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AlphaSmart Joins Education Technology Think Tank Study Aimed at Evaluating the Impact Handheld Solutions Can Have on Improving Math Instruction Brooklyn's P.S. 161 Crown School to Serve as a Model for Demonstrating the Power of MathAmigo and Dana by AlphaSmart as a Teaching and Learning Platform LOS GATOS, Calif., April 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AlphaSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALSM), a provider of technology solutions for education, today announced that it is working collaboratively with the Education Technology Think Tank (ET3), a non-profit group dedicated to addressing America's growing digital divide, to extend a university study that evaluates the impact Valiant Technology's MathAmigo software used on handhelds can have on improving math skills. Utilizing a donation of 35 Dana by AlphaSmart computer companions, the study will be conducted by Rutgers University at P.S. 161 Crown School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City. The first phase of the partnership project is being launched today with a visit by U.S. Congressman Major R. Owens, whose long-term TEC Campaign, harnessing Technology to Empower Community, addresses the conditions of the digital divide and the ongoing achievement gap of poor and minority youth. "For more than ten years, I have been crusading for public/private partnerships like the one announced today to advance the use of technology in inner-city classrooms," said Major R. Owens, U.S. Congressman. "In our emerging cybercivilization, technology is no longer a luxury or option; it is a right of our students, and a key weapon of education reform. We have witnessed creative uses of technology exerting a profound impact on the way teachers teach and students learn. With math skills so vital, the ET3 study will provide important insight into how handheld solutions with quality software and effective professional development can improve math instruction and influence learning." The ET3 partnership research is being designed to address how a handheld solution can impact the study of mathematics in the classroom, an area of critical need in public schooling. Professional development for teachers will be provided by Rutgers' Center for Math and Science, in collaboration with Medgar Evers College; staff development will be available on-site at P.S. 161. "We are delighted to collaborate with the Education Technology Think Tank and its partners to develop a model program in the 11th Congressional District of Brooklyn that will demonstrate the power of MathAmigo and Dana as a teaching and learning platform," said Manish Kothari, president of AlphaSmart. "With more than a decade of experience in the classroom, we believe our computer companions can play an important role in getting students excited about math, and helping teachers develop creative ways to share math concepts." About the Education Technology Think Tank The Education Technology Think Tank (ET3) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the conditions of the growing digital divide throughout America. ET3 seeks to promote equity and excellence in education and training. It accomplishes its mission by creating forums for exchange of information for various education stakeholders: educators, private sector, community-based groups, and government; and by catalyzing technology partnerships to achieve economic and educational empowerment in traditionally underserved communities. AlphaSmart, Inc. AlphaSmart, Inc. is a provider of affordable, portable personal learning solutions for the K-12 classroom. Its portable computer-companion products are used by students to enhance writing, keyboarding and comprehension, and have been adopted by more than 8,500 school districts in the United States and other countries. Based in Los Gatos, California, the company was founded in 1992 by former Apple Computer engineers. DATASOURCE: AlphaSmart, Inc. CONTACT: Carleen LeVasseur of AlphaSmart Public Relations, +1-408-264-6767 or Web site: http://www.alphasmart.com/

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