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Sustained, Dramatically Increasing Science Scores


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools LogoNorth Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) enroll 140,000 students, with 51 percent of those students receiving free and reduced lunches. While it faces many challenges, the district is also known as a leader in instructional innovation. The leadership recognized the need to make the district’s science instruction more interactive and engaging. In addition, they wanted to build the confidence of their teachers.


Goals

CMS identified two goals they wanted to address as they transformed their classrooms:
  • Reinvent science education to prepare students for a 21st century workforce
  • Prepare educators for digital content integration and transition to Common Core Standards


Solution


CMS and Discovery Education agreed that in addition to inspiring content, they also needed to train the teachers to ensure effective use of digital instructional materials in the classroom:


Results – Double-Digit Gains in Student Proficiency

Composite retest scores on North Carolina’s science end-of-year exam for grades 5 and 8 increased by 26 points. While these are impressive numbers, it is just the beginning. Discovery Education continues to work with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to enhance the curriculum in new, meaningful ways to benefit Charlotte students.

Watch the Video Case Study

"Science has taken on new life and new meaning in this district. Kids are learning science concepts and learning about the scientific method because they are experiencing it on a daily basis."
Scott Muri, Area Superintendent
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina