Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - December 10, 2008

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Named Education Partner of the Year by Microsoft

Learning Village sets new standard for teaching and learning

BOSTON — December 10, 2008 — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has been named Microsoft's 2008 "Education Partner of the Year." At the annual Microsoft U.S. Public Sector Partner Executive Summit, held in Palm Beach, FL, Microsoft recognized Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as a leading global education company that has made significant contributions to teaching and learning.

Over the past year, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Microsoft have worked collaboratively to bring to market a new K–12 enterprise learning solution called Learning Village, a content-agnostic solution that opens up opportunities for educators to integrate all of their content, applications and resources from one central location. Learning Village delivers curricula, content and resources in a unified, personalized and relevant environment for teachers, administrators, parents and students—providing a central point for communication, collaboration, teaching and professional development.

The integration of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Learning Village with the Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server gives educators and students web-based access to district-approved educational resources that help students succeed in school. This collaboration leverages the significant investment that schools have already made in their instructional resources and technology infrastructure, and also transforms the process of delivery—creating a stronger connection between content, curriculum and learners.

"Learning Village is successfully setting new standards in instructional innovation and delivery for leading school districts," said Scott Kirkpatrick, executive vice president at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "More than anything else, educators tell us that to deliver individualized, effective instruction, they need the time to plan that instruction. By centralizing resources in one place, Learning Village helps educators make well-informed instructional decisions, and promotes collaboration and sharing of best practices."

Impacting academic achievement, as well as teacher, student and parent accountability, are key objectives behind the relationship between Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Microsoft. "Together, Microsoft and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are committed to incorporating technology into K–12 instruction in ways that build strong communities of learning," said Anthony Salcito, general manager for Microsoft U.S. Education. "The release of Learning Village on Microsoft SharePoint is a significant milestone. This type of partnership enables transformative ways of engagement among the greater school communities and all the stakeholder touch points."

For more information about Learning Village, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/education/solutions/learningvillage.aspx.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.