Thursday March 30, 2:25 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
EduLink Inc. Introduces Two Additional Members of
Educational Curriculum Quality Control Committee
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2000--Founded to provide
premier Internet educational services and curriculum programs, EduLink Inc. (OTC
BB:MYIQ - news) today announced two additional members of the recently formed Curriculum Quality Control (CQC)
Committee.
Dr. Ron Rescigno, president of EduLink, stated, ``Having previously announced the formation of the Curriculum Quality
Control Committee, we are very pleased to introduce two additional members of this prestigious review board.
``They are Professor Sheridan Blau, Ph.D., South Coast Writing Project, and president of the National Council of English
Teachers (1997-98), University of California at Santa Barbara; and Dr. Linda Plattner, Council for Basic Education, and
coordinator of the National Math Standards, Washington D.C.'
Rescigno continued, ``Working with the other appointed individuals on the Curriculum Quality Control Committee, Professor
Blau and Dr. Plattner have the responsibility of providing an unbiased evaluation of EduLink's educational content -- currently in
development.
``This 'litmus test' is intended to achieve the highest possible level of quality curriculum, meeting or exceeding national standards.
The first meeting of the CQC Committee is scheduled for June 27 in Los Angeles.'
Blau teaches in the Department of English and the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
where he also directs the South Coast Writing Project and the Literature Institute for Teachers. A former director of the
campus Composition Program (1984-90), he also served for more than 20 years as program head of the teacher-education
program in English.
He recently served as a member of the Language Arts Advisory Board for the New Standards Project and on the Assessment
Development Panel for National Board Certification in English Language Arts for the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards.
From 1990-1994 he served the California Department of Education as a senior advisor to the Test Development Committee
for statewide assessments in reading and writing.
He has been a consultant to national professional organizations and to state departments of education on the development of
standards documents to guide teaching, learning and assessment in the English language arts.
Presently, Blau is director of the National Literature Project Network and serves as a member of the National Writing Project
Task Force. He is also a member of the English Academic Advisory Committee to the College Board. In November 1998 he
completed his term as president of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Blau has published widely in the areas of 17th century literature, composition theory, professional development for teachers,
and the teaching of composition and literature.
He has also edited two anthologies for the teaching of writing and is the author of textbooks in composition and literature for
middle school and high school classrooms.
He is a widely appreciated keynote speaker and workshop leader at national and international professional conferences and
has conducted professional development programs and in-service workshops for elementary, secondary and college teachers
of English in some 40 states from Massachusetts to Florida and Alaska to Hawaii.
Blau, who began his teaching career as a high school English teacher in 1960, was an assistant professor of English at the
University of Michigan from 1966-1970.
He has also served as senior research associate with the National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning at the
State University of New York at Albany.
He received his Ph.D. in English and American literature from Brandeis University in 1967. He received his M.A. from
Brandeis University in 1964, and a B.A. in American civilization from Rutgers University in 1960.
Plattner currently serves as associate director for the Council for Basic Education. She manages numerous projects in the area
of academic standards and assessments, having facilitated the development of mathematics standards in the states of Maryland
and Ohio.
She assisted in the development of both content and performance standards in English, language arts, mathematics and science
for the state of Nevada and created the mathematics standards published in Standards for Excellence in Education, published
by ASCD.
Currently Plattner is supervising several projects including (1) the development of standards for Cleveland Municipal School
District in mathematics and science that are based, in part, on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS);
(2) a comprehensive gap analysis for East Allen County Schools, Indiana; and
(3) a television workshop series for Annenberg CBE/mathematics and science project that focuses on improving the
skills of middle school mathematics teachers.
She serves as project director for CBE's multiyear association with the Cleveland public schools, standards analyst for
Rochester, N.Y. and assists in the development of Exit Expectations for the State of Ohio.
Her past professional experiences include: mathematics curriculum coordinator, Moses Lake School District (1995-1997);
consultant with New Standards, a national standards and assessment organization, where she wrote, piloted, benchmarked and
scored performance tasks, reference exams and portfolios (1990-1998); assessment specialist for state of Washington
(1995-1996); co-director, Washington State Portfolio Project (1994-1995); author and benchmarker of mathematics
prototype tasks for Washington State (1993-1994); developer and presenter for Washington State Teachers of Mathematics
Alternative Assessment In-services (1993-1995); and participated in Schools for the 21st Century, developing interdisciplinary
teams and thematic units (1991-1993).
From 1982 to 1995 Plattner taught mathematics from grades 1,5,7 and 9, participated in local and state school reform, and
contributed to curriculum development.
She has presented extensively on issues concerning education reform and student achievement. Recent examples include the
1999 National Symposium on Partnership in Education; the 1999 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Secondary
School Principals; the 15th Annual Washington State Assessment Conference; and the 2000 National Association for
Curriculum and Supervision.
Recent publications include ``How Can Professional Development Make a Real Difference? Basic Education: A Monthly
Forum for Analysis and Comment'; Vol. 44, No. 7, March 2000.
Plattner has held numerous memberships and fellowships in professional organizations including: Washington Assessment Guide
Consortium (1996-1997); Mathematics Teaching Team, Education Service District 171 (1994-1996); Subject Advisory
Board, Washington State Assessment System (1994-1996); Mathematics Subject Advisory Committee, Washington
Commission on Student Learning (1993-1995); Washington State Teachers of Mathematics (1985-1997); National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics (1983 to present); Washington State Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
(1989-1997); National Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (1989 to present); and Washington Evaluation
and Research Association (1991-1996).
Plattner graduated from California State University in 1993 with a master's degree in humanities. She received her B.A. in
education, major in professional subjects, from Central Washington University in 1971.
About EduLink
EduLink was founded to create a ``total solution' seamlessly integrated dynamic Internet educational service. Utilizing the best
quality content and technology providers, the company has focused on the research and development necessary to meet local
needs and national standards, while providing a funding model that makes it affordable and easy to implement in most school
districts and homes.
Once completed, the EduLink service, called the EduLink Global Smart Schoolhouse, will deliver to schools and homes via the
Internet, a nationally recognized 4th-12th grade curriculum with appropriate instructional strategies and student assessment
services.
Additionally it will support a comprehensive school information management and communication system with individualized
standards.
More information about the EduLink vision, including a prototype demonstration of the Global Smart Schoolhouse is available
on the Internet at www.Edu-Link.com. Visit the schoolhouse of the future, today!
Statements in this news release looking forward in time are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties,
including general economic conditions, delays and risks associated with the negotiation, implementation and/or performance of
contracts, consumer and industry acceptance, and regulatory actions and risks. |
