Edison Schools Launches EdLab in Three Pilot Sites Thursday, May 25, 2000 Edison Schools launched its EdLab in three pilot sites: Roosevelt-Edison Charter School in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Edison-Ingalls Partnership School in Wichita, Kansas; and Mid-Michigan Public School Academy in Lansing, Michigan. The pilot followed two years of development by an Edison led consortium of providers. Edison's EdLabs are unique physical environments within Edison schools that are designed to deliver teacher-assisted distance-learning programming to students and professional development for teachers. Each EdLab contains networked computers, large-screen video monitors, audio and videoconferencing capabilities, and specially designed workstations for students and teachers. During the pilot period, fifth graders at the Edison sites received a portion of their regular science and Spanish instruction through traditional classroom teaching methods and, on alternating days, a portion of their instruction through video programming, online activities, and online homework in the EdLab. These EdLab sessions were designed to provide new ways of delivering the core curriculum, not to supplement it. This key point, combined with Edison's emphasis on total integration of teaching and technology, high-quality video programming, and a specially designed physical environment, sets the EdLab concept apart from other distance-learning ventures. After evaluating the pilot, Edison plans to produce a range of EdLab learning modules for most subject areas and at most grade levels. In addition, Edison is also developing a full suite of professional development materials for teachers, including online courses, CD-ROMs, and videos that will be used in Edison schools. The company is expecting systemwide rollout by the fall of 2003. Except for the historical information contained in this announcement, the matters discussed are "forward looking statements" (as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks detailed from time-to-time in Edison's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, Edison calls to the reader's attention the risk factors described in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q dated May 15, 2000 under the heading "Additional Risk Factors That May Affect Future Results." Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date such statements are made, and Edison undertakes no obligations to publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements or otherwise update or supplement this announcement or risk factors contained herein.
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