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C2k in Northern Ireland to expand its field trial of AutoSkill Academy of READING® to a total of 75 primary and post primary schools

National E-learning application part of literacy intervention strategy; Building measurable gains for struggling readers

Mar. 16, 2005

Belfast, Northern Ireland and Ottawa, Canada – March 16, 2005 – C2k together with AutoSkill International, today announced a large-scale pilot programme of Academy of READING literacy intervention software across 75 primary and post-primary schools. Targeting struggling students in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 (North American equivalent of grades 1-6) this field trial will run for the 2005-2006 school year.

The expansion of this field trial follows a 16-school pilot programme conducted last year, which confirmed the effectiveness of the programme across primary and post-primary sectors. The Progress in English standardized assessment indicated that students increased their achievement an average of 15 percentile -- or 1.3 years of Approximate Year Equivalent Progress -- after spending an average of 8.2 hours of time on task.

“We want to extend this pilot programme to a further 59 schools in Northern Ireland,” said Jimmy Stewart, Director, C2k. “AutoSkill's Academy of READING literacy software has already demonstrated its educational value for pupils in 16 schools in Northern Ireland, and, basedon feedback from schools and Education and Library Board Officers in this large-scale pilot programme, we will be considering making it available to every school that could benefit from it.”

As part of Northern Ireland's literacy intervention strategy, this programme will further evaluate the system as a tool for educators in the primary stage and as a safety net for children entering the post-primary sector. The objectives are to continue to improve the consistency of curriculum implementations, to foster 1:1 computing that provides a personalized and highly motivated learning environment for students, and to create a national network of comprehensive tools for teachers.

“This programme in Northern Ireland is an excellent example of ‘how' and ‘why' to integrate technology as a key component of any literacy intervention strategy,” said Peter Eddison, President and CEO, AutoSkill International Inc. “C2k's selection of the Academy of READING for a large-scale rollout is a significant industry endorsement for the measurable impact of technology on struggling students of all types, ages and abilities.”

About C2k
C2k is a 10 year government programme for the provision of an integrated education technology infrastructure across all schools in Northern Ireland. It has a committed budget in the region of £500 million and has created 400 jobs throughout Northern Ireland.C2k delivers a managed service, comprised of 40,000 networked computers and a rich mix of educational content and world class technology services, to enhance teaching and learning across the nation. C2k is funded by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland as part of the emPowering Schools Strategy for Northern Ireland. To learn more, visit www.c2kni.org.uk.

About AutoSkill International
AutoSkill delivers highly effective and scalable literacy intervention software solutions. Working in conjunction with school and district level educators, AutoSkill helps struggling students to raise their test scores and build the basic reading and mathematical literacy skills that form the foundation for successful lives. To learn more about the AutoSkill literacy intervention solution, call 1-800-288-6754 or visit www.autoskill.com.

For more information, contact:
Joan Young
C2k Implementation and Communications
Mobile: +44 07740 180 846
Email: jyoung@c2kni.org.uk

Nancy Fontanne
Manager, Communications
AutoSkill International Inc
1-800-288-6754 x 302
nancy.fontanne@autoskill.com