In some states, a single education service center may serve well over 50 school districts and hundreds of thousands of students. These are not only resource and support hotspots, but also places for educators to gather and connect. For instance, over 200,000 educators participated in professional development hosted by the New York Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in just one year. Wouldn’t such large gatherings be more valuable experiences if there was more common ground with regards to curricula? 

It’s commonplace for districts to make curriculum decisions independently, but with the omnipresent support of consortium instructional experts. The usefulness of the services offered by an education service agency largely depends on the extent to which the support team and district-level curriculum leaders are on the same page. Sometimes collaboration comes naturally, but often there are just too many bridges to cross when it comes to resource consistency.

Teachers and curriculum administrators can be worlds apart if they subscribe to different digital curriculum supports and use totally different textbooks. The status quo is doable, but far from ideal. In the spirit of change for the better, some consortium leaders harness the power of a unifying supplemental tool that teachers across districts can utilize in the classroom. An engaging, editable, and aligned library of interactive resources available at consortium pricing? It’s the ultimate curriculum upgrade. Boardworks turn-key presentations and activities are inspiring consistency and collaboration across educational cooperatives both large and small.

Why fix something that isn’t broken? Because so much more is possible.

Support administrators at both the education service center and district levels are keenly aware of the limitations of going it alone when establishing curriculum supports for teachers. Dr. Kathy Peasley of the Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District (RESD) in Michigan was searching for a better way for quite some time.

“One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is gradually move districts toward similar textbooks or similar resources that allow us, through economies of scale, to better support our districts. 

When Dr. Peasley’s team of support professionals held training sessions for new teachers, there was no consistency among districts. In fact, the pandemic-driven transition to at least partially-remote learning led to a “mixed and matched” curriculum environment that reduced consistency even further in many districts, a notion that is supported by recent studies.

Dr. Peasley’s team was tasked with preparing newcomers for the classroom, but often without the exact tools they would be using in their respective districts. After seeing too many collaboration opportunities go to waste because of a lack of shared resources, her team decided to pursue a unification strategy that would strengthen support for all districts. She heard about Boardworks, a turnkey library of enriching classroom materials that are fully accessible to her entire educational cooperative with a one-time purchase. With one purchase, all 13,000 students in the Gratiot-Isabella education consortium could grow together with a library of unified curriculum resources spanning all grade levels. Gone would be the days of the great curriculum mismatch. Learn more about Gratiot-Isabella RESD’s implementation of Boardworks curriculum supplements in this featured case study.

How Boardworks Opens the Door to New Ways of Teaching and Growing

What sets Boardworks apart from other curriculum supplements? The easy-access suite of lessons and activities empowers teachers with ready-made materials that remain customizable indefinitely. Accommodation possibilities are endless, and there’s no more debating philosophies and standards alignment since modification is a signature feature.

The aligned and editable materials are the ideal supplement to build out a scope and sequence. A predictable content style across grade levels benefits both teachers and students.  Appropriate uses of technology keep students engaged but focused, the perfect recipe to inspire learning and classroom participation. Onboarding new teachers is simplified within the consortium, as everyone in the education cooperative becomes familiar with the Boardworks suite of resources.

In addition, making the switch is fully supported by Boardworks product experts. A dedicated Educational Consultant is there every step of the way to guarantee a smooth transition as the consortium implements Boardworks in schools. Plus, no more worrying about changes of leadership. Access is as simple as a one-time purchase. Once an education service agency purchases the Boardworks library of resources, the consortium owns it without expiration.

Aligned With the Big Picture

Unifying districts with shared classroom resources is about more than simplifying education. Improving resource consistency is a research-backed strategy that opens up opportunities for collaboration and improvement, even among veteran educators. Looking for a way to mix things up a bit? See a need to try something new instructionally? Boardworks interactive and customizable resources will engage students and foster organic learning. Perhaps such a much-needed breath of instructional fresh air will remind our great teachers why they entered this noble profession in the first place.

Dr. Peasley of Gratiot-Isabella RESD is a forward-thinking leader. She sees the broader impact of easy access to high-quality materials for teachers today.

“We have to hang on to the teachers we have and the best way to do that is to provide the tools they need to do their job. The commitment to continued development, the one-time fee ensuring we don’t have to worry about future turnover in the license, and the tremendous customer service we have received all support us in that effort.”

Boardworks offers a multi-faceted solution to common obstacles facing education service agencies working hard to serve students across vast distances and diverse curricula. Schedule a personalized demo to experience how Boardworks turn-key curriculum supports provide refreshing, aligned and customizable content that unifies educators and simplifies teacher onboarding in this dynamic era. 

Learn more about how Boardworks works with education consortiums to support teacher onboarding and curriculum supplementation at scale.