OREGON’S STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES NEW EDITIONS OF THE DISCOVERY EDUCATION SCIENCE TECHBOOK FOR STATEWIDE USE Stephen Wakefield, (240) 662-5563Stephen_Wakefield@discovery.com Alycia Chanin, (240) 662-3056Alycia_Chanin@discovery.com -Approval of Award Winning Digital Textbook Series Empowers Educators to Create Modern Learning Environments that Support Instructional Shifts Required by the NGSS as Approved by Oregon- Silver Spring, Md. (October 31, 2016) – Following a rigorous evaluation, the Oregon State Board of Education has approved new editions of the Discovery Education Science Techbook™ for statewide use as a core instructional K-12 resource through its state adoption process. Completely aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as adopted by the state of Oregon, these latest additions to Discovery Education’s award-winning line of digital textbooks changes the way students and educators experience science. Currently, Discovery Education Techbooks are used by more than 3 million students in all 50 U.S. states and several Canadian Provinces. During its latest approval cycle, the Oregon State Board of Education adopted all Discovery Education Science Techbooks for classroom use, giving school districts across the state the option to purchase and integrate the K-8 Science Techbook, as well as the High School Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science Techbooks into classroom instruction. School districts across Oregon now have the option to purchase and integrate these latest Science Techbooks into teaching and learning. The award-winning Discovery Education Textbook series is a fully interactive digital solution that replaces traditional textbooks. Currently, Discovery Education’s Math Techbooks, which were adopted by the Oregon State Board of Education as a core instructional resource in 2015, are also approved for classroom use statewide. The Science Techbooks aligned to the NGSS as adopted by the state of Oregon were developed by Discovery Education’s team of expert science educators with the input of teachers and administrators. Their rich, standards aligned content includes video, audio, text and interactives with hands-on activities, as well as virtual labs that help educators differentiate instruction and create a rich and engaging learning experiences for all students. These new Science Techbooks include valuable STEM resources as well. STEM Project Starters encourage students to connect math, technology, and engineering to their understanding of science concepts to produce creative solutions to real world problems. In addition, the STEM In Action resources help students connect their work to STEM careers, which promotes a clearer understanding of how skills used in school can be applied to jobs “in the real world.” Embedded formative assessment opportunities that help educators monitor student progress are embedded into each Techbook, and like all Discovery Education digital textbooks, the Science Techbooks work on any device and can be implemented in any instructional setting. The Science Techbooks aligned to the NGSS as adopted by Oregon fully support the instructional shifts required by the new standards, embrace the philosophy of three-dimensional learning, and are designed to help educators adapt their classroom practice to meet the standards. In addition to content chosen to directly support the standards, the Model Lessons within the Science Techbooks reflect the interconnectedness of the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) and Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCC) and illustrate what these mean in practice for educators. With these special editions of the Science Techbook, Oregon Students will become immersed in phenomenon-driven, relevant learning experiences, develop their own scientific explanations through a variety of activities such as exploring the overarching themes of science, learn to ask questions and make claims, and identify the cross-cutting connections between sciences. Discovery Education understands that teacher engagement is critical to implementing successful learning initiatives. Therefore, all Techbooks include research-based professional development that supports educators as they integrate new digital content and resources into classroom instruction. The Discovery Education Community, a global community of education professionals, further connects teachers and administrators around the world with social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events that inspire innovation and facilitates idea sharing. A study conducted by independent research firm Merola Research, LLC found that usage of the Science Techbook is associated with higher science achievement scores in South Carolina elementary school students. After one year of implementation in the state’s Rock Hill Schools, fourth grade students whose teachers used Discovery Education Science Techbook scored higher on average on the 2013 Science Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) than students whose teachers did not use Science Techbook. Techbooks are also a substantially less expensive option per student at nearly half the cost of a traditional textbook, with additional savings derived from a lack of textbook replacement or inventory costs. “Discovery Education thanks the Oregon State Board of Education for their exhaustive evaluation of the Science Techbooks,” said Jolie Vigen, Director of Educational Partnerships at Discovery Education. “Their review and approval of these outstanding core instructional resources gives educators statewide access to engaging content 100% aligned to the NGSS as adopted by the state of Oregon that they can use to create the modern science classrooms today’s students need for future success.” For more information about the Science Techbooks aligned to NGSS standards as adopted by Oregon, www.discoveryeducation.com/oregon-science. For additional information on other services and initiatives 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.