Louisiana’s Rapides Parish School District Expands Partnership with Discovery Education to Accelerate Transition to Student-Centered Learning Environments Stephen Wakefield, Discovery Education240-662-5563, Stephen_Wakefield@discovery.com -Digital Social Studies and Science Textbooks to Support District’s Efforts to Continuously Improve Instruction– Silver Spring, Md. (Feb. 6, 2017) – Louisiana’s Rapides Parish School District (RPSD) announced today an expansion of their ongoing partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. In this new stage of the collaboration, educators in more than 20 district schools will now be empowered to support RPSD’s transition to student-centered learning environments with Discovery Education’s digital social studies and science textbooks. RPSD’s expanded partnership with Discovery Education advances the district’s efforts to continuously improve instruction across the school system so that every child receives an excellent education that nurtures the development of the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in any professional career they choose. This goal will be achieved through the application of the district’s Framework for Effective Schools, which calls for the alignment of district resources to support the implementation of high-quality instructional practices in every classroom. The district’s endeavor to create student-centered learning environments began in 2011, when RPSD replaced science textbooks in eight elementary schools with Discovery Education’s Science Techbook™. The district’s effort to create dynamic classrooms that provide students greater control, ownership, and accountability over their education will continue as K-12 educators districtwide integrate Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbooks™ and Science Techbooks™ into instruction. “Every individual at the Rapides Parish Schools is committed to providing our students exceptional educational experiences that will help them to succeed beyond graduation,” said Kim Bennet, Executive Assistant Superintendent of Rapides Parish Schools District. “We are excited to move forward in partnership with Discovery Education and continue our transition to student-centered learning, as it is creating modern classrooms that capture the attention of our students, ignite their creativity, and improve their academic achievement.” Discovery Education’s award-winning Techbooks are breakthrough digital textbooks that are aligned to rigorous standards, support a comprehensive curriculum, and are updated regularly at no cost. The series encourages all learners through interactive features that change the reading level of text and enable text to be read aloud. The Techbook series saves teachers’ time with a comprehensive design that places model lessons, student activities and assessments at their fingertips. Techbooks are platform neutral and can be used in one-to-one or one-to-many configurations and in any instructional environment. The Social Studies Techbook series uses 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, a multimedia reference library, interactive maps and informational texts. Utilizing an inquiry-based format built on the 5E model, the Science Techbook, through hands-on labs, digital explorations, an interactive glossary, and data analysis activities, helps teach students to read, write, and think like scientists. Currently, Discovery Education Techbooks are used by more than 3 million students in all 50 U.S. states and several Canadian provinces. To ensure each RPSD teacher is fully supported as they continue their digital transition, Discovery Education makes available to district educators high-quality professional development that supports the integration of the digital textbook into classroom practice. Additionally, the Discovery Education Community will continue supporting RPSD’s educators in their efforts to transform students’ learning experiences with 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. “Discovery Education is honored to be a part of Rapides Parish School Districts’ efforts to create digital learning environments that engage all students,” said Dr. Felicia Bustle, Partnerships Manager at Discovery Education. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Assistant Superintendent Bennett and the committed faculty at RPSD on our joint mission to support the academic success of all students.” For more information about the Discovery Education Techbook series 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 for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. 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. 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.