The school district, located just outside Richmond, Va., recently announced an agreement to purchase laptop computers for every middle and high school student and teacher. This is the largest laptop computer purchase in secondary education to date. Online curriculum content -- like that provided by Beyond Books -- is an essential part of Henrico County's breakthrough technology initiative.

The agreement with Beyond Books was secured by HCPS director of technology, Dr. Charles Stallard, an expert and author on educational technology. In a book due out in October, Stallard writes, "The advantages that digital content brings to the classroom ensure its broad adoption and use at school and at home or wherever learning takes place."

Dr. Mark Edwards, superintendent of HCPS, says, "As great as it is to be able to use efficient new media in education, true learning always requires excellent educational content. Beyond Books has delivered curricula that are classically grounded, yet thoroughly modern. This provider has the material that is most appropriate to the needs of our secondary students."

Beyond Books offers interactive online programs in social studies, science, language arts and literature, mathematics and various electives. The programs meet the district's requirement for quality material that can harness the Internet's power to deliver educational content -- interactively -- to students anywhere and anytime.

"Education is about empowering students -- and so is the new technology. Beyond Books programs were created specifically for the new technology that farsighted school districts like Henrico County are embracing," said James S. Cassano, CEO and founder of Beyond Books' parent company, New Forum Publishers. "Written by teachers for teachers, Beyond Books programs are an ideal choice for educators. We know their classroom needs, and we designed our curriculum content and teacher resources to exceed them. For us, education is also about empowering teachers."

Beyond Books launched its first program, "American History: From British Arrival to British Departure," in the fall of 1998. Today students in 48 states and 10 countries representing more than 2,500 schools have accessed Beyond Books programs. These programs parallel state and national curriculum standards and feature original and award-winning text, cutting-edge multimedia presentations and interactive activities, links to thousands of reviewed Web sites, and a full complement of teacher resources.