Charlotte, NC (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)—New Mexico’s Aztec Municipal School District (AMSD) today announced the renewal of its multiyear partnership with Discovery Education supporting science education in three district elementary schools. This renewed collaboration ensures students and teachers in the district’s K-5 classrooms will continue to use the company’s award-winning Mystery Science service to drive deeper student engagement in science instruction. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports instruction wherever it takes place.
AMSD serves 2,800 K-12 students in a rural community located in the northwest corner of New Mexico within the “Four Corners region” where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona meet. AMSD’s diverse student population is approximately 63% Anglo, 22% Hispanic, and 13% Native American. The district employs over 200 certified staff members and a support staff of more than 150 to provide transportation and educational services to students. The family-oriented district is a nurturing learning community in which everyone has a job title, but their key role is to improve learning for all students.
AMSD’s talented team of educators are dedicated to ensuring all learners develop a strong educational foundation that will serve as a launching point for future success. In 2021, the district selected Mystery Science to help teach students how to think like scientists and develop a life-long love of learning. This year, following a careful review of the district’s usage and success with the Mystery Science service, school administrators elected to renew for two additional years the partnership with Discovery Education that brings Mystery Science to ASMD’s elementary school classrooms. By doing so, the district believes they are helping build young learners’ knowledge of the scientific fundamentals that will drive future success in the subject in middle school, high school, and beyond.
Mystery Science, which joined the family of Discovery Education services in 2020 and has won SIIA’s Best Science Instructional Solution CODiE award for Grades PK – 8, provides K-5 educators simple to use, open-and-go, hands-on lessons that inspire students to love science. Each lesson begins by posing a question commonly asked by young students. Students then explore these questions through interactive videos featuring real-world visuals fostering a sense of wonder and actively supporting student engagement in the accompanying discussion prompts.
Then, students participate in easy to prepare hands-on labs that use simple science supplies commonly found in classrooms or at home. Mystery Science contains everything teachers need to get students engaged in hands-on science and make that subject the best class of the day.
Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are now available in Spanish, with accompanying videos featuring authentic Spanish narration and Spanish text-on-screen (for discussion questions, vocabulary words, and step-by-step instructions). Editable, ready-to-use worksheets and assessments are also available in both English and Spanish. In addition to Mystery Science, AMSD’s educators will continue using Discovery Education’s Science Techbooks to support science instruction.
“Engaging students in learning is the first step to academic success,” said AMSD Associate Superintendent Lauren Laws. “Renewing this partneship provides our district’s teachers continued access to powerful digital resources that engage students in science, holds their attention, and builds a life-long love of the subject.”
Discovery Education is also providing AMSD’s educators dedicated professional learning to help them effectively use their new resources and recognize the full return on their edtech investment. Through these interactive professional development sessions, participants will learn best practices for integrating digital resources into instruction. These effective professional development opportunities maximize the power of these resources, increase student engagement in learning, and support the continued academic development of all learners.
Also, all AMSD educators enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global network of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.
“Discovery Education is proud to renew its collaboration with Aztec Municipal School District,” said Alex Porpora, Discovery Education’s Mystery Science District Partnership Manager. “AMSD has created supportive learning environments that are opening the doors to science for the youngest learners, and we are excited to be a part of their work.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.