San Diego, CA (September 13, 2005) -- In the 2004-2005 school year, districts with all schools meeting the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act spent significantly more per student ($147) on technology compared to districts where at least one school did not meet AYP requirements ($120). Districts with all schools meeting AYP intend to spend considerably more per student ($144) in the 2005-2006 school year than districts where at least one school is not meeting AYP ($124).  These and other key findings on school technology trends can be found in the 2005-2006 National Technology Assessment by Quality Education Data, Inc. (QED®), a leading education market research and database firm, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholastic. The report was released today at The Heller Reports’ EdNET Conference, an annual event that draws top executives from across the education industry and focuses on successful marketing strategies and market drivers.
 
“School districts around the country continue to make significant investments in technology that support students, educators and administrators. In particular, districts that are meeting the AYP requirements are committing even greater financial resources for technology expenditures to ensure that schools continue to have the resources they need to supplement instruction, monitor progress and compile important data on student performance,” said Andy Lacy, General Manager, QED.
 
The National Technology Assessment also found that about half of all districts surveyed expect to mount a major technology initiative or upgrade effort focused on desktops, laptops and handhelds during the next 24 months. Almost 40 percent of districts expect to launch an infrastructure/networking initiative and 18 percent will focus on storage or warehousing efforts, both of which support districts’ efforts to respond to requirements set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act.
 
Other key findings from QED’s 2005-2006 National Technology Assessment include:

• Wireless Networks: Sixty-eight percent of districts report using wireless networking in their districts. School districts in the Northeast and South are significantly more likely to be using wireless networking compared to districts in the Midwest.
• Technology Adoption: When assessing overall technology use in their school districts in the 2004-2005 school year, 61 percent of respondents consider their districts to be mainstream, 26 percent assess their districts as being an “early adopter” of technology and 13 percent rate their districts as “behind the curve” in technology use.

 
Methodology
The sampling frame for this field study was public school districts randomly selected from Quality Education Data’s National Technology Assessment™ Database. A total of 7,436 respondents (District Technology Coordinators) participated in a survey completed via telephone, mail or online between December 2004 through May 2005.
 
About QED
Established in 1981 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, QED is a leading provider of K-12 and high education mailing lists, marketing services, and market research focused exclusively on the education market.  QED Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholastic Inc., the global children's publishing, education and media company.  QED's National Education Database™ provides comprehensive access to U.S. and Canadian educational institutions and is the core data resource that supports all QED products and services, including custom education market research, database design and annual research reports tracking critical educational trends.  In 1997, QED introduced its National Registry of Teachers by Names, a database of over 4.3 million educators by name, telephone-verified at the school building level. In 2002, QED acquired The Heller Reports, adding a variety of news publications and the annual EdNET conference to its offering of products and services designed to help education marketers stay current on market trends.
 
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

Contacts: