New Online Courses Increase NovaNET Offerings Aimed at Reducing the School Dropout Rate

Fresh Lessons Now Available in Geography, Literature, Math and Biology Labs for Students in Grades 6-12

Chandler, Ariz., May 17, 2010 — “The stakes are too high – for our children, for our economy, for our country. It’s time for all of us to come together – parents and students, principals and teachers, business leaders and elected officials – to end America’s dropout crisis,” said President Barack Obama.

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The education services and technology company Pearson is in sync with the President’s priorities and has just announced its largest release of new content ever, totaling nearly 300 new lessons in five courses for NovaNET, its online program geared toward students in grades 6-12. These new additions augment the current suite of offerings in critical subject areas, like language arts, social studies, science and mathematics. The newest courses include:

Geography: NovaNET’s two-semester course integrates interactive content, like “zoomable” maps and slide shows, to address key concepts in global physical and human geography. There are 104 lessons in this course including a map-reading lesson to help students with this critical skill. Each of the course’s 77 core lessons includes an introduction, practice sections, a review, and a quiz to engage learners.
American Literature (English III) and British Literature (English IV): With 86 objective-based, multimedia lessons in each two-semester course, students can study American and British literature throughout all periods, genres and cultural representations. The new courses include audio excerpts, scrollable literary passages, illustrations, and activities to help students of all ability levels and English language learners better understand the material.
Integrated Math 3: NovaNET’s Integrated Math 3 course offers 78 multimedia, interactive lessons that combine standards-aligned content from current Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II NovaNET courses.
Biology Investigating Lab Lessons: Students can now learn with 14 new video-based lab lessons integrated into the recently-released NovaNET Biology course.

By meeting the needs of students, NovaNET qualifies for federal funding in the areas of Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I, and School Improvement Grants. Nearly 50 districts have purchased the online program with American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) funding, and nine are pursing Investing in Innovation (I3) federal grants to expand their successful NovaNET implementations.

“The continued personalization of learning through technology is a capability that Pearson brings to middle and high school students with NovaNET’s virtual courses. We’re enabling non-traditional learning environments and rich, media-driven instruction to guide these students on a path to success,” said Bob Roliardi, president of Pearson Digital. “We know that digital curriculum can be adapted to meet a student’s needs, providing the most helpful, most individualized learning experience. And, we know that our teachers, through learning technologies, have better access to quality data than ever before.”

NovaNET already provides thousands of hours of research and standards-based curriculum with which students in virtual school settings, dropout prevention and credit recovery programs, summer school and alternative schools learn. For more information, visit www.pearsonschool.com/novanet.

To hear from real students, educators and administrators about how NovaNET has made a positive difference in high school education, watch Pearson’s Defined by Desire video found here: http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZsAy.

About Pearson

Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education services, technology and school solutions, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information about Pearson, go to www.pearsoned.com.

About Pearson Digital

Pearson Digital is a leader in digital and online learning through its Waterford Early Learning programs that now have more than 1 million Pre-Kindergarten through second grade students logging on; its SuccessMaker program for Kindergarten through grade 8 with more than two million users globally; and the Novanet program providing comprehensive personalized online curriculum for middle school through adult learners to help meet the need for credit recovery, drop-out prevention and response to intervention needs serving more than 3 million students in the past 10 years. For more information, visit http://www.pearsonschool.com/digital