BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARTNERS WITH DISCOVERY EDUCATION TO SUPPORT SYSTEM DIGITAL CONVERSION
-- Dynamic Multimedia Resources Support District’s “Students & Teachers Accessing Tomorrow” --
February 5, 2014
TOWSON, Md. (February 5, 2014) - Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) will partner with Discovery Education, a leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, to support the school system's digital conversion, called Students & Teachers Accessing Tomorrow (S.T.A.T.).
The five-year partnership will support an initiative centered on transforming teaching and learning by effectively integrating technology into the classroom. The instructional digital conversion, which was introduced as a school system priority last year by BCPS Superintendent Dallas Dance, calls for a fundamental curriculum-driven shift in teaching and learning through the integration of technology.
The partnership will provide classrooms across the district with access to Discovery Education Streaming Plus, a library of more than 200,000 digital learning resources that support all subject areas and learning styles. In addition, Discovery Education will deliver professional development to support district teachers as they implement S.T.A.T.
"To prepare every student with the skills they will need, we must ensure our schools are equipped with engaging, high-quality content that blends with digital learning," said Dr. Dance. "As we celebrate Digital Learning Day, we are excited to provide educators access to Discovery Education's digital resources."
Discovery Education's Streaming Plus content will support the school system's strategic plan, Blueprint 2.0, and its focus on enabling all students to be globally competitive upon graduation. Ten Baltimore County elementary schools, called "lighthouse schools," will begin S.T.A.T. implementation during the 2014-15 school year, with each school providing individual digital learning devices for all students in grades 1-3 and implementing blended learning environments. The district's goal is to fully adopt 1:1 personalized learning environments for all schools and grade levels by the 2017-2018 academic year.
To ensure these new digital resources are introduced and used effectively, educators also will receive curriculum-based professional development from both Discovery Education and the school system's organizational development and technology staffs. In addition to participating in extensive professional development, BCPS school leaders, staff development teachers, and educators will take part in a Teacher Leader Corps (TLC) learning community, a program that showcases creative ways to motivate students and invigorate curriculum using the latest innovations in teaching and learning.
"We are proud to partner with BCPS to help bring the inspiring vision of Blueprint 2.0 to life and empower educators with rich, dynamic multimedia content they can leverage to enhance instruction," said Coni Rechner, senior vice president at Discovery Education. "This partnership illustrates the district's commitment to creating a digital and blended learning culture that builds the skills and knowledge necessary for postsecondary success among all students."
For more information about Discovery Education's suite of digital services and resources, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools, 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.