This press release was originally distributed by the Montana Office of Public Instruction. You can find the Department’s online version here.
HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen today announced a new partnership with Discovery Education, a worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital resources support instruction wherever it takes place. Through this multi-year partnership, the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is providing all 402 public school districts statewide access to a curated collection of high-quality, grade-level appropriate, digital content aligned to Montana’s rigorous K-12 Content Standards.
This partnership is funded through the federal COVID relief Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds and supports core instruction across Montana. In addition, this collaboration supports:
- the state’s workforce readiness
- rural education
- Native American tribal history and culture
- parent and family engagement initiatives
Montana School Superintendents can activate their school district’s Discovery Education account by visiting this website.
“This partnership grows student learning both in and out of the classroom,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The parental and family engagement aspect of Discovery Education will strengthen our Montana students’ success. I encourage all of our schools to take advantage of this great teaching and learning opportunity.”
The dynamic digital content now available to Montana’s teachers, students, and families is delivered through Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content and professional learning resources, Discovery Education facilitates engaging, daily instruction in any environment. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day. Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform into existing IT architecture is easier than ever.
As part of this new partnership, Montana’s educators will also receive ongoing professional learning designed to help them realize the return on the state’s edtech investment. In addition, the state’s educators will also receive the support of the Discovery Education Network. This global community of education professionals connects members in 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 excited to support the state of Montana’s efforts to provide all teachers and parents the tools and resources needed to put students first,” said Coni Rechner, Discovery Education’s Senior Vice President of State & Strategic Partnership. “Superintendent Arntzen and her talented team have created an innovative vision for education in the Big Sky state, and Discovery Education is proud to support their efforts.”
Montana school leaders interested in learning more about the resources available through this partnership can visit Discovery Education’s Montana state partnership website for more details.
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The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, at 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
Contacts:
Brian O’Leary
Montana Office of Public Instruction
Email: brian.o’leary@mt.gov
Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com