Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - April 25, 2005

North Carolina’s Top School Districts Choose State-of-the-Art McDougal Littell Science Program for Middle School

New Research-Based Program Meets N.C. Teachers’ Needs

BOSTON — April 25, 2005 — Houghton Mifflin Company has announced that four top North Carolina school districts have chosen the McDougal Littell Science program for their middle schools.

The new state-of-the-art program, developed specifically for middle school students, will be taught in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Cumberland County and Wake County school districts in fall 2005. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Wake (Raleigh area) and Cumberland (Fayetteville) are the three largest districts in North Carolina. In total, McDougal Littell Science will reach about 100,000 North Carolina students next year.

“We are the first publisher to develop a totally new science program from the ground up since passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation,” said Susan Schaffrath, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company. “Our four-year effort to develop this program relied on extensive research and involved some of the top science educators in the country. We are pleased that it is being adopted by many of the leading districts in the nation.”

The McDougal Littell Science program is unique for three key reasons:

First, it is designed around major scientific principles or “big ideas.” These big ideas present national science standards in a form that students can understand and remember. When teachers are teaching big ideas, they are really teaching the standards on which students will be tested. Testing in science is mandated by NCLB legislation and will begin nationwide in 2007.

Second, it is designed for learners with widely varying abilities. Instructional materials are incorporated into the program to reach students who are at grade level, above grade, or below grade. This is a tremendous time saver for teachers, and allows students to use materials specifically designed for their academic level. McDougal Littell Science is the only program that incorporates “leveled” materials for reading, labs and assessment in such a comprehensive, integrated manner.

Third, it incorporates a range of opportunities for inquiry-based learning. Studies show that students retain more knowledge when they get directly involved in the learning process by asking questions and performing hands-on activities. McDougal Littell Science supports inquiry-based learning through an extensive variety of labs, multimedia visuals and advanced technology, such as its acclaimed Classzone.com interactive Web site.

The program also provides significant support for English language learners, including a complete pupil edition in Spanish, CDs with audio readings of the entire text in both English and Spanish, assessments in Spanish and multilanguage glossaries.

“We studied a number of programs very carefully and selected McDougal Littell Science for several important reasons,” said Cindy Moss, Ph.D., K–12 Science Curriculum Specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. “First, the program is built on key research that was the basis for our state’s science-testing program. Teachers also valued the substantial materials provided for differentiated instruction in reading, lab work and assessment. And finally, the program received resounding approval by specialists for English language learners. In short, it was the program that best met all our needs.”

About Houghton Mifflin
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with over $1 billion in sales. Houghton Mifflin publishes textbooks, instructional technology, assessments, and other educational materials for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. Additionally, Houghton Mifflin offers computer-administered testing programs and services for the professional and certification markets. With its origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. The Company's Web site can be found at www.hmco.com.

About McDougal Littell
McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company, is among the fastest growing publishers in the United States, recognized for its innovation, dedication and responsiveness to the needs of educators. Based in Evanston, Illinois, the Company publishes print and technology materials for language arts, mathematics, social studies, world languages and science for grades 6 through 12. The Company’s Web site can be found at www.mcdougallittell.com.