Pearson Company

Common Core: NY Senator Wants State to Dump Pearson
June 11, 2014

As growing numbers of critics are questioning the role of standardized testing in schools, Sen. Terry Gipson, D-Rhinebeck, is calling on the state to cut ties with testing giant Pearson Inc.

Gipson has introduced legislation to end New York's use of Pearson to create Common Core-based tests and prevent teachers in training from having to take Pearson-run certification exams.

"It has been brought to our attention by teachers, administrators, school boards, parents and others that the exams Pearson is providing are flawed with mistakes and inappropriate material," Gipson said. "This is a for-profit corporation funded with

Book Publishing May Actually Save Itself
June 4, 2014

The book publishing industry just finished its annual convention, called BEA (BookExpo America.)  For three days in New York City, publishers exhibited their new and forthcoming titles, and occasionally took orders from the dramatically dwindling ranks of independent bookstore buyers.  Yet there was a feeling of optimism in the hall.  The question was: why?

"Print is like Yiddish; it has been on its deathbed for 400 years," said Harold Clarke, the President and Publisher of Reader's Digest Trade Publishing.  Clarke, one of the more thoughtful and certainly the funniest man in publishing

Penguin Random House's Logo Solution: Spell It Out
June 3, 2014

When Penguin and Random House joined forces last year, the publishers brought together 10,000 jobs, 250 independent imprints, and $3.7 billion in annual revenues. The merged publisher left vague how it would handle combining two very distinct logos with long-running literary traditions.

The solution announced on Tuesday is an elegant, inclusive, and understated two-part branding system. Rather than choosing either a previous logo or trying to come up with something new, Penguin Random House will exist as a wordmark spelling out the company's name-think Coca-Cola (KO) or GE (GE)

Buyer's Guide: The State of Ebooks in 2014
May 23, 2014

While it may be a bit soon to say the ebook business has matured, it's definitely true to say it's finally outgrowing its awkward adolescence. Today, ebooks as we have come to know them are taken for granted. But the more important news is how many of our assumptions about them are being challenged. Here are a few of the highlights.

Barnes & Noble CEO Speaks Out
May 16, 2014

In response to a recent opinion piece posted on Rocklin & Roseville Today titled "Barnes & Noble: Gone By New Year's?", Barnes & Noble Chief Executive Officer, Michael P. Huseby, contacted our office to respond. Here is his complete, unedited response.

Pearson Contract for Common-Core Testing Faces Legal Challenge
May 16, 2014

A decision to give the education vendor Pearson a major, potentially lucrative contract for common-core testing is being challenged by a competitor that claims the award was made through a process that was unfair and biased in favor of the eventual winner.

The American Institutes for Research, a Washington-based organization that has a substantial place in the testing field, has filed a legal action in New Mexico state court that argues the contract was awarded in a process that was illegal, and structured in a way that wrongly benefited one company-Pearson.

Pearson Wins Major Contract From Common-Core Testing Consortium
May 5, 2014

The global education company Pearson has landed a major contract to administer tests aligned to the common-core standards, a project described as being of "unprecedented scale" in the U.S. testing arena by one official who helped negotiate it.

The decision to award the contract, announced Friday, was made by a group of states developing tests linked to the common core for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, one of two main consortia of states creating exams to match the standards.

Pearson Confirms Guidance With Stronger Second Half
April 29, 2014

Pearson Plc (PSON), the publisher of the Financial Times newspaper, reiterated its full-year earnings forecast and said its restructuring and investment program is on schedule to speed growth next year.

The shares rose as much as 4.1 percent. Adjusted earnings per share will be 62 pence to 67 pence in 2014, London-based Pearson said in a statement today. Profit will be heavily weighted to the second half, it said. First-quarter sales dropped 6 percent on a stronger British pound versus the U.S. dollar, according to the statement.

 

Penguin Random House Expands Ecommerce Efforts with The Bookshop
April 24, 2014

Penguin Random House announced today the launch of an online bookstore attached to its food community site, TasteBook. The Bookshop, as it's called, sells new and classic food-related titles, such as The Chopped Cookbook, The Hungry Girl Diet, and My Paris Kitchen. The Bookshop launched with 10,000 titles across all publishers.