Greenville County Schools expands partnership with Discovery Education to create professional development program nurturing teacher-leaders districtwide
June 20, 2016
‘Digital Leader Corps’ Builds Capacity of Nearly 500 Educators From All 87 District Schools to Effectively Integrate Digital Content and Meet Needs of All Learners
The Greenville County Schools (GCS), South Carolina’s largest school system, announced an expansion of its 14-year partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. In the latest phase of this collaboration, 480 educators from all 87 district schools will participate in Discovery Education’s Digital Leader Corps. A comprehensive professional development system, Digital Leader Corps supports the development of teacher-leaders as they serve as change agents powering the district’s transition to dynamic digital learning environments.
Since 2002, all K-12 classrooms in GCS have had access to engaging digital content through Discovery Education Streaming Plus, an award-winning, comprehensive digital service supplementing instruction across all K-12 curricular areas. Last year, ten GCS schools piloted Discovery Education’s Digital Leader Corps. Beginning in August 2016, 77 additional schools will implement the Digital Leader Corps model, providing 330 new teacher leaders and 150 administrators with nearly 2,800 days of professional development over the next three years.
This expanded partnership supports the 2015-2020 Greenville County Schools’ Technology Plan, which calls for the development of ongoing and sustained professional development programs for all educators. Over the next several years, the district will utilize current and emerging technologies to create learner-centered instructional environments that enhance academic achievement, while growing and sustaining teachers’ capacity to effectively integrate technology into instruction.
Discovery Education’s Digital Leader Corps helps school systems develop a network of teacher-leaders prepared to design and implement successful and innovative teaching strategies to be shared with their peers. Featuring a unique combination of professional learning, pedagogy and tools, Digital Leader Corps offers participating educators proven approaches to integrating educational technologies and digital media into classroom instruction. These approaches are then practiced in educator created, student-centered Learning Labs. In these labs, teachers practice and adapt their new skills in a classroom setting before sharing their successes broadly with their colleagues. The Digital Leader Corps program provides teachers with continuous customized, job-embedded consultation throughout the process with on-going modeling, coaching and feedback from Discovery Education experts in the pre-planning, stakeholder communications and implementation phases.
“The Greenville County Schools are committed to creating dynamic digital learning environments that engage, inspire, and prepare all students for success beyond the classroom,” said Jeff McCoy, Executive Director of Academic Innovation and Technology at Greenville County Schools. “With Discovery Education’s dynamic digital resources and robust professional development, we are empowering our teachers to continue building a strong culture of teaching and learning that engages today’s media-savvy students.”
In addition, the Discovery Education Community will continue to support GCS’ educators in their 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 continue supporting Greenville County Schools’ efforts to build teacher capacity and improve student achievement,” said Rob Warren, Vice President of Education Partnerships at Discovery Education. “We applaud Superintendent Royster and the entire team at Greenville County Schools for their dedication to empowering all teachers and students with the professional development and digital tools that foster authentic, real-world learning experiences.”
For more information about the Digital Leader Corps, Discovery Education Streaming Plus, or other services and resources from Discovery Education, 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, 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
