McGraw-Hill Education Announces 'Center For Digital Innovation'

McGraw-Hill Education today announced the creation of its new Center for Digital Innovation, a first-of-its-kind research and development center focused on bringing to elementary and secondary classrooms the same digital environment that today's young people have embraced outside of school. The Center will be led by McGraw-Hill Education's talented and experienced team of classroom educators, expert engineers and software developers who are marrying McGraw-Hill Education's expertise in curricula development and successful record of developing digital education solutions with emerging technology to design new, paradigm-changing PreK-12 learning solutions. These offerings are helping usher in a new phase of cutting-edge digital-based instruction that will help improve student performance and accelerate the development of 21st century skills.

"America's economic growth and vitality depend on our ability to develop and maintain a strong, educated workforce rooted in the mastery of 21st century skills. To develop such a workforce, as well as drive student achievement, we must accelerate the use of technology so we can go beyond the traditional 'one-size-fits-all' approach and establish a new education model that individualizes instruction to fit each student's abilities," said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies, speaking earlier today on a panel about the importance of education to American competitiveness at the National Summit in Detroit. "We have been at the forefront of using technology to enhance teaching and learning, and this unique R&D center will build on that success by delivering the next generation of education solutions that will enable greater customization, enhance instruction, and help all students acquire the skills they need to succeed in today's world."

The McGraw-Hill Education Center for Digital Innovation is developing digital platforms that are customized by state standards, district requirements, and teacher and student needs for true individualization. The Center further demonstrates McGraw-Hill Education's commitment to being a valuable partner and resource for educators, parents and students as they strive to create a continuous loop of customized feedback and instruction to drive more effective education solutions.

"The convergence of effective learning solutions and technology is key to a brighter future in education," said Peter C. Davis, President, McGraw-Hill Education. "We are committed to continuing to partner with educators and school administrators in the digital creation, delivery and assessment of learning programs that enhance instruction and overall student achievement. We are very excited about the opportunities that technology offers and will remain focused on providing innovative and effective learning solutions that help teachers, parents and students accomplish these very important goals."

The new digital platforms being developed at the Center will allow teachers to instantly assess the proficiency level of a particular student - giving teachers actionable data that allows them to differentiate their instruction based on the needs of the individual student. In addition, these digital solutions will engage today's children, who are digital natives. Not only will they make learning fun for children, they also will provide educators and parents a safe online teaching environment.

"For the millennial student, technology is heavily integrated into every aspect of their lives, except in the classroom," said Mr. McGraw. "Our programs will be the first to create offerings based on how students use technology to bridge the gap between digital socialization and digital learning. This will help teachers, parents and students to unite around the goals of fostering growth and development; creating richer, more involved methods of learning; and more effectively addressing issues that arise."

From literacy to mathematics and science, the new programs will support all students - from those in need of intervention to those in need of additional challenges - with personalized one-to-one learning opportunities.

The Bothell, Washington-based Center for Digital Innovation has several new technologies currently in development and this morning launched two new products that will be available in August for the new school year.

  --  CINCH Project, a collection of Web 2.0 tools for collaborative
      learning projects, features a community-based Web site where teachers
      and students create digital profiles and participate in group inquiry
      opportunities all in a safe and secure Web environment.


  --  Planet Turtle is a K-3 social network where children can interact with
      their peers in a protected Web environment by developing online
      animal-based character avatars and completing learning "challenges"
      that progress as their skills improve.

Programs from the Center for Digital Innovation will help teach 21st century learning skills by cultivating high-level critical thinking and ways to use the Internet for problem-solving - skills that are essential to the high-paying jobs of today's knowledge-based global economy.

The team has already demonstrated success with the development of eSuite packages to accompany Wright Group's Everyday Mathematics and SRA's Imagine It! flagship programs. These complete, fully integrated technology components provide an interactive classroom solution for both students and teachers. Other successful developments from the Center include Instruction Targeted for TABE Success (ITTS) Online and Pre-GED Online, which are targeted for high school drop-out recovery as part of the Contemporary/McGraw-Hill product groups.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education

CONTACT: Frank Briamonte, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, The
McGraw-Hill Companies, +1-212-512-4145 (office), +1-201-725-6133 (mobile),
frank_briamonte@mcgraw-hill.com, Mary Skafidas, Vice President, Communications
and Marketing, McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-2078 (office),
+1-347-351-6407 (mobile), mary_skafidas@mcgraw-hill.com

Web Site: http://www.mheducation.com/