GlobalScholar Acquires Student Information System Firm ExLogica

Combination of SIS and Pinnacle Suite creates comprehensive solution for impacting student achievement through effectively used data

BELLEVUE, Wash. and LAKEWOOD, Colo. (Jan. 22, 2009) – GlobalScholar, a member of the Knowledge Universe family of companies and parent company of Excelsior Software, today announces the acquisition of Colorado-based ExLogica, Inc., developer of the Silk Student Information System and Silk Scheduler. Through this collaboration, the ExLogica, Inc., system and scheduler will become part of the Pinnacle Suite, Excelsior Software’s set of intuitive tools that manage and align content, assessments, curriculum, standards, and more. Following final Board approval this week, the combination will result in a comprehensive solution for schools and districts committed to impacting instruction through the effective use of data.

"The industry has come to expect student information systems that can offer a complete feature set, including student management, scheduling, gradebook, parent and student access, and standards-based grading founded on frequent formative assessments in the classroom," said Lyle Groome, President and CEO of ExLogica, Inc. " Combining our products with the Pinnacle Suite will provide educators and administrators with a complete state-of-the art student information system that provides the integrated solution that they are looking for. We are excited that we now have the resources to create the best suite of products for educators and administrators available."

"For districts facing decreasing budgets, the total cost of managing and coordinating all the legacy programs associated with monitoring and keeping track of each student is a critical issue," said Kal Raman, CEO of GlobalScholar. "The Pinnacle Suite has a far less total cost of ownership than the fragmented alternative. And the TCO will only continue to decrease as we develop, add and combine further tools administrators and educators need within one complete learning platform."

ExLogica, Inc., was built on a history of nationally recognized companies and products, including the Osiris School Administration System, which was developed by Groome and marketed by Tamarac Systems, Inc. Later, Groome sold Tamarac Systems and oversaw the further development of Osiris, The School System, and other products from Columbia Computing Services. Leveraging his past experience and industry knowledge, Groome founded ExLogica, Inc., in 1993.

For more than 15 years, ExLogica, Inc., has focused on the development of state-of-the-art object-oriented software for the Windows environment, specifically tools that support student information systems for the K-12 education marketplace. The company’s student information system includes fully integrated applications that help schools and districts manage student records, attendance, grade reporting, discipline and test scores, as well as the scheduler, which offers flexibility in creating, organizing and automating class and activity schedules.

ExLogica, Inc., staff will continue under the current organization structure, and the company will remain headquartered in Lakewood, Colo. The close proximity of Excelsior’s headquarters in Greeley, Colo., will allow the unified staff to effectively collaborate on new features and functionality for the expanded Pinnacle platform. The combined legacy of these teams brings more than 40 years of solid experience in the service of K-12 education to schools and districts across the country.

The Pinnacle Suite offers educators and administrators one comprehensive set of tools, bringing together all the previously separated pieces that school officials need to make efficient data-informed decisions.

Visit www.pinnaclesuite.com for more information.

About GlobalScholar.com

Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., GlobalScholar.com is committed to providing students of all ages the confidence and control they need to make informed decisions about their education. The company develops products that effectively integrate and align the resources of education – people, technology and content – to improve efficiency and performance. These products include CollegeFinder, SchoolFinder, and GlobalScholar.com where students can select and interact with highly qualified online tutors or take self-paced courses. GlobalScholar.com is backed by Ignition Partners and Knowledge Universe Education. For more information, please visit www.globalscholar.com or phone 877-824-4040.

About ExLogica, Inc.

Lakewood, Colorado-based ExLogica, Inc., is the publisher of the Silk Student Information System and the Silk Scheduler. The principals of ExLogica have been active in the school administration software market since 1983. Lyle Groome, the president, was the original developer of the Osiris school administration system and scheduler, which has been used in thousands of schools over the past 20 years. For more information: www.exlogica.com

About Excelsior Software

Based in Greeley, Colo., Excelsior Software is supporting school improvement with the Pinnacle Suite: providing educators the tools and real-time data needed to have a meaningful impact on student performance through immediate access to performance information, increasing teacher productivity and improving communication from one comprehensive online solution. As the pioneer of the electronic gradebook concept in 1986, the company’s experience in assessment management supports educators by delivering the technical innovations that meet the needs of today’s evolving data-driven educational system. Excelsior Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of GlobalScholar, a member of the Knowledge Universe family of companies. For more information, please visit www.excelsiorsoftware.com or phone 800-473-4572.

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