Hawaii Chooses Certiport for Statewide Computer Literacy Initiative

SALT LAKE CITY – November 1, 2005

Certiport today announced a multi-year agreement with the Hawaii Department of Education (HDOE) to implement a statewide Computer Literacy Certification System (CLCS) in which all eighth graders will participate. Leveraging the Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³ ®) program in the largest such implementation to-date, the Hawaii CLCS aims at building a base of technology literate teachers who can, in turn, leverage technology across the core curriculum to enhance learning experiences and develop students to meet the challenges of the 21 st Century. Terms of the agreement call for the training and testing of more than 14,000 students per year and their teachers to follow Hawaii’s Educational Technology Contents Standards, while complying with technology requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

“Hawaii is focused on producing school graduates that can compete effectively on the world economic stage,” said Patricia Hamamoto, Superintendent of the Hawaii Department of Education. “This program, in partnership with Certiport, provides validated, measurable outcomes that prove our students and teachers have the current, relevant computer and Internet skills needed to distinguish themselves and advance in school and in the workplace.”

HDOE will integrate authorized IC³ courseware into its CLCS for eighth graders in the current school year, helping students learn concepts from IC³’s component exams: Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, and Living Online. Prior to undergoing IC³ training and testing, the Certiport Internet and Computing Benchmark™ and Internet and Computing Mentor™, a comprehensive assessment system, will enable teachers to determine students’ existing digital literacy levels and computing skills. The system guides training and remediation through levels of assistance for just-in-time learning and dynamically generated, customized study guides to help teachers perform data-driven curriculum planning.

“Hawaii’s commitment to global technology standards distinguishes them among other states seeking ways to develop a competitive workforce for the future,” stated David Saedi, President and CEO of Certiport. “Adoption of the IC 3 program for digital literacy ensures that students and teachers gain the critical skills needed to advance their education, find and keep meaningful employment, and become more effective citizens in the digital age.”

For more information about HDOE initiatives, visit http://doe.k12.hi.us/.

About Certiport
Certiport provides industry-leading training, assessment, and certification solutions that enable individuals to develop the skills necessary to achieve more, distinguish themselves and advance in today’s academic and business environments. These solutions include the Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®), the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program and Microsoft IT Academy delivered through a channel of more than 9,000 Certiport Centers worldwide. For more information about Certiport, visit www.certiport.com.

Certiport and IC³ are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and the Microsoft Office logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Press Contact:
John Pilmer
801-369-7535
mediarelations@certiport.com