CTB/McGraw-Hill Awarded District of Columbia Assessments in Reading and Mathematics, Grades 3-11

CTB/McGraw-Hill, the nation's leading provider of K-12 and adult education assessment solutions, today announced an agreement with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to provide assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics based on CTB's TerraNova, The Second Edition, for Grades 3-11. The agreement will be implemented from 2004-2008.

The standards-aligned assessments enable DCPS teachers and administrators to measure student progress in reading and mathematics in accordance with No Child Left Behind requirements and local achievement goals, and provide valuable information to enhance teaching and learning.

"We're pleased to be in partnership with CTB/McGraw-Hill," said William Caritj, assistant superintendent for Educational Accountability, District of Columbia Public Schools Office of Accountability. "These new assessments are more closely aligned with our Standards for Teaching and Learning, and incorporate math problem-solving and writing strategies as well as an extended writing task for Grades 3-11."

"CTB/McGraw-Hill looks forward to working closely with the District of Columbia Public Schools to develop and implement a highly effective assessment program in support of improving student achievement and progress across the District," said David Taggart, president of CTB/McGraw-Hill.

The assessments will be piloted throughout the DCPS in 2004, and the first system-wide administration is scheduled for spring 2005. Approximately 65,000 students were enrolled in the DCPS in 2003.

CTB currently provides test results for more than 15 million students a year and serves more than 8,500 school districts in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and the worldwide U.S. Department of Defense system.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill

As the nation's leading publisher of standardized achievement tests for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high schools, CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC offers a broad range of assessments, software and services. CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is part of McGraw-Hill Education and is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, the Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2003 were $4.8 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com and www.ctb.com.

SOURCE: CTB/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Kelley Carpenter
831-393-7196
kelley_carpenter@ctb.com

Web site: http://www.ctb.com/

Web site: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/