Sacramento, CA (April 8, 2008) — Math, while not exactly the stuff of great Presidential debate, is playing a huge role in this year's election campaign. With the delegate count for the Democratic nomination making daily headlines, Pearson Education is celebrating April's "Math Awareness Month" and this year's "Mathematics and Voting" theme by shining a light on algebra-readiness - a top priority of California educators, and a key finding in the report issued by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel last month.

Math Awareness Month is sponsored by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics, which selected "Mathematics and Voting" as the theme for 2008. Mathematics Awareness Month, held each year in April, was created to increase public understanding of and appreciation for mathematics. "We all certainly need to be able to do the math to follow the Presidential primaries and delegate voting," said Vicky Bush, Vice President of Pearson in California. "Anyone tracking the process needs a clear understanding of core math principles, the basis for algebra-readiness. This is one very concrete example of why California's students must be well-grounded in multiplication, fractions, and problem solving skills - the foundation for higher level math."

The "Mathematics and Voting" theme raises challenging questions like: Does your vote really matter? Or what if you hadn't voted at all..would that have changed the result of the election? What is the probability that your vote could be decisive? Bush added, "The focus on 'Mathematics and Voting' is a practical and relevant initiative to draw students' attention to the importance of mathematics in their daily lives."

Dr. Randall Charles, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics at San Jose State University and past vice president of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, and author for four of the Pearson Math programs approved for adoption by the California State Board of Education, links mastery of algebra and math skills to each person's ability to make sense of and participate in the political process. "So much of the political information we get is numerical and graphical. Individuals who are not comfortable with mathematics may be reluctant to participate in the political process if they don't have a basic understanding of math at least at the level of algebra-readiness," Charles said. He added, "Virtually all of the research in recent years confirms that in order for our students to compete in the global 21st century economy, they must improve significantly in their understanding of math concepts and skills."

In California, school districts are now selecting math programs, including consideration of California-specific, research-based algebra readiness courses from Pearson:

• Prentice Hall Mathematics California Algebra Readiness: An 8th-grade program designed to bridge the gap between basic math and algebra, with a focus on basic algebraic concepts.
• Connecting to Algebra for Algebra Readiness-A National Science Foundation-funded Grade 8 level program, grounded in research and interactive learning styles.

Pearson has also developed a Pearson 2008 Election Kit for teachers, parents and students, to help them navigate the complex Presidential election process. It is available at www.phschool.com/sales_support/marketing_websites/election_kit/index.html.

For more information on Math Awareness Month, go to www.mathaware.org

About Pearson in California:
Pearson, the world's leading education publisher, has been providing education materials to California schools as far back as the 1880s. You may know us individually as Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Longman, SuccessMaker, NovaNet, AGS, Pearson Assessment and Information, Learning Teams, Achievement Solutions, and so many more-names in the world of education that are recognized and respected across the State and the globe. In fact, most teachers in California have learned their profession by studying with Pearson's Merrill or Allyn & Bacon textbooks, and many have benefited from our professional development programs. Today, nearly a thousand Pearson people are living and working in the State, providing educational materials that cover the gamut from birth through professional learning. In addition to Education, Pearson's other major businesses include The Financial Times Group and The Penguin Group. For more information, go to: http://www.pearsonschool.com.

Contacts:
kate.miller@pearson.com - 1.800.745.8489
jami@jwarnergroup.com - 1.916.761.7699