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Fall 2003 Release of NovaNET from Pearson Digital Learning Features New Assessment Component

New BASI™ Series of Achievement Tests helps to Provide Complete Picture of Academic Performance

Mesa, AZ - June 30, 2003 — At the National Education Computing Conference (NECC) in Seattle beginning today, Pearson Digital Learning announces the latest release of its NovaNET® online courseware system. The Fall release of NovaNET will feature a new norm-referenced assessment series called the Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI?), as well as 105 newly enhanced multimedia lessons. The winner of awards from such publications as Media & Methods and eSchool News, NovaNET is an online, standards-based curriculum and assessment system designed for grades 6-12.

“Adding the new, high caliber, norm-referenced BASI assessment to NovaNET’s existing diagnostic, prescriptive and mastery-based curriculum answers the need for increasingly sophisticated tools that help schools demonstrate compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act,” said Sandra Lassiter, senior product manager. “More than 35 years of research have shown that use of the NovaNET system helps to increase graduation rates, but these new tests provide clear accountability by enabling teachers to monitor student progress against state and national standards.”

Authored by Dr. Achilles N. Bardos, a school psychology professor at the University of Northern Colorado, and developed by Pearson Assessments, the BASI series provides a complete picture of academic performance. Consisting of four different levels spanning grades 3-12, the BASI assessment provides grade equivalency and standard scores for six areas of academic achievement: vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, language mechanics, math computation, and math application.

The BASI tests facilitate evaluation of student skills for initial placement, help to gauge student progress on specific NovaNET learning objectives, and provide practice for high-stakes state testing. The BASI series was standardized during the 2002-03 school year, with a census-matched national sample. The series has fall (Form A) and spring (Form B) norms.

"Because of the extreme range of students we have, we need a comprehensive assessment system to understand their academic levels. The BASI series would be a tremendous boost to be able to place our students relative to their academic strengths and weaknesses. It will help us all dramatically,” said Larry Schmidt, the coordinator of alternative education at Dowagiac Union School District in Dowagiac, Mich. “The BASI series will help us to understand the ground rules of a person we first meet, and without it, it can be a struggle to find the course content that fits that student.”

In addition to the new assessment series, the NovaNET fall 2003 release also includes 105 new multimedia-enhanced lessons that benefit from modernized graphics and a more attractive and intuitive interface. The enhancements encompass 48 grammar lessons, 32 vocabulary lessons, and 25 science lessons including biology, astronomy, physics, and ecology.

The NovaNET fall 2003 release will ship to all current NovaNET subscribers, at no additional charge, this fall. Customers may deploy the new lessons, as well as the entire NovaNET library of multimedia lessons, from the CD or from the NovaNET support Web site.

About the NovaNET System

The NovaNET system delivers the most comprehensive, interactive and engaging online curriculum, testing, assessment, student management, and record-keeping, designed specifically for middle and high school learners. The NovaNET system’s thousands of hours of basic skills, middle and high school English, mathematics, science, social studies, electives, ESL, GED preparation, SAT/ACT preparation, life skills, school-to-work, and post-secondary curriculum and assessment programs are aligned to national and state standards. Continuously upgraded and enhanced, it continues to evolve to incorporate the latest technology and meet the changing needs of education.

About Pearson Digital Learning

With more than 40 years of experience in developing, delivering, and supporting curriculum, assessment, and enterprise data management products, Pearson Digital Learning is the leader in offering comprehensive solutions for preK-12 education. Reaching more than 20 million students annually, our products include the SASIxp™ student information system, SuccessMaker® Enterprise and NovaNET® comprehensive courseware systems, KnowledgeBox™ digital learning system, and Concert™ Instruction & Assessment. Pearson Digital Learning is also the exclusive distributor for the Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math & Science™, both created by the Waterford Institute.

Pearson Digital Learning is part of Pearson Education (NYSE: PSO), the world’s leading integrated education company.

More information can be found at: www.PearsonEdTech.com/ or www.PearsonDigital.com/.

Media Contact
Leslie Eicher, APR
314-965-1776
Leslie@EicherCommunications.com