Worthington school board members focused on the future of the district in a workshop on district innovations and initiatives.

Two Linworth Alternative science teachers, Mark Maley and Ron Pilatowski, demonstrated a digital science textbook they created themselves at the board meeting and workshop, held Monday, Oct. 12, at the Worthington Education Center.

Pilatowski handed Superintendent Melissa Conrath a heavy Biological and Earth Systems Science (BESS) textbook, which he said cost $80. Then he stepped over to a Smart Board screen to demonstrate an 80-cent digital program he and Maley created that covered the same science information as the textbook.

"When we asked students where they go for science information, few said their textbooks," Pilatowski said. "They go online, not to their textbooks. Most use their textbooks only for review before exams."

Pilatowski and Maley said the information in their digital BESS textbook "would not fit in a regular textbook."

Maley said he's been using digital textbooks for the past 10 years in his science classes at Linworth.

"We are reaching out to where kids are in terms of their learning," he said. "The nice thing about a digital textbook is that students can interact with animated lessons and drag-and-click graphics, learn answers right away and take a multiple-choice quiz after the lesson and take it home and do the same lesson again."

Maley said he worked on all the graphics and animation of the program, while Pilatowski wrote the text.

Thomas Worthington High School science teacher Brian Geniusz said giving every student a compact disc that cost 80 cents -- as opposed to $80 textbooks -- could save the district more than $150,000 for the one 10th-grade science course.

Another innovation that teachers are trying out is having students text answers in class, Maley said.

"Students in some classes are using student response systems to text answers," he said. "Some of our English teachers are using the systems for students who don't like to talk in class, because as we know, kids are great at texting."

Director of Student Achievement Jennifer Wene said the district is working on overall integration of numerous technology techniques to accommodate student learning styles.

"More than just saving money, we can use technology to make sure we are using research-based practices in every classroom," she said.

Wene showed board members a PowerPoint presentation on district initiatives that may have led to the recent "Excellent with Distinction" on the state report card.

"We're focusing on looking at data and providing what kids need while implementing best practices such as Assessment for Learning," she said.

Wene said Assessment for Learning begins with a clear learning target and "sound design to match the target."

"This best practice has a greater impact on students who are most behind," she said.

She said 238 staff members already are trained in Assessment for Learning techniques.

Other initiatives being implemented are Literacy Across Content, Reading Recovery, and Measures of Academic Progress, which measures growth of individual students in the classroom, she said.

Wene said the district also is conducting "Power Walkthroughs," during which administrators visit classrooms to collect data on how the best practices are being used in each classroom.

"Our district focus will be 'annual growth for all and catch-up growth for some,' " she said. "How we accomplish that is by providing rigorous classes that are relevant to students and stressing good relationships between students and teachers."