Responsibility

As the world’s leading learning company, we focus on three key issues of social and economic importance, where we believe Pearson can help make a difference: Raising literacy levels around the world; making a measurable difference to learning outcomes for students, educators, and education systems; and helping individuals to progress and countries to boost workplace skills as well as help inform business decision-making. For us "education" encompasses reaching out to others, and making a difference every day. Embodying the role of good corporate citizen is part of our DNA, characterized by our three core values: brave, imaginative, and decent.

Research

Pearson has a history of ensuring that its programs in all disciplines are supported by a wealth of data. In K-12, we are the only educational content provider to consistently employ randomized control trials — the gold standard in research — to determine the effectiveness of our curricula in the classroom and to evaluate the impact on student learning. We commission third-party research firms to work with school districts across the U.S. to conduct efficacy studies that use the same rigorous scientific model set forth by the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse. See our video for more information on our ongoing and comprehensive research, the key differentiator that sets Pearson apart in the world of education.

Our assessment businesses apply extensive psychometric experience and expertise during the test development, administration, scoring, and reporting processes. Researchers inform these processes by engaging in basic and applied research about innovations in testing and measurement, and provide customers with a wealth of information, including research reports, policy briefs, case studies, newsletters, and guidelines for best practices.

In higher education, Pearson’s award-winning online learning programs have been proven effective at increasing access to educational opportunities, improving student performance and lowering costs. We sponsor and conduct research about current and future education trends, including mobile and social media, and sponsor studies to determine how government policies impact all sectors of higher education.

The Pearson Foundation

The philanthropic arm of Pearson plc, The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson’s commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. The Foundation aims to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending its educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities.

Key initiatives include:

We Give Books, an international digital reading initiative that makes it possible for anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online.
The Pearson Prize for Higher Education, a two-tiered award that celebrates US-based students who are giving back to their college communities and helps them continue their work.
Read For The Record, a US-based celebration of reading and learning that each year aims to set a new world record for the most children reading the same book on the same day. On Oct. 7th, 2010, 2,057,513 people across the globe did just that, reading the same classic children’s book, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.
A new, full series of digital instructional resources to support the US-based Common Core Standards developed by the National Governors Association, in partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Common Core courses for K-12 mathematics and English language arts will offer a coherent and systemic approach to teaching the new Common Core State Standards built in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (LINK TO COME)
Booktime, a UK-based literacy initiative which aims to inspire a lifelong love of reading by encouraging families to have fun reading together and by sharing a free book with every child starting school in England each school year.
Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education, an investigative video series documenting policies and programs that local education leaders around the world credit with improving student achievement — success demonstrated by the strong performance of their countries in the latest assessment from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
The Bridgeit Mobile Technology program, which combines familiar mobile products and existing wireless technologies to deliver educational programs to teachers and students who otherwise would not have access to these materials. As a result, teachers anywhere in the world have the power to select and receive digital educational programming videos, pictures, text, or audio files over mobile technology already in use in their community.
The Pearson Fellowship for Social Innovation, which supports exemplary young leaders around the globe who are using their ingenuity, passion, and energy to build better lives for themselves and their communities.
The Talloires Network Institute, a global initiative to engage universities and students in civic involvement and social responsibility in more than 60 countries.

Student Advisory Board

In 2007, Pearson announced the formation of the Pearson Student Advisory Board, an initiative to bring college student representatives together with the company’s leadership in order to share perspectives and establish a dialogue on our educational content, technology, services, and future learning models. Student Advisory Board members participate in working committees throughout the year, and are paired with Pearson executive mentors. The committees provide student insight and guidance on issues that are critical to learning and success in higher education.

Campus Ambassadors

Pearson Campus Ambassadors are college students from across the U.S. who act as campus liaison’s between Pearson sales representatives, marketing managers, editors, and the student body. They serve as advocates to help Pearson better meet students’ educational needs, and play a vital role in providing a student voice to faculty and Pearson professionals.

Hispanic Leadership Council

The Pearson-sponsored Hispanic Leadership Council is a nationwide body of select state and district administrators who lead educators serving Hispanic students — the fastest-growing population in the US public education system. The Council works to help ensure that the Hispanic community has access to the educational opportunities necessary for success in school and in life.

The Council serves in an advisory capacity for Pearson. The members provide valuable insights into the needs of the Hispanic student community and how Pearson can best assist them in meeting their educational goals.

In addition, the Pearson Foundation is sponsoring the Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators’ (ALAS) newest initiative the Superintendents Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy will provide mentoring and coaching by proven, distinguished and experienced school superintendents and other educational experts to each participant. The goal is to recruit and prepare school system leaders to become superintendents of Hispanic-serving school districts in the United States.

Environment

Environmental responsibility is an essential component of what it means to be a good corporate citizen, and protection of the environment is embedded in everything that Pearson does. One hundred percent of the electricity used by Pearson in the U.S. comes from renewable sources; we purchase through local power utilities and purchase credible, third-party verified renewable energy credits.

Pearson was the first global media company to commit to becoming carbon neutral, a goal we achieved in 2009. Since then, our businesses have been working diligently to continue to reduce their environmental impacts. Our Old Tappan, NJ, on-demand print center is Pearson’s first site to be powered directly by solar energy. Over the 25-year life of the panels, the switch to solar energy is expected to offset about 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of planting more than 10,000 trees. Our first wind turbine, built at Pearson’s Print Services location in Owatonna, MN, will offset approximately 119 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, or 2,830 metric tons — the equivalent of 5,540 barrels of oil — over its 20-year life. And the solar panel installation at our Cranbury, NJ facility will be one of the largest single site installations of solar panels in the world.

Pearson in the U.S. was named as a 2010 Green Power Leadership Award winner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pearson currently ranks No. 25 on EPA’s National Top 50 list of green power purchasers.

Pearson’s building in Sandy, Utah became our first building to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified by the U.S. Green Buildings Council. Its use of natural light, motion sensors, advanced energy management systems, and temperature controls is predicted to help us use a third less energy over conventional new buildings. Our professional testing center in Boston and Penguin headquarters in New York have also been recognized by LEED.

Pearson’s "Green" initiatives include transforming its corporate fleet to include more fuel-efficient vehicles and expanding the use of online training and meeting tools. Video conferencing has become more engrained into how we conduct business at Pearson. High-definition systems are actively being used in 21 Pearson offices. As of January 2011, employees utilizing these systems conducted 1,016 video conferences with 41% of these ‘˜green meetings’ eliminating the need for participant travel.

Read for the Record: We Set New Records!

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