Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. - Dec. 16, 2005 - Konawaena Elementary School fifth grader Jennifer Tobara loves playing her GameBoy. So the student's transition to a new handheld device being piloted in her fifth grade class at Konawaena Elementary School in Kealekekua on Hawaii's Big Island was easy. "It's an easier way to take a test," says Jennifer. "We use our thumbs to type our answers the same way we do with a GameBoy."

LearningSoft LLC, developers of a fresh approach to curriculum-based educational technology, is partnering with the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Jacoby Group of Companies in a pilot project that will place LearningSoft's new Indigo@Hand ™ wireless assessment devices in the hands of 1,000 Hawaii students.

On November 17, the first phase of the project was implemented at Konawaena Elementary School. Indigo was presented to four classrooms for use by about 120 fifth-graders. The students, already familiar with GameBoys, Ipods, video games, cell phones and the like, were delighted that the compact, durable computers were being integrated into their classrooms.

"The new miniature computers are a fun way to take tests," remarked fellow Konawaena Elementary student Sarah Albrecht. "Getting the results of the test on the computer is faster than getting scores back on a paper/pencil test. We don't have to wait days for the teacher to grade the test. On the mini-computers, when you send your answers to the teacher's computer, you get test results immediately."

Indigo delivers individualized, on-demand and standards-compliant assessments for the K-12 classroom. The handheld computers enable students to receive and complete digital polls and other assessment content aligned with national and Hawaii standards for math, language arts, science and social sciences. The results are automatically sent to the teacher's computer via a wireless network and can be used to observe improvement over time or as a projection of how students will score on state tests. Indigo also allows teachers to exchange messages with their students, distribute electronic book content, and students can use the device to write journals and access teacher-specified Internet sites.

"The new LearningSoft Indigo handheld devices are a great addition to our 5th grade classrooms. We are able to create math assessments within minutes using the Hawaii State Standards," said Iris Higashi-Oshiro, fifth grade teacher at Konawaena School. "In the past, I've never had students ask me, 'When can we take our next test?' Students are very eager to use the new technology, even though they know it's to take a test and with the Indigo software, we are able to use them as pre-assessments to help guide our instruction. We are very fortunate to have been given this early Christmas present."

LearningSoft intends to expand the pilot project to third, fourth, fifth and seventh grades at additional schools, both on the Big Island and elsewhere in the State, during 2006 to reach the pilot goal of 1,000 test units.

"The vision for school excellence is founded in the belief that schools are a contributing part of every community," remarked West Hawaii Complex Area Superintendent Art Souza. "The partnership with LearningSoft illustrates the importance of private enterprises working with schools to achieve excellence. Down the road, the lessons students learn in the classroom through learning aids such as the Indigo, will allow these students to become better contributors within their communities."

The Hawaii project is fully funded through a grant from the Jacoby Group of Companies, a portfolio of ventures that includes education technology. The pilot will consist of the handheld computers plus wireless access points for each classroom, software, training and support, all offered at no cost to participating schools.

"Children can use the devices' content inside or outside of the classroom," said LearningSoft's CEO David Cole. "The system facilitates seamless formative assessments throughout the school year and will provide educators with the information to address individual student performance to help every child to be successful."

Indigo is set to debut for the general public March 2006 at the Florida Educational Technology Conference.

About Jacoby Group of Companies
The Jacoby Group of Companies is an Atlanta, Georgia-based portfolio of ventures dedicated to advancing sustainable commercial real-estate development, environmentally-friendly waste disposal, medical technology and research, marine science research and conservation and education technology. One of its ventures, Kona Kai Ola, a public-private partnership between the State of Hawaii and Jacoby Development, is in its formative stages to build what the Kona community has advocated for decades-an expansion of Honokohau Harbor.

About LearningSoft
LearningSoft Corporation has created a fresh approach to educational technology -- software that adapts to the needs of the individual learner and provides motivation to succeed, student-centric handheld computers, and an easy-to-implement wireless network. The company's comprehensive curriculum is correlated to state and national educational standards and its Learningtrac™ patent-pending adaptive learning technology, employs artificial intelligence technology to provide a constantly challenging learning environment that promotes successful mastery of curriculum. The Indigo student handheld computer provides students with a light-weight, affordable tool for ubiquitous computing.

About the Hawaii State Department of Education
The commitment to a quality education for all of Hawaii's children began more than 160 years ago, when Hawaii's monarch, King Kamehameha III, established a statewide public school system. Since that time, the Department of Education has continued the journey in pursuit of excellence and equity in education. DOE standards set the course, while students, families, and community work together so young minds are ready to lead the way to the future.

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Additional Contacts:
Art Souza
Complex Area Superintendent
West Hawaii Complex Area Schools
(808)327-4991
email: art_souza@notes.k12.hi.us

Claire Yoshida
Principal
Konawaena Elementary School
(808)323-4555
email: claire_yoshida@notes.k12.hi.us