Blackboard Launches K-12 Advisory Board

Group Will Support Blackboard's Work to Address Needs of the K-12 CommunityWASHINGTON, DC, May 28, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) today announced the formation of the Blackboard K-12 Advisory Board. The five inaugural members represent a broad array of education expertise and will work together to guide Blackboard's efforts to better address the unique needs of the K-12 community.

The launch of the Advisory Board strengthens Blackboard's commitment to students and educators in the K-12 community, where the company currently works with hundreds of schools and districts around the globe. Working with its K-12 clients, Blackboard provides connected, personalized solutions that help to expand educational opportunities, create collaborative learning communities, and increase engagement for teachers and students.

Members of the K-12 Advisory Board will help Blackboard identify and respond to critical issues confronting today's educators, track and discuss developing trends, and advise on future partnerships and alliances. Members of the Advisory Board include:

--  Thomas G. Carroll, PhD, President of the National Commission on
    Teaching and America's Future;
--  Therese "Terry" Crane, Ed.D., Senior Education Advisor to e-Luminate
    Group and former Vice President for Education and Family Products at AOL;
--  Joe A. Hairston, Ed.D., Superintendent of Baltimore County Public
    Schools;
--  Linda Pittenger, Consultant, Virtual Learning Magnet Initiative,
    Council of Chief State School Officers; and
--  Paul E. Resta, PhD, Director of the Learning Technology Center at the
    University of Texas at Austin.

"We are thrilled to welcome such a distinguished group of education professionals to Blackboard's K-12 brain trust," said Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President of Blackboard K-12. "We look forward to leveraging their experience and insight to inform our work to support greater innovation in teaching and learning in the K-12 community. There are great things in store for Blackboard K-12, and we are excited to move forward in partnership with these notable and passionate educational leaders."

"Blackboard has made K-12 education a priority, and is working aggressively to meet the evolving needs of the K-12 community," said Joe A. Hairston, Ed.D., Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools and a Blackboard K-12 Advisory Board member. "The launch of this advisory board is but one example of Blackboard's commitment to meaningfully engage K-12 leaders in its efforts to develop a strategic vision for the future of teaching and learning. I am pleased to be part of that engagement process and look forward to contributing ideas and expertise to Blackboard's effort to increase educational engagement and achievement."

The K-12 Advisory Board held its first meeting recently at Blackboard's Washington, D.C. headquarters. Board members also toured T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., where teachers and students shared their experiences with a one to one laptop program using Blackboard solutions for instruction, organization, and communication. Additionally, board members held a formal meeting to discuss the major trends that will shape e-learning over the next several years.

Additional information about Blackboard's K-12 Advisory Board can be found online at http://www.blackboard.com/inpractice/k12/advisory_board.

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the education industry. Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations everywhere by connecting people and technology. Millions of people use Blackboard solutions everyday at academic institutions around the globe, including colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other education providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

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Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our Form 10-Q filed on May 9, 2008 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of May 28, 2008. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to May 28, 2008.

CONTACTS
Matthew Maurer
Blackboard Inc.
(202) 463-4860 ext. 2637
matthew.maurer@blackboard.com

Anna Hughes
e-Luminate Group
(202) 585-0230
ahughes@eluminategroup.com

SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.

mailto:matthew.maurer@blackboard.com
mailto:ahughes@eluminategroup.com