Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - September 25, 2007

Riverside Publishing Selected by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to Develop End-of-Course Assessments

CHICAGO — September 25, 2007 — Riverside Publishing, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company and a leader in comprehensive educational standards-based assessment, today announced that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has selected Riverside to develop and deliver a series of new high school end-of-course assessments. The new tests will provide information about student learning and achievement in terms of the state’s Show-Me Standards and course-level expectations.

The new Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) End-of-Course Assessments will provide information that can be used to measure students’ readiness for college or a career, and will help ensure post-high school success. The comprehensive implementation includes developing custom test items and forms, setting achievement levels for each assessment, providing scoring and reporting services, and supplying scoring training and scoring opportunities for Missouri’s teachers. This new program will make Missouri a leader among states in the area of high school assessment and will provide opportunities for Missouri educators to participate in item writing. A total of ten new tests are currently planned.

“We will have to move fast to develop the first three tests in time for the 2008–09 school year,” said Stan Johnson, DESE assistant commissioner. “We think Riverside has the experience and expertise to help us develop high-quality tests and meet our ambitious timetable.”

“We are excited about this opportunity to develop and deliver the MAP End-of-Course Assessments with the Missouri DESE and Missouri educators. We applaud the state’s vision and the work that has already been done to lay a strong assessment foundation in the state”, states Richard Swartz, president of Riverside Publishing. “We will commit our full resources to develop and administer psychometrically sound assessments that accurately measure what Missouri students have learned, and to deliver results in a format that is easy to understand and use by all stakeholders.”

Riverside will partner with Questar Assessment, Inc. and the Assessment Resource Center at the University of Missouri to deliver the services for this program.

By selecting Riverside Publishing for the new MAP End-of-Course Assessments project, the Missouri DESE will have immediate access to leading experts from across the assessment arena; cutting-edge technologies that will make assessment development, administration, and scoring easier; and nationally recognized high-quality products and services.

About Riverside Publishing
As a charter member of the Association of Test Publishers, Riverside serves both the K–12 educational assessment market and the clinical assessment market with print, CD-ROM and online assessment tools. Riverside also develops custom, scientifically research-based solutions to meet the unique needs of states and school districts across the nation. Riverside flagship products include The Iowa Tests ^®, the Edusoft^® Assessment Management System and the Woodcock-Johnson^® III comprehensive assessment system. Riverside Publishing was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Houghton Mifflin Company in 1979. Information on Riverside products and services can be found at www.riversidepublishing.com or by calling 800-323-9540.

About Houghton Mifflin
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with more than $1.4 billion in sales. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments 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. In 2006, Houghton Mifflin merged with Riverdeep, bringing together one of the most respected print publishers with the leader in interactive courseware. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin, visit www.hmco.com.