FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

eSylvan Receives CITA Accreditation

eSylvan Becomes First Online Supplemental Education Provider to Be Recognized by International Accreditation Organization

BALTIMORE, MD (August 7, 2002) - Today, eSylvan announced that it has been accredited by The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). eSylvan is the first online supplemental education provider to be accredited by this internationally recognized organization.

CITA is the most rapidly growing educational accreditation agency in the world. Widely recognized by educators and accepted as the leader in advancing quality school improvement, CITA is affiliated with more than 32,000 schools, 20 million students and one million teachers worldwide. CITA holds the only set of nationally recognized accreditation standards for supplemental education providers.

To receive CITA accreditation, eSylvan was required to meet 12 established standards of supplemental education, including a clear educational mission, rigorously defined academic curricula, and professionally sanctioned methods and materials. eSylvan now holds a distinction that until now belonged only to prominent "bricks and mortar" supplemental education providers, including Sylvan Learning Center.

"eSylvan exceeded our standards, providing the quality curriculum and instruction worthy of accreditation, and setting a benchmark for all online supplemental education service providers," says Randy V. Sinisi, associate executive director of CITA.

eSylvan, which launched nationwide in May 2002, offers personalized, Web-based reading and math instruction to students in grades three through nine by state-certified teachers. Educational experts developed eSylvan's curriculum, ensuring that each child receives a program based on sound educational research and extensive experience. Each lesson achieves specific educational outcomes that are age- and grade-level appropriate.

eSylvan's unique technology enables a student and teacher to have "real conversations in real time," as if they are on the telephone, using a hands-free headset connected to an ordinary PC. The student and teacher talk with one another as they write questions and answers on the same workspace displayed on both the student's and teacher's computer screens using a digital pencil and digital writing pad (similar to a mousepad).

"eSylvan provides parents with an online home tutoring option that not only improves their child's academic skills, but their self-confidence as well," says David Graves, president of eSylvan. "Knowing our program has received international academic accreditation should give parents and teachers added confidence in eSylvan."

"We are pleased to have such a highly respected organization validate eSylvan's curriculum and our ongoing efforts to offer parents supplemental education options for their children," says Doug Becker, chairman and CEO of Sylvan Learning Systems. "eSylvan offers an innovative way of bringing qualified teachers into the home and the CITA certification validates Sylvan Learning Systems' expansion into home tutoring."