DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND TENNESSEE’S METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXPAND PARTNERSHIP TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP Shawnee Cohn, Discovery Education240-662-2661shawnee_cohn@discovery.com –Expanded Partnership will Help District Redesign Its Learning Environments and Advance Student Achievement through Integration of Dynamic Digital Textbook– SILVER SPRING, Md. (April 10, 2015) – Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Tennessee’s Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). In the latest phase of this seven-year relationship, MNPS is providing middle school students districtwide with access to Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook™ series, a complete digital solution that replaces traditional textbooks and features standards-based digital content that strengthens literacy, critical thinking and citizenship skills. This expanded partnership will support the school system’s Learning Technology Plan (LTP), which was designed to develop all students into digital citizens who are prepared to succeed in higher education, the workplace and life. The LTP was created with the guiding belief that access to and purposeful use of technology is essential to students’ development of the knowledge, skills and character necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex and information-rich society. In conjunction with this plan, the school system opted not to purchase traditional, print social studies textbooks for the 2014-15 school year as they quickly become outdated, and instead has begun a gradual shift to digital resources. Discovery Education is now supporting MNPS’ digital transformation by providing digital social studies textbooks which will empower educators with up-to-date, relevant content to engage learners. Since 2008, Metro Nashville Public Schools has used Discovery Education Streaming to transform teaching and learning in classrooms districtwide. Now, the school system will begin implementing Discovery Education’s digital social studies textbook in all of the district’s 41 middle schools, reaching over 20,000 students. Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook series, which includes courses on United States history, world history and world geography and cultures, uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy, analytical writing and problem solving skills that students will apply in academics and as citizens. Each subject area includes primary source documents and activities, digital investigations, multimedia reference library, interactive maps and informational texts. It is designed to support multiple reading levels and languages, promote personalized learning, inspire curiosity, encourage critical thinking and enable project-based learning. “Metro Nashville Public Schools is committed to developing our students into tech-savvy digital citizens that are not only prepared to succeed in higher education, the workplace, and life, but to also make a meaningful contribution to Nashville’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness,” said Kelly Henderson, Ed.D., Executive Director of Instruction at Metro Nashville Public Schools. “Dynamic, relevant resources like digital textbooks will help our educators enrich their instruction and empower our students to learn social studies in ways that are simply not possible through the use of traditional, print textbooks.” Included with each Techbook implementation, Discovery Education experts provide high-quality professional development to support educators as they implement the digital textbook in their classrooms. Discovery Education Professional Development is designed to teach educators how to maximize innovative learning tools and empower them to integrate technology effectively and confidently into instruction. In addition, the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) will continue to support MNPS educators in their efforts to transform students’ learning experiences with digital media. A global community of education professionals, the DEN 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. “Discovery Education is honored to be a part of Metro Nashville’s efforts to redesign the classroom into a fully digital environment, and transform teaching and learning practices for educators and students,” said Andy Schaefer, vice president at Discovery Education. “We look forward to continuing to support the talented Metro Nashville team as they create authentic, digital learning environments that prepare students for college, careers and citizenship.” For more information about Discovery Education’s Techbook series, professional development or other services and resources from Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com. About Discovery EducationDiscovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.