IRVINE, Calif., June 21, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Microsoft and Scantron Testing and Assessment today announced that Scantron will adopt the Microsoft(r) Class Server learning management platform, thereby allowing student achievement results from Scantron Performance Series(tm) and Achievement Series(tm) to be used by teachers to deliver individualized, standards-aligned instruction to students based on their areas of strength and weakness.
Microsoft(r) Class Server is Web-enabled software that enables school districts to address accountability and assessment requirements including those of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The solution helps teachers improve student achievement by making it easy to create, deliver, and grade standards-aligned assessments and lessons over the Web. As a platform, Class Server provides teachers with a single interface to manage assessment and instructional resources thus streamlining the collection, management and reporting of information on student achievement.
Scantron Performance Series(tm) is a computer-adaptive, Web-based diagnostic tool educators use to benchmark student progress and efficiently establish individualized learning plans. Achievement Series(tm) is a highly flexible, Web-based test delivery and management system that delivers standards-aligned test items from virtually any source. Both of Scantron's assessment solutions are based on Microsoft(r) .NET tools and interoperability standards. Inclusion of these assessment resources in the Microsoft Class Server platform means that educators now can take advantage of Web-based test delivery much more easily, greatly expanding their test management options.
"Successful integration of technology into curriculum involves not only an integrated system for data tracking but one that can be tailored to address the needs of individual children," said Joe Kitchens, Superintendent of Western Heights Public Schools in Oklahoma. "Utilizing Scantron and Microsoft technology, we can access and analyze data and in turn, set up remediation plans to boost student performance."
Scantron delivers over 2,000,000 online assessments annually in schools and districts across the country. Among those customers are the State of South Dakota; Bone County, Ky.; Central Michigan University Charter Schools; Cobb County, Ga.; and Merced, Calif. which use the Scantron platform to administer formative assessments and report data in ways that inform instruction in real time.
"As demand for Scantron Performance Series and Achievement Series grows, we are continually looking for new partnerships that will help educators merge their assessment data into the decision-making matrix," said Tim Loomer, president of Scantron's Testing and Assessment division. "Linking into the Microsoft Class Server is a logical move not only because of Microsoft's large customer base but also because Class Server has established a platform-based framework that is being used very successfully in school districts."
"The accountability and assessment needs of today's education environment demand solutions that combine best-of-breed technologies," said Anthony Salcito, general manager of Microsoft Education -- U.S. Public Sector. "We are extremely glad Scantron has adopted the Class Server platform. The combination of Scantron's assessment offerings and Class Server's platform approach offer school districts enormous power and flexibility to meet the requirements of NCLB."
About Scantron Corporation
Scantron Corporation (www.scantron.com) is headquartered in Irvine, CA, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based John H. Harland Company (NYSE:JH). Scantron is a leading provider of software services and systems for the collection, management and interpretation of data to the educational, financial and commercial markets. The company has approximately 600 employees worldwide and annual revenues exceeding $110 million.
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of John H. Harland Company and members of its respective management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Reference is made to the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements in Harland's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed under the Securities Exchange Act.