Pearson to acquire Chancery Software Ltd
31 May 2006
Pearson, the world's leading education company, today announced the acquisition of Chancery Software Ltd., a leading provider of student information systems (SIS) in the K-12 US school market.
Over the past 20 years, Chancery has built a range of software tools to help schools and districts collect and manage student information such as enrollments, scheduling, attendance, grading, and student performance. Chancery is the second largest SIS company in the US market with an installed base of 6,000 schools and recognized capabilities in building, installing and supporting customized systems for large school districts.
Pearson is the market leader in the enterprise and student information systems business with an installed based of more than 16,000 schools. It provides SIS solutions for K-12 school districts combining student information, assessment, reporting, and business solutions to fulfill the accountability requirements set by No Child Left Behind through its SASI school server-based product and its Centerpoint web-based offering. These products lead the SIS market for small- and mid-sized school districts.
Last week Pearson also announced the acquisition of PowerSchool, the third largest school SIS provider, from Apple. Chancery and PowerSchool will be integrated into a single company, Pearson School Systems, operating under the leadership of Mary McCaffrey.
Steven Dowling, president of Pearson's School Companies, said:
"Student information is central to our goal of helping schools raise student achievement through personalized learning. The acquisitions of PowerSchool and Chancery transform our SIS business, doubling its size and enabling us to offer the pre-eminent software solutions for all levels of schools and districts (small, medium, and large). All three businesses have a long and successful history of investment and innovation, and together we will continue to develop new services to help schools achieve their goals."
"The large districts that Chancery supports require a very high level of customization and support as they build and install their systems. Chancery has a great deal of experience and talent in this area and will bring a lot to Pearson."
About Pearson Education
Educating 100 million people worldwide, Pearson Education is the global leader in educational publishing, providing scientifically research-based print and digital programs to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, in their own way. Virtually all students and teachers in America learn from a Pearson program at some point in their educational career. In the U.S., nearly 25,000 schools use Pearson technology to help instruct K-12 students and manage how they are doing. Pearson Education is a business of Pearson, the international media company (LSE: PSON; NYSE: PSO).
About Chancery Software
Chancery Software (www.chancery.com) is one of the leading providers of Student Information Systems for K-12 schools, districts, classrooms, and homes. Chancery solutions offer accurate real-time information on more than thirteen million students to one million educators every day. Built to address the challenges faced by today's districts, Chancery Student Management Solutions are uniquely aligned to meet the accountability and reporting requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. With over 20 years of industry firsts and implementations, Chancery's customized SIS solutions meet the needs and budgets of diverse schools and districts throughout North America.
For more information:
Pearson
Simon Mays-Smith/ Deborah Lincoln: +44 (0)20 7010 2310
Wendy Spiegel: +1 (212) 782 3482