Very low pricing is available for the online research resources provided through the K-12 Databases program (EBSCO and Britannica). Click here to download campus order form / Click here to download district order form.

Impact Achievement

Quality digital resources enable students to apply higher order thinking skills

  • K12-Databases by the numbers

    Cost Avoidance

    Population Served

    Usage

     

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  • Top 10 Reasons to Use the K-12 Databases

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    1. The K-12 Databases Help Increase Student Achievement and Promote 21st Century Skills
    Students today are exposed to more information than their grandparents were in a lifetime.  Easy access to online information has made most traditional textbooks obsolete. Preparing students for their futures has taken on a different meaning and requires a deeper set of thinking skills - 21st Century skills.  Student achievement can be impacted by effectively facilitated, technology-rich learning experiences. Constructive and targeted integration of quality digital resources like the K-12 Databases enables students to acquire, practice and apply higher order thinking skills resulting in better performance on standardized tests and better preparation for life after high school.

    2. The K-12 Databases Help Differentiate Instruction
    The K-12 Databases resources include age-appropriate interfaces for elementary, middle and high school students, the ability to search for content by Lexile, material in languages other than English, Spanish translator tools and read-aloud features.  Educators can easily identify content most suitable for students with special abilities as well as gifted and talented learners.

    3. The K-12 Databases Address Core Content Standards
    Effective researching requires more sophisticated skills than random hit or miss searching on the open internet. Specific research skills are not only detailed in the new Language Arts/Reading standards; but, are also important components in other core content standards. These rich online resources provide a relevant platform where students can test and hone these skills.

    4. The K-12 Databases Are Critical to College and Career Readiness
    The K-12 Databases Program includes thousands of authoritative, reliable sources of information on occupations in high demand as well as information on how best to prepare for these positions. These resources provide opportunities for students to build proficiency at discovering and evaluating the information they need in order to succeed not only in school but in post-secondary education and the workforce.

    5. The K-12 Databases Program Provides Equitable Access to Quality Resources
    Regardless of district size or funding, all Texas public school students, educators, leaders and students’ families have equal access to the state-wide / opt-in resources.  Approximately 55 cents per student from your district technology allotment is used to fund the K-12 Databases Program.  If these resources were purchased on an individual basis, the cost would be much higher and districts would differ in the online resources provided.

    6. The K-12 Databases Support Parental Involvement
    Since the K-12 Databases are available to students and their immediate families, parents have access to resources to help their children with homework and for their own personal interest. Parents and guardians may access the resources using the same username and password that students use at school.

    7. The K-12 Databases Allow Educators to Keep Current and Grow Professionally
    Components of the K-12 Databases Program include thousands of articles from more than 500 professional journals.  These are updated on a regular basis and provide just-in-time access to freshly published, relevant information that helps educators stay abreast of high interest topics and assists those on your campus pursuing masters’ and doctoral degrees. This collection of full-text education journals paid for with Texas taxpayer dollars is one of the most comprehensive and most valuable.

    8. The K-12 Databases Promote Technology Literacy for Students, Teachers and Administrators
    The K-12 Databases provide opportunities for students, teachers and administrators to address the Technology Applications TEKS, the SBEC Teacher Technology Competencies and the National Technology Standards for School Administrators, and to meet the NCLB Title II Part D requirement.

    9. The K-12 Databases Assist Educators in Reaching the Advanced and Target levels in the STaR Chart Teachers and librarians can reach the advanced to target levels in the Teaching & Learning, Educator Preparation, and Leadership focus areas of the STaR Chart by effectively integrating the K-12 Databases at their campus or district.

    10. The K-12 Databases Help Promote Health at Your School
    With an escalating concern regarding obesity and type II diabetes in children, eating disorders, autism, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, ADHD and the need for updated materials to support the Health curriculum, the K-12 Databases Program provides a resource specifically about health issues.

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  • Action Plan

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    1. Encourage your educational staff to complete a self-paced online course about the K-12 Databases Program. Available at no cost to all Texas educators at your campus or district
    a) Earn up to 15 hours of CPE by choosing from five available courses see instruction sheet for details

    2. Ask your librarian or your technology leader about the K-12 Databases Program and support their efforts in promoting the integration of the program into instruction
    3. Host a K-12 Databases workshop at your site. Contact us at the K-12 Databases Help Desk to inquire about training materials and the possibility of onsite training
    4. No time for formal training? No problem. Explore one or more Mini10s to increase your knowledge (#1 Have You Heard?), share with parents (#2 The Parent Connection) or with your teachers (#3 Getting Started in the Classroom)
    5. Support collaboration between librarians, teachers and instructional technologists to increase use and integration of the K-12 Databases across the curriculum. Integrate the use of approximately 100 existing K-12 Databases model lesson plans as an integration model.
    6. Consider adding utilization and integration of the K-12 Databases to your campus improvement plan and district technology plan.
    7. Influence and encourage easy access to the K-12 Databases by:
    a) including a prominent link to the databases on your campus or district website
    b) customize campus usernames and passwords so students, educators and parents can easily recall how to access
    c) distribute outreach materials to students and their families
    d) add a link to the K-12 Databases from your Parent Portal
    8. Discover the wealth of professional journals included in the K-12 Databases and subscribe to one or more publications at no cost
    9. Monitor your campus or district usage statistics, retrieve them at the Chalk DUST Website or contact the K-12 Databases Help Desk for more detailed information
    10. Take advantage of the K-12 Databases webpage especially designed for school leaders. Use sample communication materials to share news and tips about the resources among staff, students and students’ families

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