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The Princeton Review Joins With School Districts in Dallas and South Texas

Posted on: Friday, 28 October 2005, 15:01 CDT

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Princeton Review , a leading provider of test preparation, educational support, and college admissions services, today announced it has joined with school districts in both Dallas and south Texas for a groundbreaking initiative. The Post-Secondary Success Initiative supplements current high school counselors with college readiness instruction, test preparation and professional development. The program includes a wide range of services designed to enable Texas students to go on to higher education and post-secondary opportunities.

"We want all Texas students to have the option of successfully continuing their education beyond high school. The Princeton Review program will provide additional help and assistance to our students," said Dr. Shirley J. Neeley, Texas Commissioner of Education.

Under the agreement, The Princeton Review will provide higher education advisors for 35,000 students in five middle and five high schools in the Dallas Independent School District, and for five middle and five high schools in Region 1, which runs along the Mexico border in South Texas. The multi- million dollar contract is funded in part through a $2.6 million dollar grant from the Texas Education Agency, along with funding from the Dallas ISD and the five districts in Region I. The Princeton Review was chosen as the service provider by the participating school districts.

"We've been extraordinarily successful in our college advisory and preparation efforts with other schools around the country, and we're thrilled to get the chance to roll up our sleeves and start working alongside the Dallas and South Texas schools," said John Katzman, CEO of The Princeton Review. "Our expertise will help students get their best shot at the post- secondary path that's right for them."

Launching this fall, the Initiative provides Princeton Review higher education advisors to work in participating schools on a daily basis. In addition to the Dallas Independent School District, participating Region 1 school districts include Roma, Rio Hondo, Mercedes, Sharyland, and Lyford.

Some of the details of the contract are listed below: -- Princeton Review Higher Ed Advisors will work with the local high school counselors to help students broaden their college opportunities. This includes training to increase counselor capacity and effectiveness. -- Professional development courses will be available for administrators and teachers to improve planning for college. -- Roadmap to College Seminars in English and Spanish will be offered to students and parents providing guidance on the steps necessary to start planning and applying to college. -- SmartStart, an SAT skills program, will be offered to 9th graders. -- PSAT preparation will be offered in the spring term to 10th graders. -- SAT or ACT preparation will be offered for the fall and spring terms to 11th graders. The instruction will be online or live, depending on student, school and situation. -- For 12th graders, intervention will be offered to those who are behind in the process. It will include college application assistance; help with the government financial aid applications (FAFSA); and SAT/ACT preparation. -- Follow-through with students in their first year at a local college to make sure that they stay on track. -- The Princeton Review's ECOS online tools will be available to help students start planning for careers and college, and track their academic careers.

The Post-Secondary Success Initiative will be particularly beneficial to students who may be the first in their families to attend college. Many come from low-income families or homes where English is not the primary language. They face unique challenges taking college admissions tests, paying for their post-secondary education and navigating the admissions process. Studies have found that the earlier students begin thinking, planning, and preparing for college, the better their chances of reaching their goal.

(For more information and photos, click on http://www.princetonreview.com/.) About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a pioneer in the world of education. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York City, the Company offers private tutoring and classroom and online test preparation to help students improve their scores in college and graduate school admissions tests. The Company's free website, http://www.princetonreview.com/, helps over half of university-bound students research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their admissions and recruiting activities. In addition, The Princeton Review works with school districts around the U.S. to measurably strengthen students' academic skills by connecting ongoing assessment with professional development and instruction and by providing districts with college and career resources for both students and guidance counselors. The Company also authors more than 200 print and software titles on test preparation, college and graduate school selection and admissions, and related topics.

The Princeton Review

CONTACT: Harriet Brand, +1-212-874-8282 ext 1901, harrietb@review.com, orRobin Raskin, +1-212-874-8282 ext 1647, robinr@review.com, both of ThePrinceton Review

Web site: http://www.princetonreview.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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