SACRAMENTO, Calif., and HADLEY, Mass. – Oct. 15, 2008 – Pearson announced today that the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has awarded the company a two-year contract to manage its certification testing for teachers of English Language Learners, the California Teachers of English Learners® (CTEL®) exams. In 2007, Pearson was granted a three-year contract to continue managing the other three components of California's teacher certification testing program: the California Basic Education Skills Test™ (CBEST®), the California Subject Examinations for Teachers® (CSET®) and the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment® (RICA®).

"In California, more than 25 percent of our K-12 students are English Language Learners – the largest number of any state in the country – so it is particularly important that we ensure that our teachers are prepared to effectively teach these students,” said Dale Janssen, executive director, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. "The CTEL exams were developed by the Commission in collaboration with California educators and the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, and we are pleased to continue that relationship in this important credentialing area.”

Current or pre-service California teachers who require certification to teach the state's more than 1.5 million English Language Learners may take the CTEL to earn this qualification. The CTEL consists of three separate subtests: Language and Language Development, Assessment and Instruction, and Culture and Inclusion – each designed to measure a specific set of knowledge and skills.

"We are privileged to extend our relationship with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing,” said William Gorth, Ph.D., president of the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson. "As always, we commend the Commission for being on the leading edge by offering a teacher certification testing program that ensures that its teacher workforce is qualified to meet the needs of all of California's students.”

For more information about California Teacher Credentialing Exams, visit www.ctcexams.nesinc.com. For more information about the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, visit www.nesinc.com.

About Pearson

Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, reaches and engages today's digital natives with effective and personalized learning, as well as dedicated professional development for their teachers. This commitment is demonstrated in the company's investment in 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. The company's respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley, Benjamin Cummings, PEMSolutions, Stanford 10, SuccessNet, MyLabs, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, and many others. Pearson's comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student at every level of education. Pearson's commitment to education for all is supported by the global philanthropic initiatives of the Pearson Foundation. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to www.pearson.com .

For more information, press only:

Adam Gaber,
Pearson,
212-641-6118,
adam.gaber@pearson.com

Lisa Wolfe,
L. Wolfe Communications,
773-227-1049,
lwolfe@lwolfe.com,