CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, June 7, 2006 - ProQuest announced today that ExploreLearning, publishers of the world's largest online simulation library for math and science education, and McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning), a national leader in creating research-based products and services for educational improvement, are partnering to offer a series of professional development programs for educators designed to raise student performance in math and science.

Across the nation, educators are facing increasing pressure to improve all students' performance in mathematics and science. Through this partnership, ExploreLearning will offer its clients several of McREL's professional development programs designed to meet this need, including:

• Mathematics Leadership Institute
• Science Leadership Institute
• Designing Effective Math Lessons
• Designing Effective Science Lessons
• Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works
• Online Learning Communities for Classroom Instruction that Works
• Technology and the Problem-Solving Process
• Technology and Learning Styles
• Technology in the Content Areas: Secondary Science

Based on McREL's research findings highlighting the strong positive impact of instruction using computer-based manipulatives, each McREL program offered through ExploreLearning will be tailored to help school districts take maximum advantage of the opportunities presented by ExploreLearning Gizmos™.

ExploreLearning's mission is to support teachers with flexible online tools that help them capitalise on the research about effective instruction. The company offers hundreds of award-winning online simulations, called Gizmos that drive the inquiry process and conceptual understanding of math and science for students in grades 6-12. ExploreLearning ( www.explorelearning.com ) is a part of ProQuest's Education segment.

“ExploreLearning provides powerful interactive content that helps teachers use research-proven instructional strategies more effectively, more easily, and more often,” said McREL President & CEO Tim Waters. “We have actually been using ExploreLearning Gizmos in our professional development workshops, so partnering with ExploreLearning makes sense. We're very excited about our ability to impact more teachers and students through this relationship.”

McREL is a nationally recognised, private, nonprofit organisation located in Denver , Colorado , dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2005, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 45 states in the U.S. and 3 foreign countries.

McREL draws upon the best of almost 40 years of education research to develop practical, user-friendly products that help educators create classrooms which provide all students with opportunities for success. McREL provides a comprehensive package of school improvement products and services to educators across the nation and around the world. “For years, we have used Dr. Robert Marzano's research at McREL as a touchstone for our work,” said Dr. David Shuster, Founder of ExploreLearning. “We are both honoured and thrilled to be able to bring McREL's exceptional capabilities to bear for the benefit of our customers.”

ExploreLearning's mission is to support teachers with flexible online tools that help them capitalise on the research about effective instruction. The company offers hundreds of award-winning online simulations, called Gizmos that drive the inquiry process and conceptual understanding of math and science for students in grades 6-12. ExploreLearning ( www.explorelearning.com ) is a part of ProQuest's Education segment.

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