From the New York Times:

"Pearson plc, (Pearson) is an international media and education company with its principal operations in the education, business information and consumer publishing markets. The Company delivers the content in a range of forms and through a variety of channels, including books, newspapers and online services. It offers services, as well as content, from test creation, administration and processing to teacher development and school software. It operates in more than 70 countries worldwide, its major markets are the United States (59% of sales) and Europe (21% of sales). Pearson consists of three worldwide businesses: Pearson Education, The FT Group and The Penguin Group. In April 2011, the Company acquired Schoolnet. In August 2011, the Company acquired Stark Holding from Syntegra Capital. In September 2011, the Company acquired Connections Education. In October 2011, the Company acquired TQ Holdings Ltd. In December 2011, Global Education & Technology Group Ltd merged with Pearson plc."

Pearson and the Privatization of Education

• Testing Company Pearson Spending Millions to Influence Schools, Republic Report, May 8, 2012  

• Diane Ravitch: Pearson's Expanding Role in Education, Washington Post, May 7, 2012

• Move to Outsource Teacher Licensing Process Draws Protest, NY Times, May 6, 2012 (Older, Wiser and Not Giving Into Fear, NY Times, Oct 1, 2012)   

• A Very Pricey Pineapple, NY Times, April 27, 2012

• The GED: Public Good or Private Sector Trove? City Lights, March 19, 2012 

• How Private Companies are Profiting from Texas Public Schools, Texas Observer, September 6, 2011

• Boycott Pearson Now: United Opt Out National - A movement to end corporate education reform. 

Pearson and the new G.E.D. exam in the News

• Revamped GED Faces First Big Challenge, The Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2013
• How Adult Education Can Help Close the Skills Gap, The Huffington Post, Oct. 14, 2012
  
• State Seeks Own Equivalency Exam, TimesUnion, September 10, 2012 
• GED Revamp Sparks Anxiety, crainsnewyork, August 12, 2012
• Civil Rights Coalition Presses Questions about GED Redesign, Education Week, May 18, 2012 

Pearson and Online/Digital Education

• Online Schools Score Better on Wall Street Than in Classrooms, NY Times, December 12, 2011 
• Gates and Pearson Foundations to Offer Online Courses, NY Times, April 27, 2011

• In A Digital Future, Textbooks Are History, NY Times, August 9, 2009 

• Pearson to Develop and Support Open Source Tool for Evaluating School Technology and Infrastructure Readiness, PARCC Press Release, January 31, 2012   
• Facing a Robo-Grader? Just Keep Obfuscating Mellifluously, NY Times, April 22, 2012 

Problems with Pearson Testing

• Seeking to Pare Standardized Tests, Legislators Take Aim at Testing Firm, NY Times, April 20, 2013
• Score Corrections Qualify Nearly 2,700 More Pupils for Gifted Programs,  NY Times, April 19, 2013
  
• Test Concerns Keep Coming Up, NY Times, April 25, 2012
• When Pineapple Races Hare, Students Lose, Critics of Standardized Tests Say, April 20, 2012
• Pearson Memo Detailing "The Hare and the Pineapple" Passage, Time, May 4, 2012
• In Leaked Memo, Pearson Stands Behind "Pineapple" Test Questions, Gotham Schools, May 4, 2012
• State Officials Throw Out Another Pearson Test Question, NY Times, May 2, 2012
• On Pearson and Pineapplegate: Kids & Future Teachers Challenge Critical Tests, MinnPost, May 8, 2012 
• New York, in Contract With Pearson, Lays Out Rules for State Tests, NY Times, August 12, 2011
• Pearson Problems Nothing New in Testing World, Tampa Bay Times, May 18, 2011
• New Test Scoring Problems for Pearson, The Washington Post, July, 19, 2010
• Pearson Offers Competing Test in English as Second Language, NY Times, September 7, 2009

NYS Attorney General Investigation into Whether Pearson Acted Improperly to Influence State Education Officials

• Educational Publisher's Charity, Accused of Seeking Profits, Will Pay Millions, NY Times, December 12, 2013 
• New Questions About Trips Sponsored by Education Publisher, NY Times, January 1, 2012
• New York Attorney General is Investigating Pearson Education, NY Times, December 22, 2011

Pearson Tax Breaks

• Moving Jobs Across the Hudson, Company Wins Tax Breaks on Both Sides, NY Times, September 19, 2011