Alliance Gives Schools Boost to Improve Reading Achievement.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1999--

Help One Student to Succeed (HOSTS) Corporation and SRA/McGraw-Hill announced today that they have forged an alliance that will help thousands of schools improve student performance and expand opportunities in reading, language arts, and Spanish language arts.

Under the alliance, HOSTS will work to incorporate SRA's proven, research-based reading programs as part of the core mentoring resources it recommends to schools.

The strength of the alliance comes from the many common interests the two national companies share. Both companies provide proven, research-based education solutions, stress customized learning plans for success, and are "teacher friendly". SRA and HOSTS are committed to the philosophy that all children can learn to read.

"Because of our familiarity with the materials of dozens of publishers, we are especially pleased to announce our alliance with SRA, which we believe produces some of the best core reading programs in the country," said HOSTS CEO Dr. Chad Woolery. "The simple fact that both HOSTS and SRA have been recognized by the Education Commission for the States for our programming quality speaks volumes."

The 28-year-old HOSTS Corporation provides schools with an electronic database of thousands of education materials and software to align curriculum, connect resources to individual student's needs, and generate lesson plans for mentors to use. It also tracks both mentor and student data and develops appropriate strategies to further enhance a student's academic performance. HOSTS has served more than one million students since 1971 and is presently used in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and El Salvador.

"The real winners of this partnership will be the thousands of students and teachers participating in both programs," said Pete Sayeski, president of SRA/McGraw-Hill. "SRA and HOSTS are committed to providing students with the best foundation for a bright academic future. Our philosophies are very compatible and this alliance will allow both companies to expand the positive impact we've had on the nation's students. We are proud that HOSTS has selected SRA as their premier reading program publisher."

SRA was founded in 1938, applying the principles of the behavioral sciences to improve career guidance and counseling. The company quickly became a leader in the field of education. SRA's 50 years of research have uncovered several needs for instructional materials and methods, needs that SRA has consistently met with successful programs such as Open Court Reading, Leamos espanol, and Journeys. Open Court is designed for students who are successfully developing their reading skills. It emphasizes explicit phonics and comprehension skills, balanced with extensive reading of decodable texts and rich literature. Leamos espanol, a Spanish K-3 program, helps Spanish-speaking students transition more quickly into English-speaking classrooms. Journeys, a direct instruction program, provides more fine-tuned instruction to students experiencing reading difficulties. Each program evolved from real-classroom research and the latest scientific findings about learning. HOSTS will include Open Court Reading, Leamos espanol, and Journeys in the database of programs it recommends to participating schools.

For more information about HOSTS and SRA's proven reading programs, visit these web sites: www.hosts.com and www.sra4kids.com.

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading information services provider meeting worldwide needs in education, business, finance, the professions and government. The corporation employs 16,500 people located in more than 400 offices in 32 countries. Sales in 1998 were $3.7 billion.

Note to Editors: There should be a tilde over the "n" in "Leamos espanol" throughout the release. The tilde was omitted for transmission purposes only.