COLORADO’S ST. VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS WITH DISCOVERY EDUCATION TO SUPPORT LEARNING TECHNOLOGY PLAN Shawnee Cohn, Discovery Education240-393-5849, shawnee_cohn@discovery.com Stephen Wakefield, Discovery Education240-463-2894, Stephen_Wakefield@discovery.com -Dynamic Digital Textbooks and Professional Development Support School System’s Efforts to Create Modern Science and Social Studies Learning Environments- Silver Spring, Md. (October 10, 2016) – Colorado’s St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) today announced a new partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. As part of this new relationship, Discovery Education is supporting the district’s continued transition to modern learning environments by empowering the district’s middle school educators to more deeply engage students in science instruction with its award-winning Science Techbook™. In addition, Discovery Education and SVVSD are commencing two year-long pilot review programs, bringing the Science Techbook to high school classrooms, as well as the Social Studies Techbook to middle school classrooms. SVVD’s new partnership with Discovery Education directly supports the continued implementation of the district’s Learning Technology Plan (LTP). The LTP, developed by a committee of 33 district teachers, principals, and other staff members, ensures the district’s investment in technology is aligned to instructional priorities and school needs. The LTP also makes certain students and teachers have the tools they need to investigate, communicate, collaborate, create, model, and explore concepts and content in authentic contexts, and provides all learners with devices they can take home and use to extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom to the entire family. Discovery Education’s 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 any classroom configuration or instructional environment. The Social Studies Techbook series uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy and the 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. To ensure each SVVSD teacher is fully supported in their transition to the Techbooks, Discovery Education experts will provide faculty high-quality professional development supporting the integration of the digital textbook into classroom practice. “St. Vrain Valley School District is committed to creating technology-rich learning experiences that engage students and help them cultivate the critical skills they need for success beyond the classroom,” said Damon Brown, Executive Director of Communications, Human Resources and Risk Management at St. Vrain Valley Schools. “Discovery Education’s dynamic digital resources and professional development are incredibly important to our efforts to create the authentic digital learning environments districtwide that make teaching and learning more engaging and accessible for all.” In addition, the Discovery Education Community will support SSVD’s educators’ 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 proud to be a part of St. Vrain Valley School District’s efforts to equip students with the digital tools and content they need to engage in dynamic learning experiences anytime, anywhere,” said Scott Burns, Manager of Partnerships at Discovery Education. “We are looking forward to supporting their talented team as they empower educators with rich, dynamic digital content they can use to enhance instruction.” For more information about Discovery Education’s 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 3 million educators and over 30 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.