Boston,December 15, 2008 -- Massachusetts' students have moved to the head of the global class. The 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) announced this past week reveals that the state's fourth graders ranked second worldwide in science achievement and tied for third in math. Eighth graders tied for first in science and ranked sixth in math.

"This world class accomplishment of Massachusetts' students is a direct reflection of the state's leadership and commitment to educational progress - from Governor Patrick to Education Secretary Reville and his team to the dedicated educators around the state who work with students every day," said Peter Cohen, CEO of Pearson School, the world's leading education company. "Massachusetts has definitely raised the bar in science and math for the rest of the country."

"Massachusetts has a long history of success with education reform and the academic achievement of students," said Education Secretary Paul Reville in a press release issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. "Our students have consistently performed at the highest levels on many national measures and now we have confirmation that many are prepared according to an international measure."

TIMSS was developed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement in Amsterdam to measure trends in students' math and science performance worldwide. In all, 59 countries and 425,000 students participated in the 2007 TIMSS administration. Massachusetts and Minnesota were the only two states to opt to participate as "nations." In Massachusetts, 3,600 students attending 95 randomly selected schools participated in the study.

More than half of the state's schools, including the largest districts of Boston, Lowell, Springfield, Lawrence and Brockton, learn from Pearson's math and science curriculum materials -- at the elementary level, Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Math, Investigations in Number, Data and Space, enVisionMATH and Scott Foresman Science; and for secondary, Connected Mathematics, Prentice Hall Math, Prentice Hall Algebra, and Prentice Hall Science.

Announcing the Massachusetts rankings at Manassah E. Bradley School in East Boston, Governor Patrick said, "This achievement is the result of the commitment to high standards of teachers and students in classrooms across the Commonwealth. We cannot and will not let up until all students are performing at their very best."

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.

Contact
Kate Miller
Pearson, 800-745-8489
Lisa Wolfe
L. Wolfe Communications