Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - April 3, 2009

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Launches Initiative to Help Educators and Administrators Benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

HMHStimulus.com provides unique and valuable resources and solutions for schools to "make every penny count"

BOSTON — April 3, 2009 — With the launch of HMHStimulus.com, global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has a simple message to educators about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: "Make every penny count." Visitors to HMHStimulus.com can find basic ARRA funding information, but unlike so many other sites geared toward stimulus money, HMHStimulus.com connects administrators and teachers with tactical resources for both immediate and long-term options. In addition, with a wide array of products in pre-K, intervention and English Language Learners (ELL) as well as core programs, assessment and professional development, the Company invites visitors to partner — providing educators with the opportunity to customize solutions to meet their specific goals.

In his address from the site, group Chairman Barry O'Callaghan notes that HMHStimulus.com is "but one example of steps we are taking to partner with you. We are working with districts and states, large and small, across the US to provide solutions today that help extend the life of their current investments."

As the money begins to flow to local education agencies and into the school districts, there is confusion on how, where and on what it can be spent. "With so much at stake, it seems that everyone has an opinion or the so-called perfect product," explained Mike Lavelle, K–12 president, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "The truth is that this is the perfect storm: an historic opportunity — the singular chance for schools to revamp their curriculum, train their teachers, adopt technology — not just programs, but actually obtain the hardware to use it — and finally invest in 21st Century education."

Knowing that districts will be held accountable and will need to invest in programs they can trust, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is uniquely positioned to partner with any school system to customize solutions that meet just about every goal, from digital and print delivery, pre-K through adult education.

"We don’t want to prescribe — we want to carefully listen to the goals our customers hope to accomplish with this particular funding opportunity — whether it is purchasing a completely new reading, math or science program, implementing a pre-K program, creating course cartridges for online instruction, utilizing important assessment tools, or creating a comprehensive and results-oriented professional development plan for teachers and staff. We can help them craft the solution that meets both their district goals, as well as their financial goals," Mr. Lavelle continued.

Solutions tailored for the ARRA can come from any combination of the prestigious brands under the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt umbrella: Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin, McDougal Littell, Holt, Heinemann, Rigby, Saxon, Great Source, Steck Vaughn and Riverside.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world's largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.