CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, February 1, 2005 - ProQuest Information and Learning has completed the acquisition of privately held Voyager Expanded Learning, a leading provider of in-school core reading programs, reading intervention programs, and professional development programs for school districts throughout the United States. ProQuest Information and Learning, a unit of ProQuest Company, is an electronic publisher of content for libraries and educational institutions worldwide.

"Voyager is the platform on which we will continue to build the K-12 business we've been carefully developing over the last few years, with the acquisitions of SIRS, Reading A-Z and CultureGrams,” said Alan Aldworth, chairman and chief executive officer of ProQuest Company. “With the proven efficacy of its products, Voyager Expanded Learning is an important acquisition for ProQuest because it establishes our position in the K-12 curriculum market.”

Voyager Learning's reading curriculum and intervention programs are scientifically based and proven effective by independent studies. In study after study, Voyager students outperform students not enrolled in Voyager when important reading skills that form the basis for the Reading First legislation are evaluated.

In addition, research consistently shows that quality of instruction is the most critical element in determining the level of student learning, especially for struggling readers. Voyager's scalable professional development model, VoyagerU, supports teacher training.

Voyager's senior management team will remain with the company and report to Ron Klausner, president of ProQuest Information and Learning and acting president of Voyager Expanded Learning. Voyager's headquarters will remain in Dallas, Texas.

"ProQuest and Voyager share a deep commitment to improving K-12 education through innovative products used in the library and the classroom,” said Klausner.  “We are excited about this opportunity to extend our reach to additional school districts, grades, students and curriculum areas.”

Customer service and other support contacts will remain unchanged for customers. More information about Voyager is available at http://www.voyagerlearning.com/.

If you would like further product information please e-mail marketing@proquest.co.uk

For all media enquiries contact Gina Ghensi, Communications Manager, gina.ghensi@proquest.co.uk

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.