New College Prep Channel Enhances Ubiquity of Kaplan’s Test Prep Delivery as Roku Users
Can Now Access Kaplan Streaming Video on their TV screens 

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 15, 2012) – With Internet streaming poised to dominate the future of TV, Kaplan Test Prep has launched a Kaplan College Prep channel on Roku, the leading distribution platform for on-demand video streaming to TV, to make test prep instructional videos by top-rated teachers available for free on the Roku platform.

Featuring free SAT, ACT and PSAT lesson videos with recommended score-raising strategies, Kaplan College Prep is the first test prep channel being introduced to the lineup of over 400 channels available to the 3 million users of Roku.  The U.S. leader in Internet streaming to TV, Roku makes devices that connect TV screens to a vast array of on-demand video.   A recent research report shows that 38 percent* of U.S. households have at least one TV set hooked up to the internet, compared to 30 percent last year. (*Emerging Video Services IV, The Leichtman Research Group, Q1 2012.)  The Kaplan College Prep channel can be found in the “Kids and Family” section of the Roku menu.

Kaplan’s expansion to Internet TV follows the test prep industry leader’s shift towards ubiquitous delivery of its offerings, as it provides test prep resources ranging from digital flashcards to award-winning online programs.  Kaplan last year became the first test prep provider to enable students to download their course materials on the iPad.

“Roku’s streaming platform is one of multiple trends driving exciting times in education,” said Mark Freidberg, Vice President of Technology, K12 and College Prep Programs, Kaplan Test Prep.  “Consumers are increasingly adopting new media options like Roku, and technology is enabling greater flexibility in instructional design and delivery.  As people look to new platforms for consuming information, and digital innovation creates more options for how lessons can be packaged and delivered, Kaplan is applying research on effective learning to develop more instructional options that are digital, mobile and engaging.”

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.

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 (May 10, 2012) – As part of an ongoing initiative to advance the use of digital technology in the classroom, Kaplan K12 Learning Services today announced the winners of its Digital Learning Day-inspired “First Year Teacher e-Book Contest.” Educators’ winning submissions are published in a new chapter in the revised edition of Kaplan’s top-selling book, “First Year Teacher.” The contest sought collaborative input from teachers across the United States to share ideas and best practices on incorporating digital and blended learning into the classroom. The practice of blended learning reinforces academic concepts through multiple modalities, creating a more integrated approach for both teachers and students.

Submissions from Vickie Elswick of Boyd County Middle School (Ashland, Ky.), Loi-Natalie Laing of Miami Edison Senior High (Miami, Fla.) and Jessica Pilgreen of Wesclin Senior High School (Trenton, Ill.) were selected for publication as part of Kaplan’s effort to share best digital practices in the classroom. The winning submissions are featured in the new edition of “First Year Teacher,” now available in e-book form on Amazon.com for free throughout the month of May in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7-11).

Below are some excerpts of the three winners’ ideas:

• Vickie Elswick, Boyd County Middle School, Ashland, Ky.: “We have always known that communication between home/school makes all the difference, and technology gives the teacher so many ways to easily share. As a teacher we have: e-mail, tweets, epubs, webpages, blogs, texting – and that’s just the short list … One of best things about these digital learning tools is that they are available 24/7, and they are efficient in a time of shrinking budgets … Teachers use their digital tools to provide that extra communication and individualization that students need to perform at high levels. That might take the form of online directions for a project the student is doing at home. It might be a vodcast of a lecture that students can watch from home. Technology can provide that enrichment activity for the advanced student, and it can provide remediation that a slower student needs.”
• Loi-Natalie Laing, Miami Edison Senior High, Miami, Fla.: “The most important thing I’ve come to learn as a first year teacher is to utilize great technology that is readily available, and not try to reinvent the wheel. All my classes use Edmodo and my students have embraced being able to communicate with me outside the classroom … I can email individual or class reports to administrators, which students can use to accumulate points for our school store … After discussion with administration, I allow my students to use their phones to do research in class. Students who may not be vocal in the class are often the ones who ask for clarification via Edmodo, email, or text … It started as a struggle, especially since the kids at my school were not used to digital learning. However, they understand that I am trying to educate them for the world that they live in, and not the one I grew up in.”
• Jessica Pilgreen, Wesclin Senior High School, Trenton, Ill.:  “Find a screencasting tool that you like and use it…I’ve saved lots of time by recording myself set up the technicalities of a Microsoft Word document. The time that I’m not visiting each student to help with margins, headers, and font issues becomes time that I can devote to drafting introductions, incorporating complex sentences, or adding descriptive details. This is also a great way to provide intervention strategies for students who benefit from viewing something at multiple times or at their own pace … This is a great method for sharing what is happening in your classroom with parents. You can also have students record their own screencasts, making them the creators of digital media.“

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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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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