Alaska Selects Pearson Educational Measurement as Assessment Provider for English Language Learners; Contract Utilizes Ballard & Tighe's IPT(R) Test.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Pearson Educational Measurement (PEM), the largest comprehensive provider of educational assessment services, and Ballard & Tighe, publisher of ELL testing systems, today announced that the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has awarded a contract to provide the English language proficiency assessment for the state's 22,000 limited English proficient (LEP) students.

The comprehensive IPT/PEM Title III Testing Solution includes Ballard & Tighe's new IPT -- an innovative K-12 language proficiency testing system, specifically designed to help states meet the requirements of education reform -- and distribution, delivery, scoring and reporting services provided by Pearson Educational Measurement, whose PEMSolutions(TM) custom services include world-class testing program management.

"The wide-ranging benefits of the IPT/PEM Title III Testing Solution will provide Alaska with a full service English language proficiency testing, scoring and reporting package that is ideal to meet the state's accountability requirements," said Douglas Kubach, president and CEO of Pearson Educational Measurement.

Alaska proposal reviewers shared that they were impressed with the overall quality of the new IPT assessment, the items and their alignment to NCLB's Title I and Title III expectations for standards-based assessment. Additionally, training of test examiners via online, distance-delivered instruction was seen as a positive for the PEM/Ballard & Tighe offering.

"Demand for the IPT/PEM Title III Testing Solution continues to gather momentum. We recently completed training sessions on the new IPT across North Carolina -- the first state to officially select the new IPT to meet its NCLB-compliance needs. We are now ready to implement the new IPT statewide in Alaska," said Dr. Roberta Stathis, president of Ballard & Tighe.

About Pearson Educational Measurement

Pearson Educational Measurement, the largest comprehensive provider of educational assessment products, services and solutions, helps states and large school districts meet the requirements of education reform while using testing and assessment to promote learning. As a pioneer, PEM has been a trusted partner in district, state and national assessments for more than 50 years. PEM's full-service offerings for K-12 and other assessment organizations include PEMSolutions(TM) (Pearson Educational Measurement Solutions) for custom assessments, both online and on paper; Pearson PASeries(TM) (Progress Assessment Series) for formative assessments; Pearson Perspective(TM) for performance reporting; and a wide range of data warehousing and other educational assessment products and services. Pearson Educational Measurement operates as a business of Pearson Education, the world's largest education company. More information is available at www.pearsonedmeasurement.com.

About Ballard & Tighe

Dedicated to making a difference in education, Ballard & Tighe publishes a highly regarded set of products that extend from assessing, identifying, and instructing students with limited English proficiency to transitioning these students into mainstream classrooms. Ballard & Tighe has provided valid and reliable English language proficiency assessments for over 25 years. The company has provided testing, instructional and training products and services to more than 2,200 state, regional, and local school systems throughout the United States and internationally. For information, call 800-321-4332 or visit the Ballard & Tighe's special NCLB-related website at www.nclb.ballard-tighe.com.