Schools Break New Ground

Bridging Schools and Homes With Lightspan Local Connect

SAN DIEGO, May 22, 1996 - The Lightspan Partnership, Inc., will announce
the official launch of its newest Internet service, Lightspan Local
Connect, at a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony at East Dover Elementary
School in Dover, Delaware on May 23. Joining in the event will be Delaware
Governor Thomas R. Carper. 

Delaware is the first state-wide implementation of Lightspan's interactive
curriculum programming and Lightspan's Internet services -- The Lightspan
Network and Lightspan Local Connect. Lightspan Local connect allows
schools implementing the Lightspan curriculum -- currently in more than
100 school districts nationwide -- to further strengthen the bridge
between schools and homes with direct on-line communication between
teachers, students and families. 

"I have long stressed the importance cf both computer literacy and parental
involvement in creating a world-class education system here in Delaware,"
said Governor Carper. "This innovative school-home connection goes a long
way toward addressing both of these needs. When viewed in the context of
our other initiatives -- early childhood education, school discipline,
high academic standards and bringing education technology to every
Delaware classroom by 1998 -- this advancement is an important element in
preparing our students for a lifetime of learning." 

The foundation of Lightspan's school-home connection is interactive
curriculum programming that is provided to both schools and homes to
increase student learning time, enhance family involvement and improve
equity of access to technology. Lightspan's Internet services, The
Lightspan Network and Lightspan Local Connect, provide schools with
additional tools and resources to enhance their school-home connection. 

The Lightspan Network is a national Web site (http://www.lightspan.com)
that provides a rich set of content and services, including educational
forums, curriculum materials, interactive games and family activities, for
all members of the school community. Lightspan Local Connect is tho first
service designed to bring the power of the Internet to schools. Local
Connect provides schools with a complete set of software and training
services to create their own Web site and intranet. 

East Dover Elementary and three other Delaware schools are currently using
Lightspan Local Connect to build a Web-based on-line service that keeps
parents and the school community informed of timely events and helps
parents to get more involved in their child's education. You can visit
East Dover's site at www.eastes.capital.k12.de.us. During the 1996-97
school year, the entire Lightspan program will be extended to nearly 70
percent of the Delaware school districts with elementary schools.

"Parents are their children's first and most important teachers." said John
Kernan. Chairman and CEO of The Lightspan Partnership, Inc. "With
Lightspan's interactive instructional programming available in the home,
parents can participate in their children's education in a more direct
way, and now with Lightspan's Internet services, families can stay in
closer touch with what is happening in the classroom by accessing their
school on-line." 

Donna Waters' daughter Jessica is in the second grade at East Dover
Elementary School. According to Waters, "Lightspan Local Connect is a
great way to communicate with Jessica's teacher. It provides everything I
need to know about the school environment from lunch schedules to upcoming
classroom activities. It's exciting to have Jessica be a part of this
ground-breaking technology." 

Lisa Alfaro, second-grade teacher and East Dover webmaster said, "The
Lightspan Local Connect software has made it incredibly easy to create our
school's Web site, especially for someone with very little Internet
experience. It puts the content and communication where we need it most --
locally." 

The Lightspan Partnership is an interactive curriculum-based software
company dedicated to developing and furthering the school-home connection.
Based In Carlsbad, California, the company is backed by Comcast
Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Tele-Communications, Inc., and by
the venture capital firms of Accel Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and
Byers, and Institutional Venture Partners. 

For more information. contact: 

Stacey Sultar
The Lightspan Partnership, Inc
2362 Faraday Avenue
Carlsbad, CA 92008
1-800-987-SPAN
e-mail stacey_sultar@lightspan.com 

Wendy Luckenbill
KillerApp Communications
5657 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 470
Los Angeles, CA 90036
213-938-7600
 
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