Educators recognize Teach! Strategies & Resources from Kaplan K12 Learning Services for
its Innovative Online Suite of High-Quality Instructional Resources and Tools

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (May 7, 2012) – Kaplan K12 Learning Services’ Teach!® Strategies & Resources has been recognized as the top Curriculum Development program in the “Teacher Tools” category, by The ComputED Gazette, as parts of its 2012 Best Education Software Awards (BESSIE Awards). The BESSIES, now in its 18th year, recognize innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. Winners were selected from around the world and judged on academic content, potential for broad classroom use, technical merit, subject approach, and management system.

Kaplan K12’s Teach!® Strategies & Resources is an online toolkit with robust instructional and professional development assets to support teacher development as the new Common Core State Standards and academic benchmarks shift from policy to practice. Based in pedagogical best practices and aligned to state-specific and Common Core standards, the tools included in Kaplan’s Teach!® Strategies & Resources support rigorous differentiated instruction, training and assessment. The toolkit includes an online library of more than 3,000 lessons, assessments, quizzes and videos that teachers can easily search, and filter by grade (2-12), subject area, state-specific standards, and/or Common Core State Standards to find immediate, actionable tools for classroom use.

The Common Core State Standards are an effort led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association to define the knowledge and skills in English language arts and mathematics that students need upon high school graduation. Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and are turning their attention to the critical work of how and when to implement the new standards.

“We consistently hear from educators and administrators that they lack high-quality digital assets that support teachers’ instructional and development needs. We developed Teach!® Strategies & Resources to serve as a valuable toolkit to help teachers transition from their current classroom instruction to the new curricular requirements of the Common Core State Standards,” said Justin Serrano, president of K-12 and College Prep, Kaplan Test Prep. “This BESSIE award reinforces the value that Teach! has to offer schools and districts in helping meet the needs of teachers and administrators as they implement the Common Core State Standards to better prepare students for college and future careers in the 21st century.”

This marks Kaplan’s second BESSIE Award earned this year. Kaplan has also been recognized with a 2012 BESSIE for the top high school “Test Preparation Website” for its ACT® on Demand* program – a comprehensive, interactive and personalized course that allows students to go at their own pace and on their own schedule.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services, LLC.

Kaplan K12 Learning Services (kaplank12.com), a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (kaptest.com), partners with schools to measurably propel student achievement and accelerate college readiness. Kaplan K12 offers state test readiness programs to help students meet and exceed state standards, and college preparation solutions that support students as they prepare for college entrance exams and the admissions process. Its solutions also provide teachers with robust Kaplan K12 resources andprofessional development support to impact achievement in their classrooms. Kaplan Test Prep is a division of Kaplan Inc. (kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

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Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (April 26, 2012) – Kaplan Test Prep’s ACT On Demand course has been recognized as the top high school “Test Preparation Website” by The ComputED Gazette, as part of its 2012 Best Educational Awards (BESSIE Awards).  The BESSIES, now in its 18th year, recognize innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence.

Kaplan’s comprehensive and interactive ACT On Demand course allows students to go at their own pace and on their own schedule with a personalized path through the curriculum, available 24/7.  It is powered by Kaplan’s exclusive Smart Track™ system, which analyzes student performance and prescribes a customized learning plan.  Kaplan’s ACT On Demand integrates focused content review, test-taking strategies, and the practice students need to achieve their target scores.  It includes: a custom study plan based on their diagnostic performance; four full-length ACT practice tests; over 50 hours of engaging video instruction on every tested topic on the exam; step-by-step problem solving exercises; and more than 1,200 practice problems.  The course also features Smart Reports™, which is essential in keeping both students and parents up-to-date on progress with performance reporting right down to the question level.

“Our goal is to provide students with the most effective, efficient and engaging test prep programs available by leveraging advances in technology and a growing body of research on instructional best practices, as well as feedback from thousands of students and parents,” said Justin Serrano, President of K-12 and College Prep, Kaplan Test Prep. “We’re thrilled that The ComputED Gazette has recognized that our ACT on Demand course provides students with the best test prep to enable them to achieve the scores they need to get into their top college choices.”

A record 1.62 million students from the class of 2011 took the ACT, which represented 49% of the entire U.S. graduating class.

This is the second time this academic year that The ComputED Gazette has recognized Kaplan Test Prep for its pioneering technology-rich test prep programs.  In October, Kaplan’s SAT* On Demand course received an Education Software Review (EDDIE) Award as the top high school “Test Tool Website.” And earlier this year the National Parenting Center (NPC) awarded Kaplan’s SAT on Demand course its Seal of Approval.

In addition to ACT and SAT on Demand, Kaplan offers PSAT On Demand, also powered by the Smart Track system, to provide personalization for each student.  Kaplan also provides test prep in the traditional classroom environment; via live, online instruction in its Classroom Anywhere™ environment; and private tutoring.  Parents and students can choose the option that works best to fit their needs and schedules.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.  ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. PSAT/NMSQT is a trademark jointly owned by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan.

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Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (April 25, 2012) – Despite the fact that a majority of top business schools now accept the GRE as an admissions alternative to the GMAT, just 16% of prospective business school students said they considered taking the GRE route, according to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey*.   And of the 84% who said they never considered taking the GRE instead of the GMAT, 60% said the primary reason was because some or all their target schools only accept the GMAT; 19% said it was because they felt applicants who submit a GMAT score have an admissions advantage over applicants who submit a GRE score; and 8% said it was because they thought they’d do better on the GMAT than on the GRE.

“Even though 60% of students said the primary reason they never considered taking the GRE over the GMAT was because the business schools they plan on applying to don’t accept the GRE, we believe that number may be inflated because of a lack of information.  Many of them would be surprised to know that most, if not all of the business schools they plan on applying to accept the GRE, in addition to the GMAT,” said Lee Weiss, director of graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep.  “However, it’s still a smart business school admissions strategy to take the GMAT if you are only applying to business school, and not considering applying to graduate school too.  According to a separate Kaplan survey of business school admissions officers, applicants who submit a GMAT score have a slight admissions advantage over applicants who submit a GRE score.”

Kaplan Test Prep believes an increasing number of business school will accept the GRE in the years to come, though applicants who submit a GMAT score may continue to hold an advantage, especially because the GMAT is adding an Integrated Reasoning section in June to reinforce its status as the best predictor of student success in business school.  Kaplan will continue to track this trend.

In 2011, there were a record 700,000+ administrations of the GRE worldwide.

To arrange an interview with an admissions expert at Kaplan Test Prep, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

*The survey was administered by email between November 2011 and April 2012 and included responses from 314 Kaplan GMAT students.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (April 6, 2012) — With much uncertainty about the pending ISEET and NEET, global test prep leader Kaplan Test Prep has created in.kaptestglobal.com, offering several free resources for the SAT®, one of the primary standardized admissions tests for U.S. universities, for Indians seeking test prep practice: http://in.kaptestglobal.com/sat/sat-free-event-resources:

• TurboTest: This 90-minute adaptive practice SAT can reliably predict a test taker’s score.
• Live Online Turbo Test Event: A live proctored Turbo Test experience in an online classroom.
• Kaplan SAT Flashcubes for iPhone/iPod Touch: The unique 3D flashcard system allows for self-study, multiple-choice quizzes, customized vocabulary lists, and progress tracking.
• SAT iBooks: Answers to frequently asked questions about the admissions tests.
• QuizBank: Thousands of SAT and ACT questions to create customizable quizzes.
• SAT Challenge: Timed quizzes in each SAT section with detailed answer explanations.

The site also includes information and test prep options for college, MBA, medical and graduate school applicants as well as U.S. Medical Licensing Exam takers.

“Kaplan is the established leader in preparing students for high-stakes exams, with 74 years of experience and expertise,” said Bharat Krishna, Vice President, Kaplan Test Prep. “We wanted to give Indian students access to the same research-based, personalized test prep offerings that have helped millions of American students on high-stakes admissions and aptitude tests, particularly at a time when new tests such as the ISEET and NEET are being discussed.”

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product, nor is it affiliated with Kaplan or this website.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Available for Interview: A Kaplan Test Prep College Admissions Expert to Explain the State of College Admissions and What Accepted, Rejected and Waitlisted Students Can Do Next

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (April 5, 2012) – “Thank you for applying, but unfortunately…”  While many of the millions of high school seniors who applied to college succeeded in getting into their top picks in a year when the nation’s top colleges accepted record low percentages of applicants (Harvard at 5.9%, Yale at 6.8%, Princeton at 7.9%, Dartmouth at 9.4%, Duke at 11.9%), those who were outright rejected or waitlisted into admissions limbo are wondering what to do next.  And what of those who were accepted to their top choices, but can’t decide where to enroll?  Here are some pieces of advice for each scenario that a student may find themselves in:

• My top choice school rejected me!  Where do I go now?  Yes, it’s a major disappointment, but with many of the nation’s most competitive schools announcing record high rejection rates this cycle, you are in good company.  A college rejection is not a stigma.  Life’s fate will not be determined by having earned more “yes’s” than “no’s.”  Now you must seriously consider one of your “ safety schools,” which may be more appealing than you originally thought.  Focus on the options that are available, citing the positive aspects of the colleges that said “We want you.”
• I’ve been waitlisted.  Do I wait?  The last thing you should do if you are put on a wait list is wait. Take action!  Submit new relevant information to the college admissions office: midterm grades, awards, new leadership roles, etc.  Show them why you are a “must-have student.”  Chances aren’t great getting off the wait list, but taking some concrete steps may increase the odds.
• I got in to several of my top schools, but how do I decide which one to attend?  This is not exactly a bad situation to be in, but that doesn’t mean the decision will be easy.  Refer to the list of factors you considered when you first applied.  See how well the colleges that have offered you admission meet those requirements.  If how to pay for college is also an important factor, evaluate their financial aid packages.  The best way to make the final decision is to visit (or revisit) the campuses that are still in the running.  Then discuss it with those who know you best and make an informed decision on a school that you are excited about.

For a 3-minute video that offers advice to students on next steps in the college admissions process, click here – this video and other related videos, like preparing for the SAT and ACT, are available at www.youtube.com/KaplanSATACT.

To arrange an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert who can expand on this advice for students, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Every Kaplan SAT® Question Answered Correctly on Freerice Results
in 10 Grains of Rice Donated to Communities in Need

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (April 4, 2012) – Global test prep leader Kaplan Test Prep has teamed up with Freerice.com, a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to help in their mission to provide free education to all and a solution to world hunger. To reach this ambitious goal, Kaplan is providing Freerice with 500 SAT questions; with each question that students answer correctly, 10 grains of rice are donated to WFP to feed hungry people around the world, paid for by sponsored banners on the site.

Since its creation in 2007, Freerice players have donated almost 100 billion grains of rice, enough to feed five million people for a day. Often WFP is able to purchase the rice locally, cutting down on the time it takes to provide life-saving food to the hungry while also supporting local economies. Some of the communities that have benefited are:

• Cambodia – from June 2011 onwards, all rice raised on Freerice is going to Cambodia, where the rice is locally purchased in support of school meals activities.
• Haiti – from January to May 2011, Freerice raised nearly 6 billion grains of rice to help communities following devastating earthquakes, enough to feed nearly 300,000 people two meals for a day.
• Bangladesh – Freerice fed 27,000 refugees from Myanmar for two weeks.

“Kaplan Test Prep is proud to work with the U.N.’s World Food Programme and be a part of its efforts to combat world hunger through Freerice, while promoting education and college readiness in the process,” said Justin Serrano, president, K-12 and college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “From experience, we know that many students today are looking for a way to give back and this provides them with a worthwhile opportunity to do so, while supporting their own test prep needs.”

The launch of the new set of questions comes just in time for students to begin preparing for the May and June SAT exams. Students can even create study groups on Freerice and compete as teams to donate the most rice to the hungry poor.

“Kaplan’s SAT questions help Freerice players to build their vocabulary, and playing Freerice helps the world’s most vulnerable populations reach their full potential,” said Nancy Roman, WFP Director of Communications, Public Policy and Private Partnerships. “It is so important to engage young people in the fight against hunger, and playing Freerice is a simple and yet very powerful way for them to make a real difference.”

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

About the UN World Food Programme

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see:http://www.wfp.org/rss.

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. The trademark holder is not affiliated with Kaplan.

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Applying the Science of Learning to Effective Test Readiness

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 28, 2012) – While preparing for exams has been part of the student experience since the invention of tests, approaches for doing so can vary widely. However, a large body of research shows that successful performance relies on three fundamental factors: knowledge of the content; familiarity with the exam’s structure, conditions and tasks; and ability to apply critical thinking. Kaplan’s new white paper, “Effective Test Readiness: What the Research Says,” outlines six key research findings that guide the design of programs that support these fundamental factors.

Author Marcella Bullmaster-Day, Ed.D., the associate director of the Lander Center for Educational Research Touro College, pulls from a range of cognitive science research to provide a concise overview for what goes into an effective test readiness program.

There were six key findings from the research:

Effective test readiness programs…

•     Prioritize the content students need to know for exam success
•     Understand and meet individual student learning needs
•     Provide repeated practice under pressure in test-like conditions
•     Appropriately integrate text, visuals, animations, narration and behavioral activities to support cognitive
  processing
•     Harness the power of working memory for optimal learning and development of critical thinking skills
•     Develop key cognitive strategies that students can apply to the classroom and beyond and provide students with strategies that match the demands of the test

“Because Kaplan is committed to supporting students with the most effective and efficient test preparation, our state assessment and college test readiness programs are grounded in this research,” said Justin Serrano, president of Kaplan K12 and College Prep. “Our Smart Track™ adaptive learning platform combines a student’s strengths and weaknesses with SmartPoints™, the highest priority standards with the most points on the exam, to design his or her personalized syllabus. Students can confidently carry these proven study and test-taking strategies with them beyond the exams and into the next phases of their academic careers to achieve their personal best.”

In short, students need to know the content, know the test, and know the strategies. These three core elements of assessment readiness can be improved through focused study, rigorous practice and explicit, carefully designed instruction. With more than 70 years of experience in preparing students for high-stakes exams, Kaplan’s programs combine proven methodology, data-driven learning from millions of students, academic best practices, and adaptive technologies to deliver effective learning outcomes.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services, LLC 

Kaplan K12 Learning Services , LLC (http://www.kaplank12.com) partners with schools to measurably propel student achievement. Kaplan K12 offers state test readiness programs to help students meet and exceed state standards, and college preparation solutions that support students as they prepare for college entrance exams and the admissions process. Its solutions also provide teachers with robust Kaplan K12 resources and professional development support to impact achievement in their classrooms. Kaplan K12 Learning Services is a division of Kaplan Inc. (http://www.kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

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Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 27, 2012) – Kaplan Test Prep issued the following statement on the new SAT and ACT security measures that were announced today, to be implemented this fall. The actions were taken in response to the SAT cheating scandal uncovered on Long Island last year:

“Kaplan Test Prep believes these security measures will help ensure the integrity of students’ SAT and ACT test-taking experiences, while also maintaining the exams’ accessibility to the millions of college applicants who take them every year.   The security measures will also help restore confidence in college applicants who need to know that they are only competing for admissions with students who play by the same rules,” said Justin Serrano, president of K-12 and college prep programs, Kaplan Test Prep.   “A student’s SAT or ACT score is not only one of the most important college admissions factors, but also helps determine merit-based financial aid, so there’s a lot at stake in making sure that one’s score is one’s own.”

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 19, 2012) – A newly published infographic (www.kaptest.com/socialmediainfographic) by Kaplan Test Prep, a leader in tracking the use of social media in the college, law school and business school admissions processes, shows the degree to which Facebook and Google are becoming parts of the admissions evaluation landscape.  According to Kaplan’s most recent annual surveys, 41% of law school admissions officers said they have Googled an applicant to learn more about them, while 37% have checked out an applicant on Facebook or other social networking site.  This compares with 20% of college admissions officers and 27% of business school admissions officers who have Googled an applicant; 24% of college admissions officers and 22% of business school admissions officers have visited an applicant’s Facebook page.

Additionally, not only are some admissions officers checking applicants’ digital trails, but what they find can be damaging to applicants.  32% of law school admissions officers who researched an applicant online said they discovered something that negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances, while 12% of college admissions officers and 14% of business school admissions officers found something online that negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances.  (See infographic for explanation on why the greater scrutiny by law schools.)

“Since Kaplan Test Prep first began surveying admissions officers on this topic in 2008, we’ve seen the growing influence of social media in the admissions process.  While social media is primarily used for recruiting, rather than evaluation, and traditional factors like standardized test scores, GPA and personal essays are still by far the most important admissions factors, it’s no longer uncommon for schools to check applicants’ digital trails as part of the admissions evaluation,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of data science, Kaplan Test Prep. “Our overall message for all students:  Since the Internet has a very long memory, use good judgment and be careful what you post. “

For a list of the top 10 ways students can manage their social media footprint, visit: www.kaptest.com/socialmediatips.   Additional Kaplan Test Prep research on the topic can be found at  http://press.kaptest.com

Reporters who want to schedule an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep social media expert can contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses.  Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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Teach! Strategies & Resources enables Teach For America’s teachers to align instruction with Common Core and meet expectations for college and career readiness

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY  (March 15, 2012) – To help teachers transition from current classroom instruction to the Common Core State Standards,Kaplan K12 Learning Services and Teach For America are teaming up to provide teachers with instructional resources. Starting this month, all Teach For America teachers will have access to Kaplan K12’s Teach!® Strategies & Resources, an online toolkit with robust instructional and professional development assets to support teacher development as the new academic benchmarks shift from policy to practice.

Based in pedagogical best practices and aligned to state-specific and Common Core standards, Kaplan’s Teach!® Strategies & Resources is a Web-based platform with resources to support rigorous differentiated instruction, training and assessment. It includes an online library of more than 3,000 lessons, assessments, quizzes and videos that Teach For America teachers can easily search and filter by grade (2-12), subject area, state-specific standards, and/or Common Core State Standards, and find immediate, actionable tools for classroom use.

“The goal of the Common Core standards is to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn to be successful in college, and at Kaplan K12, helping students prepare for college has always been at the heart of what we do,” said Justin Serrano, president of Kaplan K12 and College Prep. “Working with Teach For America, we can provide thousands of talented and dedicated teachers with practical tools and resources that help them bridge the gap between preparing their students for current state tests and implementing upcoming Common Core standards in the classroom.”

”We’re committed to ensuring that our teachers have the support they need during this time of transition, and we’re pleased to work with Kaplan to provide them with such a robust toolkit,” said Valerie Braimah, vice president, Community Learning and Engagement, Teach for America. “Our collaboration with Kaplan empowers our teachers to achieve the vision of Common Core standards, and help them accelerate both state test preparation and college readiness.”

Teach! Strategies and Resources is $1,900 for an annual school license for all teachers and $59 for an annual individual teacher license. For more information, please go to KaplanK12.com/Teach.

The Common Core State Standards are an effort led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association to define the knowledge and skills in English language arts and mathematics that students will need upon high school graduation. Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core State Standards and are turning their attention to the critical work of how and when to implement the new standards.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services

Kaplan K12 Learning Services (kaplank12.com), a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (kaptest.com), partners with schools to measurably propel student achievement and accelerate college readiness. Kaplan K12 offers state test readiness programs to help students meet and exceed state standards, and college preparation solutions that support students as they prepare for college entrance exams and the admissions process. Its solutions also provide teachers with robust Kaplan K12 resources and professional development support to impact achievement in their classrooms. Kaplan Test Prep is a division of Kaplan Inc. (kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. Today, more than 9,000 corps members are teaching in 43 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 24,000 alumni are working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit http://www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/teachforamerica) and Twitter (twitter.com/teachforamerica).

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