February 27, 2012

New York, NY (February 21, 2012) – In celebration of Digital Learning Day – a national campaign launched earlier this month to celebrate innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology – Kaplan K12 Learning Services is seeking collaborative input from teachers across the United States to share ideas and best practices on incorporating digital and blended learning into the classroom. Teachers can submit their innovative ideas and inspiring stories to: Kaplan’s First Year Teacher e-Book Contest. The most creative submissions will be published as a new chapter of the revised edition of Kaplan’s top-selling book “First Year Teacher,” and educators whose ideas are published will win gift card prizes. The new e-book edition will be released during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

Blended instruction includes incorporating the use of different learning environments. Frequently, this means combining traditional face-to-face classroom methods with digital-based activities. The practice of blended learning reinforces academic concepts through multiple modalities, creating a more integrated approach for both teachers and students. Increasingly, technology is playing a critical role in this process. Research on blended learning indicates that the combination of live and online learning can be engaging and effective, as outlined in a recent white paper, “Online and Blended Learning: What the Research Says,” by Marcella Bullmaster-Day, Ed.D.

“We know that today’s teachers are entrepreneurs of innovative ideas inside the classroom, particularly as technology becomes a growing part of classroom instruction. We’d like to give creative-thinking teachers a platform for sharing their ideas about how they are using digital media, to recognize their efforts, and to help others who are navigating the changes that technology is bringing to the learning process,” said Justin Serrano, president of Kaplan K12 Learning Services. “We are looking forward to hearing about how they incorporate digital learning into the classroom, what online tools they find most valuable, how they use technology to help students learn, and anything else they’d like to share.”

All ideas and stories must be submitted by midnight EST, March 9, 2012.

Also in celebration of Digital Learning Day, during February only, the current Kindle edition of “First Year Teacher” is available for free on Amazon.com.

For more information about best practices in blended and online learning, go tohttp://www.kaplank12.com/us/resources/. For more on Kaplan’s participation in Digital Learning Day, contact Russell Schaffer at russell(dot)schaffer(at)kaplan(dot)com or 212.543.7538.

About Kaplan K12 Learning Services

Kaplan K12 Learning Services (http://www.kaplank12.com), a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (http://www.kaptest.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 Test Prep is a division of Kaplan Inc. (http://www.kaplan.com), a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

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Press Releases

February 21, 2012

It’s Official: Medical School Aspirants Will Face an Expanded, More Challenging MCAT in 2015; The Impacts on Pre-Med Education Begin Now

New Exam Content Challenges Colleges to Augment Already-Packed Pre-Med Curriculum with Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Ethics and Cross-Cultural Studies Concepts – Beginning with Current Freshman Class

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 (February 21, 2012) – For the tens of thousands of pre-med students and the colleges and universities that teach them, the next few years will be transformational. Last week, the Association of American Medical Colleges – the governing body of all 137 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian allopathic medical schools – formally approved major content changes to the MCAT, the medical school admissions exam, which will include the addition of behavioral and social sciences, advanced science concepts in biochemistry, and expanded critical thinking. While the writing section will be eliminated, the additional content will make the 2015 MCAT over an hour longer than the current one – going from 5 ½ hours to about 7 hours. (For more on the specific changes, go to http://press.kaptest.com.) According to the AAMC, these changes will better prepare students for the medical school experience and ultimately help them become better doctors.

“These are beneficial and needed changes, as today’s medicine includes scientific advances that didn’t exist a generation ago, and today’s doctors serve an increasingly diverse population,” said Amjed Saffarini, executive director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “However, there’s no question the new MCAT will be more difficult than the current one. The additional content will also be challenging for undergraduate pre-med programs that will need to quickly ensure their curricula cover the expanded topics. The MCAT changes will also challenge pre-med students to learn significantly more material within the same amount of time – a potentially daunting, but achievable challenge for a student population that tends to be highly motivated.”

A Kaplan Test Prep survey conducted of 559 MCAT-takers in January sheds some light into the pre-med experience and mindset:

A Determined Lot: 92% of pre-med students said that even if they had to face the additional content slated for the MCAT in 2015, that it would not have deterred them from pursuing a career in medicine.
A Rigorous Academic Track: 95% said that their existing pre-med education was intense, including 61% who described it as “very intense.”
No Time for French 101: 29% reported that the intensity of their courseload prevented them from exploring areas of study outside of pre-med.

In 2011, 43,919 aspiring doctors applied to medical school, a 2.8% increase over 2010. The number of first-time applicants reached an all-time high in 2011. Of those who applied, about 43% were accepted.

To schedule an interview with a Kaplan Test Prep expert about the upcoming MCAT changes, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538. Pre-med students can find a host of additional resources at www.KaplanMCAT.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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