News-Education

SAN ANTONIO Learning loss of academic skills and knowledge often takes place during summer months while students are on vacation. This is commonly referred to as “summer learning loss,” where academic gains made during the school year may not continue across the summer and into the following school year. Students from low income backgrounds may be especially vulnerable to this loss. Several leading Texas school districts are participating in a rigorous research study, How a Summer Reading Intervention Based on Lexiles Affects Reading Comprehension, which seeks to minimize this learning loss through the use of a volunteer summer reading program. The study is sponsored by REL Southwest at Edvance Research, one of ten national education research laboratories funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

PASADENA, Calif. The historic Rose Bowl and Steve Clarkson’s DREAMMAKER, LLC have partnered together in a joint deal to display the billboard of the Steve Clarkson Dreammaker logo for the quarterback athletic development company. The signage debuted at the televised Washington vs U.C.L.A. football game this week, and will be part of the Dreammaker 2010 nationwide tour, which will launch at the Rose Bowl the weekend of February 26. The joint deal was culminated between the Rose Bowl’s General Manager Darryl Dunn and Premier Partnerships’ COO Jeff Marks on behalf of Clarkson this past summer. The construction of the sign was developed by the Ultimate Activation Company headed by President and CEO Kevin Elliott.

SAN FRANCISCO Fitch Ratings has affirmed its 'BBB' rating on the Colorado Health Facilities Authority's approximately $43.3 million revenue bonds, series 1998, 1998B, and 2005, issued on behalf of National Jewish Health (NJH). The Rating Outlook is Stable.

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. Representative Allen Boyd (D-FL) along with local officials visited Sallie Mae’s Panama City facility to discuss student loan reform legislation that could impact hundreds of jobs in Panama City. In his fight for jobs and competition and choice for students, Representative Boyd voted against legislation requiring all loans to be delivered by the federal government. The legislation jeopardizes 700 Sallie Mae jobs in Bay County and stifles related economic development in the state.

NEW YORK The remarketing of the University of Chicago adjustable-rate revenue bonds series 1998B does not affect their ratings, according to Fitch Ratings. The remarketed bonds were converted to a new adjustable-rate period in excess of 365 days in duration.

PALATINE, Ill. Nearly 700 of Illinois’ finest community and government leaders joined in Little City Foundation’s celebration marking 50 years of groundbreaking, innovative programs and services to hundreds of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

CONCORD, Mass. Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) has been named one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts in the second annual employee-based survey project from The Boston Globe. The Globe 100’s Top Places to Work ’09 magazine was published in the Sunday Globe on November 8. Online, the report can be found at www.boston.com/topworkplaces.

JERICHO, N.Y. American Claims Evaluation, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:AMCE) announced revenues of $1,317,905 and a net loss of $353,508 ($.07 net loss per share) for the three months ended September 30, 2009. By comparison, the Company reported a net loss of $52,152 ($.01 net loss per share) for the three months ended September 30, 2008 consisting of a loss of $182,144 from continuing operations ($.03 net loss per share) and a gain from discontinued operations of $94,345 ($.02 net earnings per share).

AUSTIN, Texas Das Keyboard has launched its search for the nation’s fastest fingers on a keyboard, announcing today the launch of the first-ever Ultimate Typing Championship.

FISHERS, Ind. Joined by various community leaders and state and local elected officials, Sallie Mae—the nation’s leading saving, planning and paying for education company—today announced the results of a community-led effort to protect local jobs in Indiana and options for students. Over the past month, more than 80,000 county and state residents signed the “Protect Indiana Jobs” petition, voicing their concern about legislation in Congress that jeopardizes local jobs.

CHICAGO The five winners of the 2009 Scholarships.com Resolve to Evolve Scholarship tackled college costs, achievement gaps, energy policy, and post-graduation struggles in essays that provided not only their criticism and opinions, but workable solutions to problems facing the country.

LOS ANGELES Los Angeles-based Sexual Recovery Institute (SRI), whose intensive outpatient programs have treated numerous celebrities and high profile business people throughout the United States, has already begun to experience an onslaught of interest about sexual addiction and unhealthy compulsive behaviors as the mainstream media escalates their focus on this global phenomenon affecting men and women from all walks of life.

SAN JOSE, Calif. eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com) (NASDAQ:EBAY), the No. 1 online automotive marketplace worldwide, now offers free vehicle history reports through an exclusive agreement with Experian’s AutoCheck. By offering free AutoCheck vehicle history reports on all listings for used vehicles no older than the 1981 model year, eBay Motors provides an unmatched level of trust and transparency for online auto shoppers, in addition to cost savings for buyers and sellers.

FAIRFAX, Va. Alma College, a large private liberal arts institution in Michigan’s lower peninsula, has selected Datatel^® as its strategic partner to implement a fully integrated administrative system that supports the short- and long-term needs of its constituents. Datatel software and professional services will increase self-service capabilities and enable the College to fully leverage its information technology resources campus-wide.

ST. LOUIS Although women rate their investing skills far lower than men, their recent portfolio performance tells another story.

LifeLock:

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009

LOS ANGELES Thousands of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) patients are potentially being misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), according to Mayo Clinic Neurologist Sean Pittock, M.D., largely due to lack of awareness of NMO within the medical community. Dr. Pittock shared this finding with more than 50 of the world’s leading doctors and medical researchers – from Harvard to Oxford – who gathered at the 2009 NMO Roundtable Conference, sponsored by the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation.