Mesquite Independent School District (MISD) students in grades 5-8 will return to the classroom for the 2022-2023 school year with new edtech tools designed specifically for Texas classrooms that will enhance science education. Created by long-time district partner Discovery Education—the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports instruction wherever it takes place—these 100% Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) aligned digital resources will transform science education and connect classroom lessons to their “real world” application. 

MISD is an inspiring and innovative learning community that educates and empowers students to pursue excellence. Encompassing an area of approximately 60 square miles in east Dallas County, MISD draws from the communities of Mesquite, Garland, and Balch Springs, as well as areas of Dallas, and serves approximately 38,000 students on 51 campuses. 

Seeking flexible, easy-to-use digital resources accessible wherever learning is taking place that are also available in both Spanish and English, 100% TEKS aligned, and simple to integrate into the district’s current LMS system, MISD undertook an expansive review process of possible solutions. At the conclusion of that process, MISD selected Discovery Education Science for Texas for use with students in grades 5-8. 

Specially designed for Texas schools and districts, Discovery Education Science for Texas combines deep, rigorous science content that is fully aligned to the TEKS, ready-to-use activities, and interactives with new, easy-to-use lessons available through Mystery Science—all in one dynamic platform to better serve teachers and students. 

Discovery Education Science for Texas also contains immersive hands-on activities, virtual labs, videos, and rich interactive resources that get students thinking and acting like scientists. In addition, this resource supports the unique needs of every learner so they can actively experience the magic of science. Spanish/English options, adjustable reading levels, and read aloud tools, alongside a host of interactive, multimedia resources, all support high levels of student engagement. Also, a variety of embedded differentiation tools and assessment opportunities empower educators to accelerate or remediate instruction. 

These resources will be used alongside Discovery Education Science Techbook, which is already in use districtwide. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, the Discovery Education platform facilitates engaging, daily instruction in any learning environment.    

"The Mesquite ISD Science Department’s mission is to create a learning environment that prepares students with the knowledge and skills for success both in the field of science and beyond,” said MISD Science Coordinator Matt Cain. “We believe that by offering students access to exciting digital resources—like those provided by Discovery Education—that align with their passions and aptitudes, we can create engaging instructional experiences that will serve as a springboard to higher achievement.” 

MISD educators using Discovery Education resources also enjoy access to the Discovery Education Community. A global network 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 idea sharing and inspiration. 

“Discovery Education is proud to partner with the team at Mesquite ISD on this exciting new initiative,” said Raquel Gruver, Discovery Education’s Manager of Education Partnerships. “The MISD team is committed to building exactly the sort of learning experiences today’s middle schoolers need, and we look forward to supporting their work!” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.