Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s leadership recognized the need to make the district’s science and math instruction more interactive and engaging. In addition, they wanted to build the confidence of their teachers. The district leaders at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) were facing two challenges: They needed a bold, new approach to math education to prepare students for 21st-century teaching and learning, and they wanted to help make their educators masters of digital content as they transitioned to Common Core State Standards. Overcoming these hurdles would prove crucial to raising the bar for instruction in classrooms and improving student outcomes. Already familiar with Discovery Education’s Science Techbook suite, CMS selected Math Techbook to help them achieve their goals, along with implementing a 1:1 device program in its schools. After piloting Math Techbook for less than a year, district leaders found a perfect fit for their classrooms. Techbook helps educators be more agile in the classroom, armed with fresh, up-to-date materials. Students love Techbook’s grounded approach to math, and they seize upon the chance to take an active role in their education. CMS has since rolled out the service to all of its middle schools. Discovery Education’s relationship with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools continues to grow. With more Techbook innovations on the horizon, they’ll work together to enhance the district’s curriculum in new, meaningful ways, helping Charlotte students become lifelong learners. Results—Double-Digit Gains in Student Proficiency Evidence shows that when educators within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools used Discovery Education Techbook with students, it led to increased student performance on end-of-course exams. After using Science Techbook to hone their skills, 5th and 8th grade students are much better prepared for the future. 12 percentage-point increase in college and career readiness for 5th- and 8th-grade science students (2013-2016) Six percentage-point increase in proficiency for 5th-grade science students (2015-2016) 10.5 percentage-point leap over state proficiency scores for Math 1 students (2015-2016)
Carroll County Public Schools, MD After years of traditional pedagogy, district leaders at Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) wanted to revitalize the district’s teaching practices with a fresh approach for math. They were looking for a way to spark students’ imaginations and deepen their understanding of math, while ushering educators into a new era of leadership through digital content. Their school board also needed a way to analyze systemic math data and predict student success on its Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests. Math Techbook provided the perfect toolkit for CCPS’s needs. Discovery Education’s services were already top of mind for the district’s leaders because of their experience with Science Techbook. Math Techbook combines dynamic, Common Core and state standards-aligned content with engaging activities that bring math alive for students — connecting it with their world. Techbook’s Assessment Builder tool helps teachers prepare students for the PARCC test and supports the district’s technology initiative by demonstrating the need for more student devices. Teachers can create assessments based on a library of more than 8,000 questions similar to those found on PARCC tests. Collecting and analyzing the data from these assessments will become a gamechanger in ensuring student success on PARCC tests, said Mary Swack, the math supervisor at CCPS. “Giving students the opportunity to practice robust, real-world problems through these valuable assessments and saving teachers time on grading them were big reasons why we wanted Techbook,” said Swack. The impact these assessments could have on the future resulted in the board authorizing more devices for next year, so more students can participate, she said.