Computer Curriculum Corporation Outlines Vision of Community-Wide Learning Initiative; New HomeReach Program Provides School-to-Home Education; Parents, Students and Educators to Take Active Role.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 1995--Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC), Simon & Schuster's multimedia publisher for education, today announced a comprehensive education initiative that will make "classrooms without walls" a reality.

The initiative, which will include a series of technologies and products, is designed to bring education beyond the school environment to create an ongoing interaction between schools, homes and the community. The community-wide learning initiative will entail delivering school curriculum to homes, libraries and community centers and will eventually span several delivery methods, including high-speed modem, ISDN, and broadband cable modem.

The first product in CCC's initiative is HomeReach, an educational software program that extends CCC's SuccessMaker courseware to the home. HomeReach tracks students' learning both at home and at school, giving educators and parents timely information on student progress.

"`Anytime, anywhere learning' is becoming a reality," said Ron Fortune, CCC's president and CEO. "Our vision for education is that students' families and the community will actively participate in the learning process. HomeReach is our first step in strengthening those bonds between the school and the home."

In addition to HomeReach, CCC has other efforts underway to make the school-to-home link possible. The company is involved in cable modem trials in California. Through these trials, CCC is evaluating the delivery of curriculum via high-speed (up to 10 megabytes per second) broadband cable modems. This will enable students to access the curriculum on the school's server, making learning at home even easier.

"HomeReach is just the beginning of our community-wide learning initiative," added Fortune. "We'd like to break down the barriers to learning with new technologies like broadband cable delivery and with the active involvement of community resources -- including libraries, businesses and other locations."

How HomeReach Works

As students take CCC courses at school, student performance information is automatically generated, tracking student progress through the curriculum. These files are transferred to and from the school and home computers, so students can continue learning at home. Initially, student histories will be transferred via floppy disk. Subsequent releases of HomeReach will enable the transfer of student data over telephone lines and ISDN services.

An important aspect of the HomeReach program is that it encourages the active involvement of the student's family. With HomeReach, parents can be actively involved in their children's education, and be able to observe their academic progress. Other family members can also benefit from the courseware. Parents can meet their own learning goals by taking such courses as literacy skills, GED preparation and English as a second language (ESL). Siblings can further their own learning by using the HomeReach courses at home.

HomeReach is based on SuccessMaker, CCC's flagship software which incorporates full-motion video, digital sound and interactive animation into more than 3,000 hours of comprehensive courseware for K-12 reading, language arts, math, science, life skills and ESL/bilingual programs. The HomeReach program has been in use at beta test sites in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Flint, Michigan.

HomeReach Course Offerings

The basic HomeReach package includes reading, math, early learning, and reference software for grades K through 8. Schools can purchase optional adult or bilingual courses to supplement the basic package. Specific contents of HomeReach include:

HomeReach Basics

-- Math Concepts and Skills -- Initial Reading -- Reading Readiness -- Reader's Workshop -- Busytown -- early childhood learning software -- How Things Work in Busytown -- early childhood learning software -- Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia -- Macmillan Dictionary for Children

HomeReach Adult

-- The Reading Network -- GED Preparation -- Essentials for Living and Working

HomeReach Bilingual

-- English as a Second Language -- Math Concepts and Skills, Spanish

Training Available for Students, Parents and Educators

CCC offers extensive educator training and support for HomeReach to ensure success. HomeReach is administered by the schools, and in some cases, schools can make available a personal computer for students to use at home. Training is also provided to the students' parents so they can feel comfortable with computer set-up and use.

Pricing and Availability

CCC's HomeReach will be available in January 1996 for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows-based personal computers. Initially, HomeReach is only available in conjunction with SuccessMaker and is sold by subscription for $600/year. If schools purchase a two-year subscription, they automatically get a lifetime subscription to HomeReach.

Computer Curriculum Corporation, one of the fastest growing units of Simon & Schuster, is a leading multimedia publisher for the K-12 education market. By combining comprehensive courseware with a powerful management system, CCC enables teachers to not only create an engaging learning environment, but establish individualized learning paths, assess progress and measure results against appropriate standards. Computer Curriculum's Corporation's software is installed in more than 8,000 schools and is used by more than 1.5 million students worldwide.

Simon & Schuster, the world's largest educational publisher, is the publishing operation of Viacom Inc. Viacom is one of the world's largest entertainment and publishing companies and a leading force in nearly every segment of the international media marketplace. -0-

Note to Editors: Computer Curriculum Corporation is a registered trademark and HomeReach is a trademark of Computer Curriculum Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Computer Curriculum Corporation

Lorraine Rossini, 408/541-3951

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Big Sky Communication Inc.

Natalie Barreiro, 415/595-8793

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