TRO Learning Debuts Single-Topic PLATO Courses.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 1999--

The same proven PLATO courses used successfully in schools

throughout the world will soon be available

in single-topic CD-ROM and downloadable formats

TRO Learning, Inc. (Nasdaq:TUTR) announced today it will begin offering single-topic PLATO(R) courses in October. Initially, 66 individual PLATO titles will be made available on CD-ROM. Later in the month, the courses will be available for immediate purchase and download at the company's e-commerce store on the PLATO Web site at www.plato.com. Course topics will include reading, math problem solving, mathematics, applied mathematics, writing in the workplace, applied science, and vocabulary building. Prices will range from $30 to $150 per course. This new single-topic product offering will enable TRO to directly target teachers, home users, and small rural schools - markets largely untapped by the company to date.

These PLATO courses are the same proven courseware used by millions of learners in thousands of schools throughout North America and the United Kingdom each year. Select PLATO curricula have been broken into topic-specific courses to provide teachers and parents with access to high-quality educational software to help their students succeed. PLATO success stories abound -- from helping individual learners reach their fullest learning potential to helping educators prepare students for success on standardized tests and state-mandated graduation requirements (www.plato.com). Recent independent evaluations at Lakeland Sr. High School (Florida), Lawrence Central High School (Indiana), and Forest Grove High School (Oregon) statistically document PLATO's effectiveness in raising test scores (www.plato.com/ed/results/second.html).

In commenting on the debut single-topic PLATO courses, G. Thomas Ahern, senior vice president of sales and marketing, said, "Current market indicators show that single-topic course purchases are accelerating in schools. We wanted to be responsive to the desire of teachers to supplement and augment classroom instruction, as well as to complement the PLATO core-competency curricula for our current clients. In addition, we feel this offering will provide parents with an option to purchase proven, high-quality educational courseware that is reasonably priced for the home."

William R. Roach, chairman of the board, president and CEO, commented, "All of us at TRO Learning are excited about the impending release of PLATO single-topic courses. This is a major step to expand the accessibility of PLATO to all learners. These courses offer the same preassessment, tutorial, problem solving, and mastery-based approach as our comprehensive curricula, but by individual topic area. The type of products in a single-topic format currently available on the market is predominantly "edutainment," providing little educational value. Unlike those products, PLATO tracks the learner's progression through the course tutorials and problem-solving activities until the material is mastered.

"Throughout the next year," Roach continued, "we will add additional titles from our existing PLATO courseware library, as well as new products currently under development. We fully expect to have between 120 and 150 individual titles by the end of out fiscal year 2000. These titles will be sold through educational catalogues, including our own and third-party publications; our telesales organization, which we have been expanding during the last months; targeted third-party direct sales channels; and, our e-commerce site at plato.com."

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, John Murray, added, "This new range of products enables us to increase revenues from within our core markets, as well as adding revenues from previously untapped and emerging markets. We are very excited about the opportunity this new single-topic product line and additional distribution channels offer us. Our expectation is that revenues from this effort will increase gradually throughout fiscal 2000, and then make a more significant contribution going forward. We also anticipate being able to create a more evenly spread revenue stream throughout our fiscal year given the lower price point, planned growth of the distribution network, and new market audiences."

TRO Learning is the developer and marketer of computer-based PLATO products and services. With PLATO revenues of over $40 million, TRO Learning, Inc. is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ-NMS. Offering more than 2,000 hours and 10,000 learning objectives of comprehensive academic and applied skills courseware designed for adolescents and adults, PLATO Learning Systems are marketed to middle and high schools, colleges, job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, and corporations. The PLATO Learning System is delivered via networks, CD-ROM, the Internet, and private intranets.

TRO Learning is an international training and education company with headquarters located at 4660 West 77th Street, Edina, Minnesota 55435, (612) 832-1000 or (800) 869-2000. TRO's executive offices are located at Poplar Creek Office Plaza, 1721 Moon Lake Boulevard, Suite 555, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60194, (847) 781-7800. TRO Learning has domestic offices located throughout the United States, and international offices in the United Kingdom, and throughout Canada. TRO Learning has international distributors located in Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The company's Web site addresses on the Internet's World Wide Web are www.tro.com and www.plato.com

This press release contains forward-looking information regarding future prospects. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve any particular result in future periods because of uncertainties, such as timing of receipt of product orders and delivery to its customers and other matters relating to revenue recognition accounting principles.

(R) PLATO is a registered trademark of The Roach Organization, Inc.