Harcourt Assessment Wins Maryland Bid

Company Will Provide Assessments for Reading and Mathematics in Grades Three Through Eight

31 August 2005

SAN ANTONIO – Leading test developer and publisher Harcourt Assessment, Inc. has reached an agreement with the state of Maryland to provide test development, administration, scoring and reporting services for the Maryland State Assessment.

Harcourt will develop end-of-year assessments for reading and mathematics in grades three through eight. The company will also produce formative (periodic) assessments that teachers can administer throughout the school year to help them develop instructional strategies that focus on those content areas where students are struggling.

Harcourt has supplied Maryland’s reading assessment since 2002 and there is still one year remaining on that contract. The new contract, which adds mathematics, will be for a five-year period, from the 2006-2007 school year through the 2010-2011 school year.

Maryland's reading assessment is based on Harcourt's innovative Stanford 10 achievement test and is augmented with additional test items that are aligned to Maryland standards. The new mathematics assessment will also be an augmented Stanford 10 aligned to state standards.

"We are extremely gratified that the state of Maryland has given us this vote of confidence by entrusting us with mathematics in addition to reading,"

said Jeff Galt, the company's president and chief executive officer.

"We have had an excellent working relationship with the state and we look forward to continuing the great work we have already done together to help Maryland students achieve academically."

"Harcourt has met aggressive timelines and high psychometric standards set by the Maryland State Department of Education for the delivery of Maryland School Assessment (MSDA) data,"

said Gary Heath, Maryland ’s assistant state superintendent for accountability and assessment.

"The company has done excellent work for Maryland and Maryland public schools, and we are confident that Harcourt will continue as an excellent partner for the state of Maryland ."

Based in San Antonio, Harcourt Assessment is a leading provider of high-quality assessment instruments and testing programs used by educators, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, human resource professionals, admissions and credentialing professionals, and businesses. Through the development of custom statewide educational testing programs, Harcourt is helping more than 20 states meet the accountability requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The company is a unit of Harcourt Education, which is the global education brand of Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL). Reed Elsevier is a world-leading publisher and information provider operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors.