Apex Learning
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| Apex Learning | |
|---|---|
| Type | Education Software |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Seattle, WA, United States of America |
| Industry | Educational Software |
| Products | Class Tools, Online Courses |
| Website | http://www.apexlearning.com |
Apex Learning, Inc. is a privately-held provider of e-Learning solutions for K-12 education, offering online courses in mathematics, science, English studies, social studies, Romance languages, and Advanced Placement.
Contents |
[edit] History
Apex Learning was started in 1997 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on the idea that online courses and test prep, which were already succeeding in higher education, could be applied to K-12. The original focus of the company was providing online Advanced Placement courses and test prep, and AP remains a core part of Apex Learning's business. In the company’s first full year, Apex Learning served 200 students.
After a series of ups-and-downs during the dot-com bubble, Apex Learning raised and spent $37 million from venture capital investors, and the company had three different CEOs. In 2002, Cheryl Vedoe, formerly VP of Education Marketing at Apple Computer, became the CEO of Apex Learning. Since then, Apex Learning stabilized its revenue and operations and introduced new web-based products addressing credit recovery, remediation, classroom teaching, and alternative schools.
Since its founding, the company claims to have served more than one million student enrollments from over 4,000 school districts. Over the years, Apex Learning has acquired two other companies.
- 2002: Beyond Books
- 2003: Boxer Math
[edit] Products
Apex Learning offers its online curriculum through four product lines, each designed to meet the needs of specific customers.
- ClassTools Virtual for Distance Learning: Apex Learning offers more than 60 online courses, mostly for high school or Advanced Placement credit, in the areas of math, science, English, social studies, and world languages. Online Courses can be taught by either certified Apex Learning teachers or by local teachers. Apex Learning provides training for participating local teachers that covers the curriculum, learning management system, and effective strategies for online instruction.
- ClassTools: ClassTools is Apex Learning's basic product, providing digital content and assessments that help classroom teachers address student learning and achievement. This product is primarily purchased by schools and districts, and is used as a supplement to in-classroom instruction, or as a remediation solution.
- ClassTools Achieve: ClassTools is Apex Learning's newest product, combining the online curriculum and assessments of ClassTools with instructional management and reporting features geared towards improving student achievement. Teachers can monitor the progress of each student and customize instruction to meet individual needs. The product is primarily purchased by alternative schools and districts for use in remediation, intervention, and credit recovery programs in middle and high schools.
- AP Exam Review: Apex Learning offers an online test preparation resource that prepares students for the Advanced Placement exams.
- Exam Prep: Apex Learning creates assessments specifically aligned to each states test blueprint and mirrors the state wide test in terminology, format, item types and weighting. Exam prep courses from Apex Learning incorporate powerful tools and serve a wide variety of implementation models.
[edit] Complaints
Apex learning can be frustrating for its users, especially in the tests where if one does not exactly get the answer right to a "fill in the blank" question, it regards it as a wrong answer.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
- E-Learning
- Virtual learning environment
- History of virtual learning environments
- Learning management system
