Bank of America Foundation, DPI, SAS inSchool Announce Historic Gift to N.C. Schools; Two-Year Grant Makes Educational Curriculum Available Statewide.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2003

Public school teachers and their students across North Carolina have access to SAS inSchool's award-winning, Web-based educational curriculum through the 2004-05 school year, thanks to a grant by the Bank of America Foundation.

State Superintendent of Public Schools Mike Ward announced the grant Monday at a press conference at Southeast Raleigh High School. Bank of America's North Carolina President Graham Denton and SAS President and CEO Jim Goodnight joined Ward in making the announcement.

The partnership makes SAS inSchool courses available to all public schools in the state, particularly those that serve grades 8-12. SAS inSchool, a division of SAS, creates Web-based teaching and learning curricula focusing on the core subjects taught in grades 8-12, including English, social studies, science, mathematics and Spanish.

Ward said the grant will provide resources many North Carolina schools have never had.

"This support by Bank of America and SAS will provide valuable resources to students and schools across our state," said Ward. "Media coordinators and technology facilitators will help teachers and students use this software to support classroom learning. As we raise expectations for schools, we're also raising expectations that the community will support our efforts. Today's announcement is a great example of that support."

"Bank of America is committed to higher standards in service to our customers, shareholders and communities," said Denton. "Our support of North Carolina's public schools, in cooperation with SAS inSchool, provides students, teachers and parents a valuable tool with a quality curriculum to accomplish the academic pursuit of excellence."

"This statewide gift marks the first educational technology partnership of its kind in the nation," said Goodnight. "Similar interest is being expressed by other states to offer the resources statewide."

SAS inSchool's standards-based resources are receiving growing acceptance coast to coast by middle schools, high schools, virtual schools, community colleges and universities. The award-winning software offers a Web-based planning environment for teachers. The material engages students with different learning styles, reaches students at various ability levels, inspires students with interactive learning and is accessible from school and home. It promotes problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Subjects are divided into categories and topics. Teachers can access materials quickly, plan lessons efficiently, flexibly integrate the material into different teaching and learning environments, differentiate instruction, spend more time with students and use highly effective multimedia to teach the more difficult topics.

About Bank of America

The Bank of America Foundation directs charitable giving on behalf of Bank of America and provides grants to nonprofit partners that use creativity and imagination to help America's neighborhoods flourish and communities prosper. One of the world's leading financial services companies, Bank of America is committed to making banking work for customers and clients like it never has before. Through innovative technologies and the ingenuity of its people, Bank of America provides individuals, small businesses and commercial, corporate and institutional clients across the United States and around the world new and better ways to manage their financial lives. The company enables customers to do their banking and investing whenever, wherever and however they choose through the nation's largest financial services network, including approximately 4,400 domestic offices and 13,000 ATMs, as well as 30 international offices serving clients in more than 150 countries, and an Internet Web site that provides online banking access to 4 million active users, more than any other bank. Bank of America stock (ticker: BAC) is listed on the New York, Pacific and London stock exchanges. The company's Web site is www.bankofamerica.com. News, speeches and other corporate information may be found at www.bankofamerica.com/newsroom.

About the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction

The Department of Public Instruction administers the policies adopted by the State Board of Education and offers support to the public schools in North Carolina.

About SAS inSchool

SAS inSchool won the Technology and Learning Award of Excellence in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and was listed among Technology and Learning's Top Three Software Programs for 2001. SAS inSchool offers Web-based, multimedia instructional software and educator learning and support services. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.SASinSchool.com.

About SAS

SAS is the market leader in providing a new generation of business intelligence software and services that create true enterprise intelligence. SAS solutions are used at more than 40,000 sites -- including more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 -- to develop more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; to enable better, more accurate and informed decisions; and to drive organizations forward. SAS is the only vendor that completely integrates leading data warehousing, analytics and traditional BI applications to create intelligence from massive amounts of data. For more than 25 years, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know(R). Visit us at www.sas.com .

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. (R) indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright (C) 2003 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved

Copyright (C) 2003 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.