OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scientific Learning Corp. (Nasdaq: SCIL) has selected the St. Mary Parish Public School System in Centerville, La. as a National Reference Site. St. Mary Parish joins a distinguished group of districts nationwide that exemplify the outstanding use of the company's Fast ForWord(R) program. Fast ForWord is a family of educational software products that accelerate learning by developing the student brain to process more efficiently.

As a National Reference Site, St. Mary Parish will serve as a resource for other school districts seeking advice on how to best use the Fast ForWord program to increase students' reading proficiency. St. Mary Parish will also participate in research to help Scientific Learning increase the effectiveness of its products and services.

According to Robert C. Bowen, chairman and CEO of Scientific Learning, St. Mary Parish was selected due to its significant gains using the Fast ForWord program, commitment to increasing student achievement in reading, and high academic and technological standards. During the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, St. Mary Parish students who worked on the Fast ForWord software achieved significant gains on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) and the Integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP). As a result, the district reduced the number of students retained in the fourth grade and the number of students required to attend mandatory summer remediation. For details, see http://www.scilearn.com/results

"We're honored to be selected as a National Reference Site," said Superintendent Donald W. Aguillard, Ph.D. "We've seen a marked increase in student performance in schools that have used the Fast ForWord program. We're looking forward to sharing our success with other districts looking to jumpstart literacy proficiency and close the achievement gap."

About Scientific Learning Corp.

Scientific Learning creates educational software that accelerates learning by improving the processing efficiency of the brain. The Fast ForWord(R) products provide struggling readers with computer-delivered exercises that build the cognitive skills required to read and learn effectively. Scientific Learning Reading Assistant(TM) combines advanced speech recognition technology with scientifically-based courseware to help students strengthen fluency, vocabulary and comprehension to become proficient, lifelong readers. For information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call 888-452-7323.

SOURCE Scientific Learning Corp.