Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - May 26, 2005

Edusoft Wins Prestigious SIIA Codie Award for Best Student Assessment Solution

SAN FRANCISCO — May 26, 2005 — Edusoft^®, a division of Houghton Mifflin Assessment Group, today announced that the Edusoft assessment platform received the Software & Information Industry Association's (SIIA) Codie Award for Best Student Test Preparation or Assessment Solution at SIIA's Annual Conference. The Codie Awards recognizes best-of-class products in the software and information industries.

This new category, added in 2005, represents the best computer-based or online solution for diagnostic assessments or preparation for high-stakes tests for K–12 content.

“This distinguished award represents thousands of hours of listening to teachers, principals and administrators in large and small districts to deliver a product that meets their objective of improving performance for every student in every classroom every day,” said Iwan Streichenberger, president of Edusoft. “We are pleased to be honored by our peers and recognized by our customers for developing easy-to-use testing and reporting tools that provide districts the information they need to help improve instruction and student performance.”

The Edusoft platform provides practical assessment services that make it easy for districts to collect, analyze and act on student performance data to improve instruction. The platform makes administering tests quick, easy and cost-effective; delivers rapid turnaround of results; improves the reliability of assessment programs; connects assessment to instructional decisions; and increases the effectiveness of districts' instructional investments. Since its inception, the Edusoft platform has scanned and scored more than 10,000,000 tests in more than 3,500 public schools for almost three million students.

“The 20th Annual Codie Awards continues SIIA's tradition of celebrating the best products in the software and information industries,” said Ken Wasch, president of SIIA. “Being chosen as the winning company from among so many fine nominees is a tremendous achievement. SIIA congratulates Edusoft on their win in this new 2005 Codie Awards education category.”

About the Codie Awards
The Codie Awards is the only peer-recognition awards program of its kind in the industry, providing a unique opportunity for companies to earn the praise of their competitors. The Codie Awards program, now in its twentieth year, remains the standard-bearer for celebrating outstanding achievement and vision in our industry. The Codie Awards were established by the Software Publishers Association (SPA), now the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), in 1986 so that the pioneers of the then-nascent software industry could evaluate and honor each other's work.

About Edusoft
Edusoft offers the only proven standards-based assessment platform to enable public schools immediate access to online student performance results and customized instructional tools based on the automatic scoring of plain paper answer sheets. Edusoft, a division of Houghton Mifflin Assessment Group, is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Additional information on Edusoft and its products can be obtained at 866-4-EDUSOFT or www.edusoft.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Assessment Group
Since 1916, Houghton Mifflin has been one of the world's most trusted providers of standardized tests and assessments. Today, the Houghton Mifflin Assessment Group publishes a broad array of K–12 educational, clinical and professional tests through the Company's three assessment divisions: Riverside Publishing, Edusoft and Promissor. Trusted brands such as Stanford-Binet, Woodcock-Johnson^® and Iowa Tests of Basic Skills^®, along with the sophisticated technology platforms of Edusoft and Promissor, position Houghton Mifflin Assessment Group to meet the dynamic assessment needs of today's educational and professional markets.

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.