New and Candidate Teachers Invited to Participate in Pilot of Computer-Based Teacher Certification Testing Program

NES (National Evaluation Series), Pearson’s Contemporary Teacher Licensure Tests, Will Be Delivered at Testing Centers Across the United States

Amherst, MA, November 17, 2009 — Pearson, the education, services and technology company, announced today that it is recruiting teacher candidates and new teachers to participate in pilot tests for the NES® (National Evaluation Series™) , its contemporary, 100 percent computer-based teacher certification testing program. Registration for the pilot test is at http://www.pearsonvue.com/nes/.

Eligible participants in the free pilot test include teacher candidates who are seeking a teaching license and need to take a licensure examination, students in educator preparation programs and persons who have been recently licensed as an educator. To thank participants, those completing pilot tests may receive a Penguin gift certificate or other incentives. Preparation program faculty members, though not eligible to participate, are encouraged to share pilot test information with their students. Additionally, faculty who refer 10 participants who take a NES pilot test will be compensated with a Penguin gift certificate. The pilot test is now open and runs through April 2010, and participants may complete up to eight pilot tests each.

The Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, the most experienced provider of standards-based teacher certification testing programs, has developed the NES to help states ensure that the educators they certify are prepared to teach effectively in 21st century classrooms. NES teacher certification tests provide states with comprehensive exams aligned to professionally accepted national learning standards, covering areas such as essential academic skills, professional knowledge, reading instruction and commonly taught elementary, middle and secondary grade-level subjects.

“Pilot testing is a critical part of the process of implementing our new teacher certification testing program,” said William Gorth, Ph.D., president of the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson. “Candidates who participate will play an important role as we collect information about the test items, and participants will gain experience taking a computer-based teacher certification test.”
The NES pilot tests will be delivered at Pearson’s secure computer-based test centers around the country.

For more information about the NES pilot test, visit http://www.pearsonvue.com/nes/. For more information about the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, go to http://teacher.PearsonAssessments.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 pre-kindergarten through professional learning, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher 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, the Stanford Achievement Test Series, the Wechsler family of assessments, 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 charitable giving 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

Adam Gaber
Pearson
800-745-8469