TRO Learning Cites a Steady Increase in the Size of Contracts for PLATO Products and Services

Business Wire, August 25, 1999

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1999--

Students Go Back to School With PLATO(R)

TRO Learning (Nasdaq:TUTR) announced today a steady increase in the size of its contracts from schools for education technology, citing the influence of graduation testing standards and accountability initiatives sweeping across the country.

William R. Roach, chairman and CEO for TRO Learning, offered, "Following the implementation of comprehensive school standards and accountability initiatives in both Texas and Oregon, the number and size of PLATO contracts in those states increased dramatically. We are now seeing a similar increase in other states that are undergoing the same accountability evolution, particularly with the documented effectiveness of PLATO and the increased acceptance and demand for the use of technology in schools."

Buncome County Schools in Asheville, North Carolina has added 36 new PLATO licenses in order to expand the number of licenses at each high school to create labs for remediation for the North Carolina Competency Test. Other instructional needs will be addressed as scheduling allows, and could include preparation for the North Carolina End of Course tests, working with special education students, and supplemental instruction in the core areas such as math and reading. In addition, 60 PLATO courseware licenses will be added to existing 30-workstation writing labs at two of the high schools to serve as a pilot for the improvement of writing skills. In summarizing the decision to expand the district-wide use of PLATO, May Matthews, instructional technology specialist, commented, "We are excited about expanding student access to PLATO educational software to improve performance in academics and communication."

Auburn Career Center, a career and technical school district in Painesville, Ohio that serves over 600 high school students, will use PLATO for college placement exam preparation and to improve test scores on the Ohio Proficiency and ACT Work Keys(TM) tests. Workforce readiness and School-To-Work transition were two other areas of focus for the district's staff of 40 instructors. The purchase, valued at more than $105,000, was made in conjunction with the Lakeland Tech Prep Consortium. Implementation plans are being made and the installation is scheduled for August.

The DeSoto Literacy Council in Hernando, Mississippi will place PLATO in 11 branches of its regional library system, in several community and adult literacy programs throughout a four county area, and in the adult education sections of three community colleges. The contract is valued at $150,000. This extensive program is intended to serve the community at large, workers who are in need of employability skills, and community college students. Funding for the initiative has been awarded from various grants presented to the Adult Literacy Council of DeSoto County, the First Regional Library, and three area community colleges. In commenting on the decision to purchase PLATO, Jim Anderson, director, First Regional Library, said, "The PLATO software program is appealing because it is already accepted in local educational institutions. PLATO offers a wide variety of courseware that we believe will be very applicable for the type of person seeking continuing education. PLATO offers a way to meet those needs not just for information about a particular subject, but rather a regular course of study."

In Florida, three new contracts will bring the power of PLATO to learners across the state. The Duval County School Board in Jacksonville has purchased PLATO's Work Keys(TM) package in a contract valued in excess of $100,000. Having instituted the ACT Work Keys(TM) tests in all of its high schools, Duval will use PLATO to improve student work skill levels. Currently, nine of the 19 high schools in Duval County will use PLATO. The confidence Duval County has shown in the PLATO curriculum is most encouraging and will likely lead to its expanded use in the remaining high schools. The Florida Department of Corrections in Tallahassee is expanding its use of PLATO to include a total of 25 of the 37 sites around the state. The contract is valued at nearly $90,000. PLATO is used to provide ABE, GED, and high school skills instruction to the inmates. The Clay County School Board in Green Cove Springs will use PLATO in four junior high school labs to provide intensive remediation in mathematics and three high school labs to provide a broad spectrum of remedial instruction. The contract is valued at over $210,000. PLATO was selected by each school based on its broad range of curriculum, age-appropriate instruction, and its success in two other schools within the county.

TRO Learning is the developer and marketer of computer-based PLATO products and services. With PLATO revenues of over $40 million, TRO Learning, Inc. is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ-NMS. Offering more than 2,000 hours of comprehensive academic and applied skills courseware designed for adolescents and adults, PLATO Learning Systems are marketed to middle and high schools, colleges, job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, and corporations. The PLATO Learning System is delivered via networks, CD-ROM, the Internet, and private intranets.