Kentucky’s Bell County School District Announces New Partnership with Discovery Education Supporting Phenomena-Based Science Instruction Districtwide
Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)—Kentucky’s Bell County School District (BCSD) today announced a new multiyear partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Through this collaboration, teachers and students in BCSD K-12 classrooms now have access to powerful digital products that help enhance the district’s science curriculum and support the introduction of phenomena-based learning in science lessons. Together, these resources will nurture student curiosity about the natural world and drive deeper engagement in science instruction.
Located in the southeast corner of Kentucky, BCSD serves approximately 2,600 preschool through twelfth-grade students in several communities across Bell County. These students are served by 6 preschool through 8th grade school centers and 1 high school. The district partners with the Bell Whitley Community Action Agency to provide a fully blended preschool model that includes Headstart to help promote Kindergarten Readiness and offers a full day of kindergarten to help meet students’ needs.
BCSD is dedicated to creating equitable learning experiences for all students that produce college and career-ready individuals prepared for success beyond the classroom. The district believes a firm foundation in science is essential for future success and sought to enhance their current curriculum by introducing phenomena-based learning into science instruction. To accomplish this, BCSD sought a suite of flexible learning resources that aligned with the NGSS learning standards and included hands-on learning activities for students. Following a thorough review of viable solutions, the district selected Discovery Education Experience and Discovery Education’s Science Techbook for classroom use.
Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience provides a powerful K-12 learning platform that facilitates engaging instruction in any environment. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day. Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s learning platform into existing Information Technology architecture is easier than ever. Discovery Education Experience will be integrated into learning in all K-12 classrooms.
Accessible through Discovery Education’s award-winning digital platform Discovery Education Experience, the Science Techbook empowers BCSD teachers to easily integrate an innovative curriculum into instruction to create unique, student-centered learning experiences. Included in this comprehensive core curriculum are engaging digital resources and virtual investigations. In addition, embedded accessibility tools help more students connect to content than ever before, and a suite of time-optimizing resources provide teachers with more opportunities to focus on teaching.
The Science Techbook includes ready-to-use, phenomena-driven lessons that motivate students with powerful technology tools—such as toggle-on authentic Spanish translation—that personalize the student experience, and labor-saving teacher tools that streamline preparation and grading. Science Techbook provides a seamless classroom experience complete with immersive, interactive ways to explore scientific phenomena, including hands-on activities, labs, and STEM connections.
The Science Techbook delivers a wide range of high-quality resources that support students as they discover how science is practiced in the real world, while focusing on deeper understanding and the application of grade-appropriate science content. Recently, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook was certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Discovery Education’s Science Techbook will be used in grades 4-12 in the Bell County School District.
“The Bell County School District believes in the power of phenomena-based instruction to propel student learning,” said Angela Allen, the district’s Director of Academic Programs. “There is something incredibly powerful in using a natural event—like an eclipse or bird migration—to ignite student curiosity and drive engagement in learning. The new resources from Discovery Education support the creation of this type of learning experience and we look forward to seeing them in action.”
BCSD educators using Discovery Education solutions will receive dedicated professional development from Discovery Education’s team of professional learning experts. These learning opportunities for teachers help schools recognize the full return on their edtech investment. Through Discovery Education’s interactive professional development sessions, participants will learn best practices for integrating their new digital resources into instruction. Effective professional learning increases student engagement and supports the continued academic development of all students.
In addition, all BCSD educators will now also enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.
“The Bell County School District’s embrace of phenomena-based learning will create powerful educational experiences for all students,” said Caroline Shea, Discovery Education’s Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships. “We look forward to supporting the district’s progress as they bring science instruction to life for all learners.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
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About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
Contact
Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
Phone: 202-316-6615
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com